I will never forget this date from 20-some years ago. I’d just begun reading the One Year Bible & it was on 9/26 that it suddenly became alive!
Markel & I were visiting some of his college buddies & somehow we landed in an argument. I was so mad...I said some hurtful things & then stormed off to bed.
The next morning, I awakened with an emotional hangover - isn’t that the worst? Going to bed mad & then waking up next to the one who was the focus of your fury? 😬
I wished I could take back what I said, but I was also still hurt by some things he said.
I made some coffee & opened my Bible to a passage in Ephesians 4 subtitled, “Living as Children of Light.”
I felt distracted as I kept ruminating our argument from the night before- it’s like darkness enshrouded me & I didn’t feel very “light”.
Paul comes right out the gate commanding us to no longer live as unbelievers do, hopelessly confused & full of darkness 😳It’s like he read my mail!
He writes how they wander far from the life God gives, but since we’ve heard about Jesus & learned the truth that comes from Him, he exhorts us to,
👉🏽Throw off your old sinful nature & your former way of life
👉🏽Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts & attitudes
👉🏽Don’t sin by letting anger control you
👉🏽Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, ✨for anger gives a foothold to the devil✨
👉🏽Let everything you say be good & helpful
I mean it was like a specific prescription for how to make things right with my husband! I was so convicted. It didn’t erase what he’d said, but I had a choice to make - I could continue to wander in the dark, or I could eat a little humble pie, & in doing so, flick the enemy off the angry foothold I’d given him in my heart.
Our entire life is a constant battle of powers & principalities fighting for our affection. We’ll continue to face the decision to let our old nature be resurrected or to let our new nature prevail. The new nature always feels better & yields far better results!
Holy Spirit, lead us to spend time in The Word of God so that we do not grieve Him by the way we live. Renew our thoughts & attitudes so that our life reflects our new nature in Jesus!
September 26th One Year Bible Readings
💡ISAIAH 48:12-50:11
💡EPHESIANS 4:17-32
💡PSALM 69:1-18
💡PROVERBS 24:5-6
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