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Study More Psalms

Psalm 33 is devoted to one thing; praising God.

British biblical scholar Derek Kidner, cited in Enduring Word, said of Psalm 33 that “If the purest form of a hymn is praise to God for what He is and does, this is a fine example.”

The blessing in this verse was directed to Israel, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were chosen by God about 4,000 years ago to be His people, and established as a nation approximately 3,500 years ago during the Exodus. However, God’s blessing is applicable to anyone — and any nation — that places trust in Him, a guarantee of inheriting His blessings through faith.

What does it mean to be “blessed”? Looking at the ancient Hebrew for this verse, the word is אֶשֶׁר ('ešer), and the Strong’s definition is “how happy!” That perfectly describes the feeling of experiencing God’s gifts of well-being and prosperity!

In this verse, we see the fruit of the covenant relationship with God. Those with belief in the Lord as their God belong to Him, and receive spiritual (and sometimes material) blessings in accordance with His will. While the psalm specifically targeted the Jewish believers of the time, we have become inheritors of the blessings by our faith in Christ. This is the message found in Romans 11:17-18, where we read:

‭‭We, as Christians, are a branch of God’s family tree! Aligning with God’s will and commands brings peace and prosperity to those individuals and nations that trust in Him.

The latter part of the verse is all about the distinct status of being God’s chosen people, those singled out to receive His inheritance. Being inheritors had great meaning to the people of ancient Israel, as for the firstborn son of a family knew that he had a future promise of property and wealth, a hope in the future. Using the term “he chose for his inheritance” speaks of that same type of promise for all, not just firstborn males.

The New Testament describes those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior as a chosen people and a royal priesthood (see 1 Peter 2:9), bringing the inheritance into the modern age. It is through His sacrifice that we receive the promise of our inheritance, open to all who believe regardless of ethnicity or nationality.

Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:

Father in Heaven, I come before You with gratitude for Your presence in our nation and in a multitude of other nations on this planet. I know that my true happiness and abundant blessings come from recognizing You as my Lord. Guide the leaders of this country and my fellow citizens to seek Your will in all they do. May Your people honor You and live in accordance with Your Word, so that we may all embrace the blessings that come from being Your chosen people. AMEN.

Kidner, Derek “Psalms 1-72: A Commentary” (Kidner Classic Commentaries) (Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1973)

Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author and reproduced here in their original format. © 1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com

Commentary from The Bible Says © 2026 The Bible Says, All Rights Reserved (https://thebiblesays.com)

BibleHub was accessed on June 13, 2026 for commentary on Psalm 33:12

“FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭31‬-‭33‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

The final passage in Ephesians 5 begins in verse 31 by quoting Genesis 2:24 (the text is in all capital letters in Ephesians):

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭24‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

These ares the classic words that are heard in most traditional weddings (we heard them at our ceremony). This is a great mystery, as it echoes the relationship between Christ and the church. Here is Enduring Word commentary on this mystery:

b. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh: Paul quoted this essential passage from Genesis 2:24. Relevant to marriage, it shows that just as the first man and the first woman were one – she was taken from him, and then brought back to him – so it could be said of every married man today that he is joined to his wife. God did the joining. Husbands can resent it, they can resist it, they can ignore it, but it doesn’t change the fact.

• i. It shows a fundamental principle for promoting oneness in marriage: there must be a leaving (of former associations) and a cleaving (joining together as one).

c. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church: It would be easy to think that the Genesis 2:24 passage (also quoted by Jesus in Matthew 19:5) only speaks about marriage. Paul wants us to know that it also speaks about the relationship between Christ and the church.

• i. This is true in regard to the pattern of the first man and the first woman. “Woman was made at the beginning as the result of an operation which God performed upon man. How does the church come into being? As the result of an operation which God performed on the Second Man, His only begotten, beloved Son on Calvary’s hill. A deep sleep fell upon Adam. A deep sleep fell upon the Son of God, He gave up the ghost, He expired, and there in that operation the church was taken out. As the woman was taken out of Adam, so the church is taken out of Christ. The woman was taken out of the side of Adam; and it is from the Lord’s bleeding, wounded side that the church comes.” (Lloyd-Jones)

• ii. It is also true in regard to the pattern of marriage in general.

  • · It shows us that Jesus wants more than just an external, surface relationship.

  • · It shows us that Jesus wants us to be one with Him.

