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Ephesians 6:5-8

Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

Personal Challenge

One thing that many people do not under­stand is that Christianity is not focused on changing the social structure in which it exists. Christianity has and can continue, to exist in a democracy, a totalitarian, a communist, and even a Muslim social structure. We are charged by both Jesus and the apostles to honor our leaders and to pray for them. We are supposed to work within those structures to do the right things, like help the widow, the orphan, and the poor, even the unborn children. This means that we behave differently than those who do not profess Christ as their Lord. Here we have Paul talking about the slave and master relationship. This is a common part of the social structure within which he lives. He is not focused on changing that structure, and he is not condoning or condemning slavery but he is telling his listeners who profess Christ, how to behave. His instructions are counter to the ways of the society and therefore life changing. Our society does not have slavery anymore. We have been able to do away with that, but the same principles can apply in instances such as employer and employee relationships or elected officials and constituent relationships, We are to treat others with love and respect, with sincerity of heart, so that we can demonstrate the love of God to those around us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Ezekiel 1:27b

This was the vision of the likeness of the Lord’s glory. I saw it, and I fell down on my face, and heard the voice of One speaking.

Personal Challenge

In our modern day “worship” services, we thrive on being able to stand and wave our hands and feel the music as we sing praise songs to our God. It moves us and makes us feel good. However, every time someone in the scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, find themselves in the presence of God, they immediately fall on their face before Him, knowing that they were not worthy of His presence in their lives. Even here, Ezekiel falls down on his face and this just because of the vision of the likeness of his Lord. I am pretty sure that if and when we ever are blessed to be in the presence of our Lord, we will not be waving our hands or dancing around, but falling flat on our faces before His glory and majesty. Maybe we should start focusing our worship on Him and not us. This is one of the reasons that I love the liturgical practices of the Orthodox Church. The worship is always God-centered, reverent and submissive to Him. Come and see. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy I Lord, have mercy!

Ephesians 6:4

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Personal Challenge

In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul addresses how marriages and families should work. His teachings are as relevant today as they were when he wrote them. Children are instructed to obey and respect their parents. The Greek word that has been translated to obey can actually be interpreted to “listen intently”, which helps us to under­stand what Paul’s instruction to us fathers is geared toward. It is our responsibility to teach them in a way that passes on to them the precepts and teachings of our Lord, to bring them up with a deep love for the Lord, and to not provoke them by using harsh or demeaning words. We are to love them as Christ loves them. If they are not obeying us properly, are giving them something worthy of obedience? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of Goal, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Lamentations 3:24-27

It is good for a man when he takes up
A yoke in his youth.
“He will sit alone and be silent,
Because he bears it on himself.
He will give his cheek to the one who strikes him,
And he will be filled with insults.
Yet the Lord shall not reject him forever.”

Personal Challenge

Once again, the imagery of farm life is lost on those who have never had the opportunity to spend some time on a farm. We are told by the writer of Lamentations that it is good to take up a yoke in one’s youth. What does this mean? Taking up a yoke is to voluntarily put on the mantle which binds us to our lifelong vocation. By vocation, I do not mean my job. By vocation, I mean that action that I will follow and grow in the remainder of my days. It could be the habit of reading my Bible and praying every day, or giving a tithe of my earnings or serving in my local church. If we choose to take up this yoke early in our lives it will shape us for the remainder of our lives. If our yoke is the yoke of Jesus, it will shape us to be like Him. Glory be to God!

Ephesians 5:25-28

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

Personal Challenge

“As Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her…” Jesus was never married, and yet He was able to demonstrate to us husbands how to treat our wives, with sacrificial love. In this overall passage, Paul tells the wives to submit to their husbands, but he tells us, husbands, to die for our wives, sacrificially. This is the only way that they can be expected to submit to us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Lamentations 3:22-23

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who will seek Him, the Good One.
He will wait for and quietly expect
The salvation of the Lord.”

Personal Challenge

Sometimes it is difficult being a Christian in the modern age where almost everything is available instantly. We have fast food, quick access to cash at the ATM, fast cars, unlimited amounts of information at our fingertips, and a myriad of other things in our lives delivered to us virtually instantly. We no longer have the patience to stand in line or to pause our busy schedule to help someone in need or spend time with our loved ones. We have lost the understanding of what it means to wait for someone or something, or in the case of this passage to wait quietly, expecting our Lord to show up in our lives. We have also lost the ability, or the desire, to seek that which is good for us because this takes time too. God is not playing some kind of cosmic hide-and-seek game with us. He is always present in our lives. The waiting and seeking we do are to prepare our hearts for Him. Glory be to God!

Ephesians 5:14-16

Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Personal Challenge

I am basically a night owl. I have no problem staying up and just plain enjoying the day and the evening. However, I do not like having to get up in the morning. Who cares that the early bird catches the worm. I certainly don’t plan on eating any worms. And yet, I have chosen to use my mornings for my exercise time as well as my devotion and prayer time, so I must get up earlier to start my day off properly. This passage speaks to us spiritually in this area of our lives. Without Christ in our Ares, we are dead… spiritually. We are called to awake from our slumber in death and to arise at the call of Christ or that He can give us the light of eternal life. But it does not stop there. We are told to walk circumspectly as wise people in that light and redeeming the days that we have for His glory.

Lamentations 3:52-54

“You heard my voice;
Do not hide Your ears from my supplication.
You drew near at my call on the day I called upon You.
You said to me, ‘Do not fear.’
O Lord, You pleaded the case for my soul;
You redeemed my life.”

Encouraging Words

Our great and merciful God hears our voices when we cry out to us. He is never deaf to our supplications. When we call out to Him, He draws near to us so that we can feel and see His love for us. He encourages us to not fear this temporal life and the aspects of it that press in upon us, for we are now members of His eternal family. He pleads our case before the holy judgment seat and redeems us, forever. Glory be to God!