Ephesians 5:15-20

Rachel Workman: ¹⁵ So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. ¹⁶ Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. ¹⁷ Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. ¹⁸ Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, ¹⁹ singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. ²⁰ And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I hope I do make the most of every opportunity to shine the light of Christ. Looking at my life I'd say 50/50. One thing I feel I'm good at is giving thanks but I know it can never be enough.

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Mike Grimm:  Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of the time, because the days are evil. By saying, "the days are evil," Paul was communicating his sense of urgency because of evil's pervasiveness. We need the same sense of urgency because our days are also difficult. We must keep our standards high, act wisely, and so good whenever we can. ¹⁷So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, In Christ, we have a better joy, higher and longer lasting, to cure our depression, monotony, or tension. We should not be concerned with how much of the Holy Spirit we have, but how much of us the Holy Spirit has. We must submit ourselves daily to His leading and draw constantly on His power. ¹⁹as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, ²⁰giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we feel down, we may find it difficult to give thanks. Take heart -- in all things God works for our good if we love  Him and are called to His purpose. Thank God, not for your problems, but for the strength He is building in you through the difficult experiences of your life. You can be sure that God's perfect love will see you through.

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John Burnett:  ¹⁵ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ²⁰ giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Paul was talking to the Ephesians but verses 15 and 16 could not be better advice for those of us living today.  Especially during this time where we are asked to distance ourselves from others.  The news has reported that the extra free time that the public has increased the traffic on Pornography sites exponentially.  Instead of using the time to study God’s word, many are using their time to do evil.  These are the days we are living in.  Alcoholism, domestic violence, and child abuse are all on the rise during this time and Satan has to be happy with the ways things are going.  Currently have a great Selah CD “Greatest Hymns, Volume 2” in my truck that really is helping me carry through on following verses 19 and 20.

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Tomorrow’s reading for Ephesians  5:21-30

²¹ And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
²² For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ²³ For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. ²⁴ As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.
²⁵ For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her ²⁶ to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.^{[b] 27} He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. ²⁸ In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. ²⁹ No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. ³⁰ And we are members of his body.