  • · It shows us that there is a sense in which Jesus is incomplete without us. Adam was incomplete without Eve; we can say that Eve makes up the “fullness” of Adam and makes up that which was lacking in him. And that is exactly what the church does for Jesus; Ephesians 1:23 says of the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

• iii. It shows the common connection of unity and oneness in the two relationships. “Unity, mark you for that is the essence of the marriage-bond. We are one with Christ, who made himself one with his people.” (Spurgeon)

There are some profound insights in some of this commentary, especially the observations from Martyn Lloyd-Jones equating Eve with the church and how they both emerged. We need Jesus and He is incomplete without us, so we are one with Him!

I said in my last devotional that I would talk a little bit about the state of weddings these days. So many weddings are performed in gardens and parks, on mountaintops, at wineries, in historic buildings and anywhere else but in a church. The main point of the wedding (other than having a scenic backdrop) is to have an excuse for an elaborate reception, complete with a hosted bar and sit-down dinner. There used to be bachelor parties and lovely bridal showers, but now many brides go crazy with their own bachelorette parties (Nashville, Tennessee is a popular place to see these groups of young women going from honky tonk to honky tonk). The somber and serious nature of the joining of two to be as one and seeing that reflected in Jesus and His church is nowhere to be found.

I recall attending an elaborate wedding many years ago that a co-worker put together for his daughter; this shindig cost thousands of dollars. That daughter and the son-in-law got divorced about three years later. Another wedding we attended a few years ago was held in a winery and God was completely missing from the vows and ceremony, which only lasted about 10 minutes and was was performed by a friend of the groom who was a justice of the peace. Lots of wedding vows these days neglect our Creator, by the way. I look back at our wedding and am grateful that it was true to the scriptural intent, even though I was not happy at the time because of my stubbornness about the role of women in society and in a marriage.

Paul repeats his admonishments to the husband and wife, about love and respect. Here is the commentary from Enduring Word again:

a. Nevertheless: Paul really taught on two things at once. He teaches about marriage, but he also teaches about God’s pattern for marriage – the relationship between Jesus and His people. So in Ephesians 5:31 and 32 he has focused on the relationship between Jesus and His people and is getting really excited about it. Then Paul seemed to remember that his original topic was marriage, so that is why he used the word nevertheless in Ephesians 5:33.

• i. This was Paul’s way of saying, “I know I got off the topic a little bit. So let’s come back to the matter of marriage, and I’ll sum it up for you. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

b. Let each one of you: This means that everyone is included. We can say this about all the teaching on marriage. It is easy to say, “Well, I’m just not that sort of person, so I’ll never do very well.” Husbands do it, saying, “I’m just not very loving.” Wives do it, saying, “I’m just not the submissive sort.” But no matter what our natural disposition is, we have a target to shoot for, and let each one of you in particular means we all should set our eyes on the target the Bible shows us.

c. So love his own wife as himself: Paul again stressed the unity that a husband must recognize and let shape his thinking and his actions.

• i. “Unity is the central principle in marriage; and it is because so many people in this modern world have never had any conception of what is involved in marriage, from the standpoint of unity, that they are riding so loosely to it and breaking their vows and pledges, so much so that divorce has become one of the major problems in our age. They have never caught sight of this unity; they are still thinking in terms of their individuality, and so you have two people asserting their rights, and therefore you get clashes and discord and separation. The answer to all that, says Paul, is to understand this great principle of unity.” (Lloyd-Jones)

• ii. “He is given the position of dignity and of leadership and of headship; and if he understands what it means he will never abuse it, he will never misuse it, by being harsh or dictatorial or unkind or unfair. To be guilty of such behaviour is a denial of the marriage principle, and means that there is an absence of the Spirit.” (Lloyd-Jones)

d. Let the wife see: Paul called the wife to pay special attention here. This may be a point where many wives might excuse themselves for one reason or another, but Paul emphasized, “Let the wife see.”

e. Let the wife see that she respects her husband: This word respects is the same word often used of the reverential fear and awe the disciples had toward Jesus. It is a strong statement, but it indicates that the wife should respect the husband so highly that it points in this direction.

• i. “The Apostle used a very striking word here. It is rightly translated in the Authorized Version as ‘reverence’; but the word really means ‘fear’. ‘And the wife see that she fears her husband’. But we must remember that there are different types of fear… he speaks of ‘reverential’ fear. What it really means is ‘deference’, ‘with reverential obedience’.” (Lloyd-Jones)

• ii. “The wife is to treat her husband with deference; in other words, she is to recognize this biblical and Christian view of marriage, she is to regard the husband as her head, the head of this new unit. They are both one, but there is a head to the unit, as there is a head to our body, as Christ is the Head of the church.” (Lloyd-Jones)

f. Let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband: If Paul’s message in this great passage could be boiled down to two principles which must govern our thinking and our actions as married people, those two are:

• · Husbands: Understand that you and your wife are one, are a unity.

