Focused Walking
Memory Verse:
'praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, '
Ephesians 6:18
Key Text: Ephesians 5:15-21
Sermon Sentence:
Focused walking will lead the follower of Christ to walk more closely with Him.
'praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, '
Ephesians 6:18
Key Text: Ephesians 5:15-21
Sermon Sentence:
Focused walking will lead the follower of Christ to walk more closely with Him.
Day 1
Read Ephesians 5:15-21
These verses are good for me for this moment. There is not a time I don’t come to these verses that they are not a good reminder for the moment I am in, but they feel extra relevant to this time. It’s the part about “making the best use of the time” that I need to pay attention to. I am making use of the time I have, but the problem is whether or not that is categorized as the best use of the time. When I ask myself about that struggle, I always find myself arguing in my defense. “ I was just doing this with my time…what else should I do? I am just taking a moment for myself.” That is not a bad argument, the bad is how much I can actually make that argument which puts into perspective how much time I am actually taking for myself. It is interesting to me that being “foolish” is contrasted here with understanding what the will of the Lord is.
I need to wrestle with that thought. What is the will of the Lord? I am fully aware of what my will is. In fact I find myself too immersed in the knowledge of what my will is in this moment, or what I want to do. But what does God want? Not in the future and not in the grand scheme of things, but in my life. In this moment. Today. What is the will of the Lord? To not start today (or end today) with thinking about that would be the definition of living foolishly.
How would you describe the relationship between wisdom and God’s will?
What does Paul mean when he states the “days are evil?”
How can you better learn to make the best use of your time this week?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
These verses are good for me for this moment. There is not a time I don’t come to these verses that they are not a good reminder for the moment I am in, but they feel extra relevant to this time. It’s the part about “making the best use of the time” that I need to pay attention to. I am making use of the time I have, but the problem is whether or not that is categorized as the best use of the time. When I ask myself about that struggle, I always find myself arguing in my defense. “ I was just doing this with my time…what else should I do? I am just taking a moment for myself.” That is not a bad argument, the bad is how much I can actually make that argument which puts into perspective how much time I am actually taking for myself. It is interesting to me that being “foolish” is contrasted here with understanding what the will of the Lord is.
I need to wrestle with that thought. What is the will of the Lord? I am fully aware of what my will is. In fact I find myself too immersed in the knowledge of what my will is in this moment, or what I want to do. But what does God want? Not in the future and not in the grand scheme of things, but in my life. In this moment. Today. What is the will of the Lord? To not start today (or end today) with thinking about that would be the definition of living foolishly.
How would you describe the relationship between wisdom and God’s will?
What does Paul mean when he states the “days are evil?”
How can you better learn to make the best use of your time this week?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 2
Read Psalm 1
There is a general idea most people believe about God that I do not agree with: that’s the idea that He is actively hiding wisdom or information from us. The reason this becomes an issue is because, as followers of Jesus, we start to trust what other people think more than what we can know. Also, it makes us inclined to look for hidden messages in the Bible and miss all of the obvious things that are easier to see. God gives wisdom. Not only does He give it, but He enjoys and is delighted in giving it out. He wants His will known so much that he makes it obvious and direct, available for anyone that but looks for it.
This Psalm is one of those basic, down to earth, teachings that needs revisiting so many times. It is the classic right and wrong. It is the obvious light and dark. It is the blatant good and bad. Happiest is the person that is not standing, sitting, or walking in the paths, seats, or ways of those that are not about God’s ways. Life is found on the other side of the equation. It is found in the life lived in the will and calling of God. What is God’s will that we are to know? It is the daily steps and life in the place that God has offered to us, the life that He has blessed, the way that He has revealed. As you wrestle with what today will be about, question where you plan to stand, sit, and walk. That will be a great place to start in learning to see God’s will in all that you do.
What are some examples of “walking in the counsel of the wicked”, “standing in the way of the sinners” and “sitting in the seat of the scoffers”?
How do you learn to avoid these?
After reading Psalm 1:3, describe what this metaphor looks like in your life.
How does today’s devotion inform your prayers?
There is a general idea most people believe about God that I do not agree with: that’s the idea that He is actively hiding wisdom or information from us. The reason this becomes an issue is because, as followers of Jesus, we start to trust what other people think more than what we can know. Also, it makes us inclined to look for hidden messages in the Bible and miss all of the obvious things that are easier to see. God gives wisdom. Not only does He give it, but He enjoys and is delighted in giving it out. He wants His will known so much that he makes it obvious and direct, available for anyone that but looks for it.
