Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
June 14, 2023
Ephesians 4:29-32
29 Don’t let any foul words come out of your mouth. Only say what is helpful when it is needed for building up the community so that it benefits those who hear what you say. 30 Don’t make the Holy Spirit of God unhappy—you were sealed by him for the day of redemption. 31 Put aside all bitterness, losing your temper, anger, shouting, and slander, along with every other evil. 32 Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other in the same way God forgave you in Christ.
Good Morning, O Lord, You are my God! And I Will follow you all of my days!
Paul is sharing what it means to be children of God. Jesus came to show us the way by his example as he walked among us. Chapter 4 summarizes how we must let go of our former selves and take on the virtues of walking with Christ.
Let’s focus on verse 30 this morning. How do we make the Holy Spirit unhappy or grieve, as some translations use? This is intriguing language because we usually talk about how the Holy Spirit is at work transforming us. Indeed, the Holy Spirit grieves when we resist our transformation. Think of all the loopholes that we seek and find in our lives. The Pharisees were great at teaching the law, but they also knew how to bend or twist the law to their own benefit.
Are we only rule followers as long as it benefits us? The idea of truth and being truthful is woven throughout this Chapter of Ephesians. How is it with our truth-telling? I have had some enlightening conversations with kids at VBS this week regarding telling the truth. Do we try hiding in the shadows when we need to “conduct” our business or engage in earthly ways? When we justify our lies, we are trying to stand with one foot in our old (earthly) life and one foot in our new (Christ-like) life. If this gap becomes too large, we fall?
The Holy Spirit is within us and sees us when we are standing in the light, in the shadows, and even when we have stumbled into the darkness. The Holy Spirit also sees what is on our hearts and knows those things we believe we hide from the world. Yet, by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit continues to work within us: mending, melting, and reshaping us as many times as it takes. The first step is ours to take when we confess our sins and crawl back toward the light. The Holy Spirit is filled with compassion so we may find our way.
Amazing God, We thank you for Your blessings. May we put on the “belt” of truth and embrace our new lives. You love us and grant us mercy. We Thank You! In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: I will listen carefully to how God speaks to me today.
Through the Holy Spirit, God leads us Step by Step! Pastor Liz
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