• · Wives: Understand that your unity has a head – your husband.

• i. Wives are quick to embrace and understand the husband’s principle, and they want that to be the governing principle of the marriage.

• ii. Husbands are quick to embrace and understand the wife’s principle, and they want that to be the governing principle of the marriage.

• iii. But we must let our principle govern us. When you have a husband thinking, “I’m one with my wife, and I must think and act that way,” and a wife thinking, “My husband is the head of our oneness, and I need to respect and defer to him as the head,” then you will have a healthy, Biblical marriage.

• iv. “The supreme thing always is to consider our Lord Jesus Christ. If a husband and wife are together considering Him, you need have no worry about their relationship to each other.” (Lloyd-Jones)

These principles of marriage seem very important to me now because they reflect the unity we should have with Jesus. I think if the principles were followed, it would go a long ways toward remedying some of the societal issues we have like rampant divorce rates, fatherless households, pressures on women to “do it all”, and downward spiraling birth rates.

My next devotional examines Ephesians 6:1-3 - Children obey your parents.

Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:

Dear Lord - I love the mystery of the joining of two together and am grateful for our marriage, although we neglected Your presence for many years. Help us to grow together as we enter our final golden years of life. Amen.

Citations and Credits:

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.

Precept Austin was accessed on 06/13/2026 to review commentary for Ephesians 5:31-33.

Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. Within the Enduring Word commentary:

Lloyd Jones, D. Martyn: God’s Ultimate Purpose (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1980)

Lloyd Jones, D. Martyn: Life in the Spirit, In Marriage, Home & Work (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1975)

Lloyd Jones, D. Martyn: The Christian Soldier (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1977)

Lloyd Jones, D. Martyn: The Christian Warfare (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1981)

Spurgeon, Charles Haddon The New Park Street Pulpit, Volumes 1-6and The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volumes 7-63 (Pasadena, Texas: Pilgrim Publications, 1990)

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Barb’s continuing look at Ephesians has focused quite a bit over the past few days on how men and women should act towards one another, so it’s no surprise that God chose these verses from the First Epistle to Timothy for me to study and write about. There are no coincidences with God!

This epistle is traditionally attributed to Paul, writing to his younger colleague Timothy who has taken on the task of ministering to the church in Ephesus. In total, the epistle is instructive in defining the organization of the early church and the responsibilities of the leaders. Paul also exhorts Timothy to maintain the truth in the face of many doctrinal errors that were arising at the time.

In these two verses, Paul is setting forth the idea that women should emphasize their spiritual preparation each day rather than their physical preparation. In other words, they are to dress and fashion themselves modestly, with propriety and moderation. Let’s look at those two words.

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines propriety as “the quality or state of being proper or suitable : APPROPRIATE”, while moderation means “avoiding extremes of behavior or expression : observing reasonable limits”.

Now, no offense to a few of the women at our church, but some definitely dress for worship services in clothing and accessories that are not “proper or suitable” nor do they “observe reasonable limits”. It’s not just this church; since Barb and I started attending services again in 2007, we’ve raised eyebrows at what some ladies deem “appropriate” clothing for attending church.

These words — propriety and moderation — explain what modest apparel is. I thought David Guzik’s commentary on Enduring Word explained it well:

i. Propriety asks, “Is it appropriate for the occasion? Is it over-dressed or under-dressed? Is it going to call inappropriate attention to myself?” Moderation asks, “Is it moderate? Is it just too much — or far too little?” Moderation looks for a middle ground.

ii. The braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing Paul mentions were adornments that went against the principles of propriety and moderation in that culture.

iii. How you dress reflects your heart. If a man dresses in a casual manner, it says something about his attitude. Likewise, if a woman dresses in an immodest manner, it says something about her heart.

iv. “Woman has been invidiously defined: An animal fond of dress. How long will they permit themselves to be thus degraded?” (Clarke)

c. But… with good works: The most important adornment is good works. If a woman is dressed in propriety and moderation, with good works, she is perfectly dressed. Good works make a woman more beautiful than good jewelry.

As you can glean from Guzik’s commentary, God finds the woman who dresses modestly and appropriately, and who practices “good deeds” (works) to be truly beautiful!