This Psalm is one of those basic, down to earth, teachings that needs revisiting so many times. It is the classic right and wrong. It is the obvious light and dark. It is the blatant good and bad. Happiest is the person that is not standing, sitting, or walking in the paths, seats, or ways of those that are not about God’s ways. Life is found on the other side of the equation. It is found in the life lived in the will and calling of God. What is God’s will that we are to know? It is the daily steps and life in the place that God has offered to us, the life that He has blessed, the way that He has revealed. As you wrestle with what today will be about, question where you plan to stand, sit, and walk. That will be a great place to start in learning to see God’s will in all that you do.
What are some examples of “walking in the counsel of the wicked”, “standing in the way of the sinners” and “sitting in the seat of the scoffers”?
How do you learn to avoid these?
After reading Psalm 1:3, describe what this metaphor looks like in your life.
How does today’s devotion inform your prayers?
Day 3
Read Proverbs 2
One of the concepts that I have chased an understanding the most of through the years, is the Biblical idea of wisdom. I remember hearing about the difference between wisdom and knowledge years ago and that intrigued me. I also remember reading the Bible and seeing the idea come up so many times. Especially in the last 5 years, I have really spent a lot of time studying this idea. With that being said, I still struggle to articulate the specifics of wisdom. I think I have a pretty good handle on it, I just do not do good explaining it. The first few chapters in Proverbs do a similar work that is not meant so much to be the formal definition of wisdom, but certainly to amp up the temperature on the benefits of wisdom. When I read this chapter, I see an over-abundant focus on the benefits of the pursuit of wisdom. It is a commentary on the amount of focus it deserves and the result of giving all of your heart and brain to the pursuit. There is nothing in life that I would say this much attention would not result in a wasted life. We all know that to give something attention and focus, that attention and focus has to be shifted away from something else. None of us are just overjoyed at the amount of ridiculous free time we find in our lives with nothing available to fill it with. Therefore, to give attention to something means we have to move attention from something else. Which is why this Proverb also speaks to the loss that is worth it. Remember our verses for this week in the sermon, time is of the essence, so a shift is needed soon.
Why would it be helpful to keep reminding yourself that the Lord gives wisdom and not keeps it from us?
As you read this chapter, list the top 5 benefits to wisdom that you see here for yourself and why those are helpful.
Where is a place in your life you need to call out for wisdom today?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
One of the concepts that I have chased an understanding the most of through the years, is the Biblical idea of wisdom. I remember hearing about the difference between wisdom and knowledge years ago and that intrigued me. I also remember reading the Bible and seeing the idea come up so many times. Especially in the last 5 years, I have really spent a lot of time studying this idea. With that being said, I still struggle to articulate the specifics of wisdom. I think I have a pretty good handle on it, I just do not do good explaining it. The first few chapters in Proverbs do a similar work that is not meant so much to be the formal definition of wisdom, but certainly to amp up the temperature on the benefits of wisdom. When I read this chapter, I see an over-abundant focus on the benefits of the pursuit of wisdom. It is a commentary on the amount of focus it deserves and the result of giving all of your heart and brain to the pursuit. There is nothing in life that I would say this much attention would not result in a wasted life. We all know that to give something attention and focus, that attention and focus has to be shifted away from something else. None of us are just overjoyed at the amount of ridiculous free time we find in our lives with nothing available to fill it with. Therefore, to give attention to something means we have to move attention from something else. Which is why this Proverb also speaks to the loss that is worth it. Remember our verses for this week in the sermon, time is of the essence, so a shift is needed soon.
Why would it be helpful to keep reminding yourself that the Lord gives wisdom and not keeps it from us?
As you read this chapter, list the top 5 benefits to wisdom that you see here for yourself and why those are helpful.
Where is a place in your life you need to call out for wisdom today?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 4
Read Proverbs 3:13-35
You know what I don’t have a lot of? Silver, gold, and jewels. That is not a statement on my financial situation, but rather an actual fact that I literally own nothing that has silver, gold, or jewels in it! My wedding ring is made of silicone, my silverware is from IKEA…well, you get my point. Culturally, these ideas are lost on me. Most of the time, we try to fill in that gap with an explanation that silver, gold, and jewels are a financial equivalent. Maybe that is not the best way to see it. Sure, they all still hold those ideas, but if you go to a jewelry store, you can negotiate close to 50%-60% off of the prices there. If you look that same item up on Amazon, you will find these prices reflected in a much different light. If you go onto a cruise boat, you will find the biggest mark up for these items you could imagine. My point here is not to complain about the price of jewelry, but rather to illustrate the idea of monetary worth versus actual value. I think the comparison of the wisdom ideas captured in Proverbs like these are about value more than monetary comparison. The promise of “riches and honor” from wisdom is not the same as our idea of “if you go to college you will make more money.” It is about the value of life, which is not monetary. In fact it is greatly more significant than money’s value. The very fact that we get hung up in money when comparing our ideas of value points out the ridiculous place we give money that measures worth in our culture and personal lives.
