Pay Close Attention

 Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. Ephesians 5:15-21 CSB

Pay Close Attention

We are currently in a series titled We Are The Church: A Study in Ephesians. Chapter 5 of Ephesians begins with Paul telling the Christians at the church in Ephesus that the key to living as children of God is to imitate God in everything we say and do. Our key truth for the series, The Church is not a destination but a base of operation, means that we build each other up and then go out from the church, living the Gospel out in our lives for everyone around us.  

Those of us who are older know the wisdom of paying careful attention to how we walk – in wisdom and not folly. We know the consequences of folly and ignoring wisdom. If only we would listen to the wisdom that others offer, we might save ourselves some heartache and pain. God's word offers us the only wisdom we need to walk wisely.

How do we intentionally and strategically walk in wisdom? …but be filled by the Spirit

The way we intentionally and strategically walk in wisdom is to be filled with the Spirit. Paul warns us against getting drunk with wine which leads to reckless living, but instead be filled by the Spirit. We always need to fill up the empty spaces in our lives with the Holy Spirit, the wisdom and knowledge that comes from him and from God’s word. We can stop drinking or living recklessly but unless we fill that void up with the Holy Spirit and the knowledge and wisdom of God we will end up right back where we started – living unwisely and making bad choices. 

Other people also help us walk intentionally and strategically in wisdom as well. We learn from teachers and pastors at church as well as friends. We worship together speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord. And we focus on who God is and what he has done - giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit fills us, equips us, and influences us instead of the days that are evil. 

Wisdom comes from learning, living and doing. Living in a way that glorifies God is one way we grow in wisdom. Foolishness is doing what our flesh wants. The way to finding God's will for our lives is by reading His Word and obeying. We have this one beautiful life to steward. Time is precious and every move we make counts. Walk wisely in the Holy Spirit and not recklessly, praising God and giving thanks in all things. 

Reflecting His Glory

 Tuesday, April 21, 2026

…but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

Reflecting His Glory

We all have a veil covering our hearts - a veil of sin. That sin is a barrier that veils the glory of God and all His goodness and mercy when we don’t know Him. This veil separates us from seeing God and His love for us - and our need for Him. When we turn to Him, that veil is taken away in Jesus. Until then we are veiled to the knowledge and glory of Him. When we witness to others, they have this veil, and if they are not ready to receive His Gospel, they won’t hear it. Our prayer for the unsaved is that they will be ready to be unveiled, and to hear and receive. 

Even as Christians we can still have a veil over our hearts. Sin still finds its way in and creates the barrier between us and our Savior. It veils His glory, muffles His voice and dulls our awareness of the gap between us and Him that our sin creates. 

Jesus removes the barrier between us and God. Through His death on the cross, He made a way for us to ask for forgiveness and repent. He removes the veil from our hearts, bringing us into communion with God. Only then can we know and reflect His glory.  

Moses met with the Lord on Mount Sinai after the people of Israel committed idolatry. He met God face to face and he got to behold the full glory of God. After seeing the glory of God, we read what happened in Exodus 34:29-30; 33-35: As Moses descended from Mount Sinai—with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands as he descended the mountain—he did not realize that the skin of his face shone as a result of his speaking with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face shone! They were afraid to come near him… When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever Moses went before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil until he came out. After he came out, he would tell the Israelites what he had been commanded, and the Israelites would see that Moses’s face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil over his face again until he went to speak with the Lord.

Moses was in the presence of God for a limited time, and the glory of God faded. His face stopped glowing so brightly after a while. But we have the privilege of abiding in His presence. We never have to leave the mountaintop to come back down to the camp. He is always with us, wherever we are. When we abide in Him, His glory never fades from our lives. 

When we spend time with the Lord it shows all over us. It shows on our faces - our countenance. It shows in our actions and in our words. And when we have that intimacy with God, we have pure, unfiltered worship and adoration for Him. Unveiled - no barriers. Authentic worship. 

When we can see His glory - with unveiled hearts - He can be the object of our affections as He deserves. Abiding in Him gives us the reflection that we need to reflect to the rest of the world. When we abide in Him we see His glory and it shines all over us, and through us to those around us. This glory is reflected in our worship. When He is the object of our affections, and therefore our worship, we have pure, authentic worship.