At the time this epistle was written, clothing was the main indicator of social status and moral character. For the early Christians, respectable clothing would have been seen as appropriate for worship as it would not draw undue attention to the wearer. Remember the words in 1 Peter 3:3-4 about being humble and living a life that honors God? They mirror the words of Paul to Timothy:

In those days, respectable — not flashy — apparel would have been understood by most early Christians as appropriate for worship. Modesty isn’t just about clothing, but also about the intention behind your appearance. Scripture says a lot about modesty, and believers are to focus on inner beauty and godliness over outward appearance. Reflect on the words of Proverbs 31:30, for example:

‭‭Propriety can also be defined as self-control. That’s one of the fruits of the Spirit, and something that should be practiced in order to please God. Self-control requires discipline in all areas, including on how one dresses and presents his/herself to the world. It’s a virtue that helps believers resist the pressures of society to conform to “standards” and conduct lives God would approve of.

It’s not just clothing that Paul refers to here; “elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls” were also viewed in the Greco-Roman world as being associated with wealth and social status. Paul is advising against these, and suggesting that women focus on adorning themselves with the Spirit rather than those outward displays of self-aggrandizement.

Jesus taught us that believers should reflect His light through good deeds, as in Matthew 5:16. In Galatians 5:22-23, we also see that gentleness and self-control are the fruit of the Spirit, and “Against such things there is no law”. Paul was turning the world on its head with this epistle, defining propriety as godliness instead of meeting the expectations of society.

In the last part of these verses, Paul refers to this behavior as being a standard for Christian women of the time — “appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” These would be the women who claim to follow God, those who had made a public declaration of faith. That was not just a public baptism or testimony, but living a lifestyle of faith and obedience to God.

Combining professed belief with the practice of Christian living was what Paul was encouraging the Ephesian women to follow as a lifestyle..

Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:

Today’s prayer comes from Knowing Jesus:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the many instructions on godly living we receive in Your Word. I pray that I may grow in grace and conduct myself in a manner that honours Your name. Keep me from drawing attention to myself inappropriately. May my inner thoughts be pure and holy, and my outer clothing bring honour to Your name. I pray that all I say and do is always acceptable in Your sight. This I ask in Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.

Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author and reproduced here in their original format. © 1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com

Clarke, Adam “Clarke’s Commentary: The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments with a Commentary and Critical Notes” Volume 6 (Romans-Revelation) (New York: Eaton and Mains, 1832)

BibleHub was accessed on June 12, 2026 for commentary on 1 Timothy 2:9-10

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭25‬-‭30‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Wives were told by Paul to submit to their husbands and I discussed that in the last devotional. However, husbands are told to love their wives to the point of sacrifice. This love is agape love, a love that transcends feelings and physical attraction.

I’ve been very impressed with the commentary from Enduring Word on this part of Ephesians. I will do some extracts of that commentary for this passage, starting with verse 25:

b. Love your wives: Paul used the ancient Greek word agape. The ancient Greeks had four different words we translate love. It is important to understand the difference between the words, and why the apostle Paul chose the Greek word agape here.

• i. Eros was one word for love. It described, as we might guess from the word itself, erotic love. It refers to love driven by desire.

• ii. Storge was the second word for love. It refers to family love, the kind of love there is between a parent and child or between family members in general. It is love driven by blood.

• iii. Philia is the third word for love. It speaks of a brotherly friendship and affection. It is the love of deep friendship and partnership. It might be described as the highest love of which man, without God’s help, is capable of. It is fondness, or love driven by common interests and affection.

• iv. Agape is the fourth word for love. Eros, storge, and philia each speak about love that is felt. These describe “instinctive” love, love that comes spontaneously from the heart. Paul assumes that eros (desire) and phileo (fondness) are present. Christians should not act as if these things do not matter in the marriage relationship. They do matter. But Paul’s real point is to address a higher kind of love, agape love. Agape describes a different kind of love. It is a love more of decision than of the spontaneous heart. It is as much a matter of the mind as the heart, because it chooses to love the undeserving.

• v. “Agape has to do with the mind: it is not simply an emotion which rises unbidden in our hearts; it is a principle by which we deliberately live.” (Barclay) Agape really doesn’t have much to do with feelings – it has to do with decisions.

• vi. Strictly speaking, agape can’t be defined as “God’s love,” because men are said to agape sin and the world (John 3:19 and 1 John 2:15). Yet it can be defined as a sacrificial, giving, absorbing, love. The word has little to do with emotion; it has much to do with self-denial for the sake of another.

  • · It is a love that loves without changing.

  • · It is a self-giving love that gives without demanding or expecting re-payment.

  • · It is love so great that it can be given to the unlovable or unappealing.

  • · It is love that loves even when it is rejected.

