Daily Reading: Ephesians 4
Scripture Focus: Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4.1-3)
Devotional Thought: When Grayson, my first grandson, was beginning to walk, I remember how it was like watching for shooting stars - hoping he would take that first step in front of us. We encouraged him to walk, stood him up to walk, clapped when he walked, and even bent over so he could hold our fingers and walk. And, when he took a step, we celebrated! When he lost interest and hit his knees to crawl, we didn’t get angry or impatient with him. When he fell, we made sure he was OK and encouraged him to try again. Grayson is now a world class walker!
That’s the way it is with God and his children when they learn to walk. When we read Paul’s words to “walk in a manner worthy of” our calling, we may feel pressure to do it right, or get intimidated by the steps we have to take to get it right, or be discouraged when we fail to do it right. Sometimes we walk with a limp because of things that have happened to us in the past. Sometimes we revert back to crawling because it is easier and we can get to our destination quicker. But we need to keep on trying, remembering that walking isn’t about performance but rather about progress. God has called us to humility, gentleness, patience, love, unity, and peace. As we walk in and toward those qualities, we are walking in a manner worthy of our calling. We are not instantly there – that would be standing. But, we are making progress – that is walking.
Let's walk in a manner worthy of our Lord!
Prayer: Help me, O Lord, to walk in a manner worthy of you. In my life, I want to bring honor and hope to others. Amen.
Psalm of the Day: 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, 8 fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! 9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! 10 Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds! 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! 12 Young men and maidens together, old men and children! 13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. 14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the LORD! (Psalms 148:7-14)
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