How have you found the value in wisdom that is unlike anything you have gained in life?
The Bible often discusses wisdom as present when God created the world, as it does here. How would you explain what is meant here using the biblical definition of wisdom?
How can you apply Proverbs 3:27 to your day today?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
You know what I don’t have a lot of? Silver, gold, and jewels. That is not a statement on my financial situation, but rather an actual fact that I literally own nothing that has silver, gold, or jewels in it! My wedding ring is made of silicone, my silverware is from IKEA…well, you get my point. Culturally, these ideas are lost on me. Most of the time, we try to fill in that gap with an explanation that silver, gold, and jewels are a financial equivalent. Maybe that is not the best way to see it. Sure, they all still hold those ideas, but if you go to a jewelry store, you can negotiate close to 50%-60% off of the prices there. If you look that same item up on Amazon, you will find these prices reflected in a much different light. If you go onto a cruise boat, you will find the biggest mark up for these items you could imagine. My point here is not to complain about the price of jewelry, but rather to illustrate the idea of monetary worth versus actual value. I think the comparison of the wisdom ideas captured in Proverbs like these are about value more than monetary comparison. The promise of “riches and honor” from wisdom is not the same as our idea of “if you go to college you will make more money.” It is about the value of life, which is not monetary. In fact it is greatly more significant than money’s value. The very fact that we get hung up in money when comparing our ideas of value points out the ridiculous place we give money that measures worth in our culture and personal lives.
How have you found the value in wisdom that is unlike anything you have gained in life?
The Bible often discusses wisdom as present when God created the world, as it does here. How would you explain what is meant here using the biblical definition of wisdom?
How can you apply Proverbs 3:27 to your day today?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 5
Read Proverbs 4
We can’t let go of the familial language in the Bible. I know it is difficult to hold on to the concept of the family the way that the bible presents it, in light of the multiple examples of the broken family in our immediate experiences. I know that the idea of a Father that passes down wisdom and teaches the next generation how to live, is a tough sell to a person that has the experience of a poor father that only passed down, or seemed to try and pass down the values that lead to destruction and addiction. But the reality that the majority of experiences seem to be trending toward the negative does not mean we need to rid ourselves of the language that carries value. This Proverb gives the perspective of a Father that is passing down wisdom to the next generation, a child, in teaching him to live a better life. I am a father, and I don’t know that I am always a good father. I struggle with that idea often and want to stay focused on making sure I repent where I need to and change what I see needs changing. But God is THE Father. He is the only true and perfect One that is passing down life’s greatest advice to us as His children. Maybe it is better for you to sit with the thought that is a bit different than what I just said. Try this: God is YOUR Father. You DO have a Father that is good enough to you and loving enough towards you that He is sitting with you and passing down to you the great benefits and life that comes only from the perspective of a wise and faithful example. It doesn’t matter who you are reading this or what your life experience has been: YOU have a Father!
How is God understood in your life as a Father?
Why is it important to remember how God is a good Father and why that is greater than your past examples?
If you are a father, why is it important to remind yourself that God is THE Father?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
We can’t let go of the familial language in the Bible. I know it is difficult to hold on to the concept of the family the way that the bible presents it, in light of the multiple examples of the broken family in our immediate experiences. I know that the idea of a Father that passes down wisdom and teaches the next generation how to live, is a tough sell to a person that has the experience of a poor father that only passed down, or seemed to try and pass down the values that lead to destruction and addiction. But the reality that the majority of experiences seem to be trending toward the negative does not mean we need to rid ourselves of the language that carries value. This Proverb gives the perspective of a Father that is passing down wisdom to the next generation, a child, in teaching him to live a better life. I am a father, and I don’t know that I am always a good father. I struggle with that idea often and want to stay focused on making sure I repent where I need to and change what I see needs changing. But God is THE Father. He is the only true and perfect One that is passing down life’s greatest advice to us as His children. Maybe it is better for you to sit with the thought that is a bit different than what I just said. Try this: God is YOUR Father. You DO have a Father that is good enough to you and loving enough towards you that He is sitting with you and passing down to you the great benefits and life that comes only from the perspective of a wise and faithful example. It doesn’t matter who you are reading this or what your life experience has been: YOU have a Father!
How is God understood in your life as a Father?
Why is it important to remember how God is a good Father and why that is greater than your past examples?
If you are a father, why is it important to remind yourself that God is THE Father?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
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