  • · Agape love gives and loves because it wants to; it does not demand or expect repayment from the love given. It gives because it loves, it does not love in order to receive.

• vii. We can read this passage and think that Paul is saying, “Husbands, be kind to your wives.” Or “husbands, be nice to your wives.” There is no doubt that for many marriages this would be a huge improvement. But that isn’t what Paul wrote about. What he really meant is, “Husbands, continually decide to practice self-denial for the sake of your wives.”

I have another confession to make - I’m not particularly fond of the other members of my gender (other women) and have usually had much more in common with the men that I’ve known in my life; I had some good friendships in my working days. This is probably because I’m an engineer and techno-nerd who likes science and rockets and space exploration and big construction projects and technology in general. I also like watching WWII movies and documentaries and reading about the war, probably as much as Steve.

I never had kids, so having those philia relationships with groups of Moms didn’t happen; I also have no siblings and was not close to my Mom until the later years when we both mellowed out a bit, but I was always very close to my Dad. By being more in tune with men and seeing how most of them carefully and lovingly treated their wives and families, sacrificed for those families, or selflessly served their country made me aware of this type of agape love that Paul describes. While many women complained about the men in their lives (or men in general), I saw men do remarkable things and make deep sacrifices. All you have to do is go to a place like this, in the picture below, to understand this (photo of Netherlands American Cemetery).

Steve has taken on a role in his life that he probably didn’t expect when we first got married. He became self-employed starting in 2004 and was able to take care of the needs of aging family members like my Mom and Dad and his parents. He took them to doctor’s appointments and helped them out with other concerns, up until the day the last one passed away in 2022. When I started getting worsening physical ailments that limited my abilities to lift anything heavy or stand for a long time (and now interfere with my vision), he happily and cheerfully took over most of the household chores and he has always been there for me and for other loved ones. He continually demonstrates agape or sacrificial love. I can see this also in the fact that he volunteers his expertise as webmaster for my retirement group.

Let’s look at more from Enduring Word on this passage:

b. Just as Christ also loved the church: We might say that Paul taught two things at once here. He taught about the nature of the relationship between husband and wife, and he taught about the relationship between Christ and His Church. Each illustrates important principles about the other.

• i. It demonstrates that Jesus loves his church with a special love. Jesus loves the world and died for the world; but just as a husband can have a general love for everyone, he must also have a special love for his bride.

• ii. “I ask you to notice what is not always the case with regard to the husband and the wife, that the Lord Jesus loves his church unselfishly; that is to say, he never loved her for what she has, but what she is; nay, I must go further than that, and say that he loved her, not so much for what she is, but what he makes her as the object of his love. He loves her not for what comes to him from her, or with her, but for what he is able to bestow upon her. His is the strongest love that ever was.” (Spurgeon)

• iii. Using the love of an ideal husband as a pattern, we could say that Jesus has a constant love for His people, an enduring love for His people, and a hearty love for His people.

c. And gave Himself for her: Jesus’ action towards the church is a pattern. This helps us define what agape love is all about: it is self-sacrificing love. How should a husband love his wife? As Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it. What did that involve? Perhaps the best statement concerning that matter is in Philippians 2:5-8, where it shows that the focus of Jesus was on the church. It was for the church that He did what He did, not for Himself.

• i. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:5-8).

• ii. This word is especially needful for husbands who see headship in submission with worldly understanding instead of godly understanding. Some husbands think that because God said they are the head of the home and the wife is obligated to submit to them that they do not have to be humble, lay down their lives, and sacrifice for the benefit of their wife. They need to understand the difference in thinking between worldly headship and godly headship.

  • · Worldly headship says, “I am your head, so you take your orders from me and must do whatever I want.”

  • · Godly headship says, “I am your head, so I must care for you and serve you.”

  • · Worldly submission says, “You must submit to me, so here are the things I want you to do for me.”

  • · Godly submission says, “You must submit to me, so I am accountable before God for you. I must care for you and serve you.”

• iii. This is not the height of romantic love as the world knows it. This isn’t love based on looks, image, the ability to be suave and cutting-edge cool. This is love expressed through sacrifice.

The love of Jesus is constant, enduring and hearty. After 47 years together, I can say that Steve emulates that same type of sacrificial love quite readily, even as a flawed and sinful human. He also has incredible humility. I still have to work on the “submit” piece and my own humility (or lack thereof) but I think I understand my role as a wife better now, from studying God’s plan for humanity. I would not be angry at these words if the wedding was held tomorrow.

