five days with Paul {day five}

Happy Friday! You made it. :)

Our last Bible reading for the week comes from another of Paul's letters. This time, we're jumping into the book of Ephesians. Ready? Here we go...

Today's reading: 

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,
    rise up from the dead,
    and Christ will give you light.”

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~Ephesians 5:8-20

We have so many choices to make each day. If we're not paying attention when we're making those decisions, we could just default to what we've always done. We could just haphazardly choose the easiest answer without thinking it all the way through.

In today's Scripture, we are challenged to live intentionally. To live on purpose. To live with an overriding thoughtfulness. That's how God loves us, right? 

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. 

So live as people of light!

So our challenge today? Let's not choose the easy way out. Let's intentionally think through each situation we're placed in, and "carefully determine what pleases the Lord". Let's replace the negative thoughts and actions with ones that "make the most of every opportunity". And, at the end of the day, let's "give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ".

Today, reflect God's light as you love and live intentionally.

Many blessings,

Deni

{picture taken in the Fez House in Epcot's Morocco Pavilion.}

{love is in the details.}