Back to Enduring Word:

a. So husbands: In Ephesians 5:22-24, Paul gave three reasons for a Christian wife’s submission to her husband. In addressing the Christian husbands, Paul also gave three reasons to love their wife:

• i. First, they should love their wife this way because this is what love is. Paul indicates this in Ephesians 5:25: Husbands, love your wives.

• ii. Second, they should love their wife this way because the relationship between husband and wife has a pattern: the relationship of Jesus and His church. Paul indicates this in Ephesians 5:25-29: Just as Christ also loved the church… So husbands ought to love their own wives… just as the Lord does the church.

• iii. The third reason is found in Ephesians 5:28-32. The Christian husband must love his wife this way because you are one with her, just as Jesus is one with the church.

…

d. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it: Any man in his right mind is going to take care of his own flesh, even if it is just in the sense of feeding and clothing and caring for his own body. He knows that if he doesn’t, he is going to suffer for it. In the same way, once we know the Biblical fact of this unity, if we are in our right minds we will nourish and cherish our wives because she is part of us.

e. Just as the Lord does the church: The principle of oneness also is dominant in the relationship between Jesus and His people.

• · There is oneness of life: We share the same vital resurrection life that resides in Jesus Himself.

• · There is oneness of service: We are privileged to be co-workers with our Lord.

• · There is oneness of feeling: Jesus feels a unique sympathy with us, and we feel a unique sympathy with Him.

• · There is oneness of mutual necessity: We cannot exist without Him and He cannot exist without us, in the sense that a redeemer is not a redeemer without any redeemed; a savior is not a savior without any saved

• · There is oneness of nature: The same genetic code links us with our Savior, and we are partakers of the divine nature

• · There is oneness of possession: We share in the riches of His glory both now and in the age to come

• · There is oneness of present condition: When our Savior is lifted high, so are His people with Him.

• · There is oneness of future destiny: We will be glorified with Him.

Oneness between husband and wife reflects the oneness we have with Jesus.

Weddings these days seem to be more for showing off than for acknowledging the mystery of this union before God (when’s the last time you attended a wedding in a church?). I’ll discuss this more in my next devotional, which examines Ephesians 5:31-33 - The mystery of the union.

Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:

Dear Lord - I am eternally grateful that I am the wife of Steven Sande. He has demonstrated sacrificial love for me throughout our marriage and for my relatives and friends. In return, I have probably failed to respect him and submit to him in our relationship. Amen.

Citations and Credits:

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.

Precept Austin was accessed on 06/10/2026 to review commentary for Ephesians 5:25-20.

Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. Within the Enduring Word commentary:

Barclay, William The Letters to the Corinthians (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975)

Spurgeon, Charles Haddon The New Park Street Pulpit, Volumes 1-6and The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volumes 7-63 (Pasadena, Texas: Pilgrim Publications, 1990)

Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.

Study More Psalms

Psalm 51:17 is a Psalm of David about a very low point in the life of the king. He had committed adultery with Bathsheba and, to heap sin upon sin, had conspired to have her husband Uriah killed in battle by having him placed on the front line… and then withdrawing the rest of the troops. This entire sad affair is covered in 2 Samuel 11, and represents perhaps one of the most sinful periods of David’s life.

David is confronted by the prophet Nathan about this situation, which sets up both his repentance and writing this psalm.

What can David do to get right with God after sinning so egregiously? At the time, ritual sacrifice was commonplace, so heaping offerings of lambs, goats, bread, wheat, and other foodstuffs onto the altar would have been the usual acts of contrition. David rightly realizes that these offerings mean nothing without truly confessing that his sin was wrong and greatly offensive to the Lord.

In Psalm 51:16, David comes right out and says something that would have seemed almost blasphemous to the religious leaders of the time:

David knows that animal sacrifice was the usual way to atone for sin, but understands something much more important: God wants the heart of man. As Charles Spurgeon noted in this commentary found on Enduring Word:

In today’s verse, David shows his understanding of what God really wants from sinners instead of an endless parade of sacrifices. This commentary from The Bible Says explains this well:

David is publicly confessing his sins here, and his use of the words “a broken and contrite heart” shows that he is not only feeling great sorrow at what he did, but has a very sincere desire to reconcile with God. The Shema — “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” — found in Deuteronomy 6:5 and elsewhere in Scripture, sets out the need for our love for God to be true and wholehearted.

In concluding this verse, David states that God will not despise those who come to Him in genuine repentance — He will forgive and accept them. The prophet Isaiah captured God’s rejection of insincere worship in Isaiah 1:11-17:

‭‭God will forgive and accept all who come to Him in genuine repentance. We see that truth illuminated in our time through the revelation of grace through Jesus Christ.

Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I come before You with a humble heart, recognizing my need for Your mercy. When I sin, as I know I will, create in me a broken spirit and contrite heart — the sacrifices You do not despise. Help me to always acknowledge my sins and seek Your forgiveness, as I walk in Your ways and try to live according to Your will. Thank You for Your limitless love and compassion, AMEN.

Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.

Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author and reproduced here in their original format. © 1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com

BibleHub was accessed on June 9, 2026 for commentary on Psalms 51:17

Commentary from The Bible Says © 2026 The Bible Says, All Rights Reserved (https://thebiblesays.com)

Spurgeon, Charles Haddon “The Treasury of David: Volume 1” (Psalms 1-57) (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 1988)

“Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

I like the image that Steve requested from ChatGPT, of an older couple in the time of the Epistle to the Ephesians; they obviously love each other very much. The light in the background is suggestive of a cross.

A little confession - many years ago when I was not even in college yet, I became a rather strident feminist. I earned a degree in a subject that very few women at the time pursued (Electrical Engineering). When Steve and I got married 47 years ago in a conservative Lutheran church (the church that I belonged to for many years that later became ELCA) we had the usual counseling session with the pastors. I put my foot down on the Scripture that would be read and demanded that they avoid the usual Paulian admonishments about the role of women and their subservience to their husbands.

The day of the wedding came and we had a church full of our family and friends. The elder pastor at our church read the very verses that are the subject of my devotional today. My face probably got really red, but I decided not to say anything to the pastor afterwards. I was quite upset, however, as I didn’t accept this role at that time and it was one of the factors that led me into a wilderness journey away from God for a few years. We also made, as a couple, a seriously stupid and selfish decision to not have children because they would overseer with our pursuit of careers and fun; in my “golden” years this is one of the biggest regrets of my life as I will never know the joy of having grandchildren (much less what it would have been like to be a parent). The career was good, not great for me; I don’t know how I would have been as a mother, but I didn’t give myself that chance.

Now, today, I read these verses and believe that this is the God-ordained and proper order for a civil and moral society; radical feminism (IMHO) has done terrible damage to the institutions of marriage and the family. I really, really like this commentary from Enduring Word:

a. Wives: Paul addressed wives and their responsibility in the Christian marriage first. This isn’t because they are the bigger problem or because they need special attention. The reason is that the apostle was particularly concerned about this question of submission. That was the principle that he introduced in Ephesians 5:21. This aspect of submission has a particular application to wives in a Christian marriage.

• i. The same logic continues on into Ephesians 6. Children are addressed before parents because Paul was primarily concerned about submission. Slaves are addressed before their masters because the apostle was primarily concerned about submission.

• ii. There is no question that the apostle is continuing the thought from Ephesians 5:21, submitting to one another in the fear of God. In many of the best ancient Greek manuscripts, Ephesians 5:22 doesn’t even have the word submit. It simply reads wives, to your own husbands. The topic is submission and Paul focused on a particularly important realm of submission – the Christian marriage, from the wife unto the husband.

• iii. It is as if Paul said this: “I commanded you to submit to one another in a very general way. Now, if you do it in a general way, how much more so should wives do it to their own husbands in this special relationship of marriage.”

b. Wives, submit: To submit means that you recognize someone has legitimate authority over you. It means you recognize that there is an order of authority, and that you are part of a unit, a team. You as an individual are not more important than the working of the unit or the team.

• i. When we submit to God, we recognize God’s authority and act accordingly. When we submit to the police, we recognize the authority of the police and act accordingly. When we submit to our employer, we recognize the authority of our employer and act accordingly.

• ii. Submission does not mean inferiority. As well, submission does not mean silence. Submission means “sub-mission.” There is a mission for the Christian marriage, and that mission is obeying and glorifying God. The wife says, “I’m going to put myself under that mission. That mission is more important than my individual desires. I’m not putting myself below my husband, I’m putting myself below the mission God has for our marriage, for my life.”

c. To your own husbands: This defines the sphere of a wife’s submission. The Bible never commands a general submission of women unto men in society. This order is commanded only in the spheres of the home and in the church. God has not commanded in His word that men have exclusive authority in the areas of politics, business, education, and so on.

d. As to the Lord: This is a crucial phrase. It colors everything else we understand about this passage. There have been two main wrong interpretations of this phrase, each favoring a certain position.

• i. The wrong interpretation which favors the husband says that as to the Lord means that a wife should submit to her husband as if he were God himself. The idea is “you submit to God in absolutely everything without question, so you must submit to your husband in the same absolute way.” This interpretation believes that the words “as to the Lord” defines the extent of submission.

  • ii. This is wrong. It is true that the wife owes the husband a great deal of respect. Peter sets this across when he praises Sarah, the wife of Abraham, as an example of a godly wife, when she called Abraham “Lord.” That doesn’t mean “Lord” in the sense of God, but “Lord” in the sense of “master.” That is a lot of respect. Yet still, it doesn’t go as far as to say, “You submit completely to God, so you must submit to your husband the same way.” Simply put, in no place does the Scripture say that a person should submit to another in that way. There are limits to the submission your employer can expect of you. There are limits to the submission the government can expect of you. There are limits to the submission parents can expect of children. In no place does the Scripture teach an unqualified, without exception, submission – except to God and God alone. To violate this is to commit the sin of idolatry.

• iii. The wrong interpretation that favors the wife says that as to the Lord means “I’ll submit to him as long as he does what the Lord wants.” Then the wife often thinks it is her job to decide what the Lord wants. This interpretation thinks that as to the Lord defines the limit of submission.

  • iv. This is wrong. It is true that there are limits to a wife’s submission; but when the wife approaches as to the Lord in this way, it degenerates into a case of “I’ll submit to my husband when I agree with him. I’ll submit to him when he makes the right decisions and carries them out the right way. When he makes a wrong decision, he isn’t in the Lord, so I shouldn’t submit to him then.” That is not submission at all. Except for those who are plainly cantankerous and argumentative, everyone submits to others when they are in agreement. It is only when there is a disagreement that submission is tested.

e. As to the Lord does not define the extent of a wife’s submission or the limit of a wife’s submission. It defines the motive of a wife’s submission.

• i. “It means: ‘Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands because it is a part of your duty to the Lord, because it is an expression of your submission to the Lord.’ Or, ‘Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands; do it in this way, do it as a part of your submission to the Lord.’ In other words, you are not doing it only for the husband, you are doing it primarily for the Lord Himself… You are doing it for Christ’s sake, you are doing it because you know that He exhorts you to do it, because it is well-pleasing in His sight that you should be doing it. It is part of your Christian behaviour, it is a part of your discipleship.” (Lloyd-Jones)

• ii. “For the Lord’s sake who commanded it, so that ye cannot be subject to him without being subject to them.” (Clarke)

• iii. As to the Lord means…

  • · A wife’s submission to her husband is part of her Christian life and obedience.

  • · When a wife doesn’t obey this word to submit to your own husband, as to the Lord, she isn’t only falling short as a wife. She is falling short as a follower of Jesus Christ.

  • · This is completely out of the realm of the wife’s nature or personality.

  • · This has nothing to do with a husband’s intelligence, giftedness, or capability. It has to do with honoring the Lord Jesus Christ.

  • · This has nothing to do with whether or not the husband is right on a particular issue. It has to do with Jesus being right.

  • · This means that a woman should take great care in how she chooses her husband. Instead of looking for an attractive man, instead of looking for a wealthy man, instead of looking for a romantic man, a woman should first look for a man she can respect. G. Campbell Morgan recalls the story of the older Christian woman who had never married, and she explained, “I never met a man who could master me.” She had the right idea.

  • · If you want to please Jesus, if you want to honor Him, then submit to your own husband as to the Lord.

• iv. “There can be no more compelling motive for any action than this; and every Christian wife who is concerned above everything else to please the Lord Jesus Christ, will find no difficulty in this paragraph; indeed it will be her greatest delight to do what the Apostle tells us here.” (Lloyd-Jones)

Let’s unpack this:

1. Paul is continuing the thought from the previous passage that we as believers submit to each other in fear of the Lord. The relationship between husbands and wives is an example of that.

2. Submission means that we, as wives, have a role to play in the mission for glorifying and obeying God. This does not mean inferiority or silence. This mission for Him is the most important thing in our lives. Just like Jesus is the Son in the Trinity (He is equal to God but submits to God as the Father), wives are equal to their husbands but submit to them in that partnership. I didn’t experience the full aspects of this role, but can only do what I can now as we age together.

3. Wives don’t submit to their husbands as though he were God and we don’t submit only for as long as we think he is doing the “right thing”. There are extents and limits to this submission and it is, in reality, a motive for submission because it pleases the Lord.

Ray Stedman has these wise words from one of his sermons, as quoted in Precept Austin:

In saying this, the apostle is dealing with the basic remedy for all the conflicts in our day. Paul will apply this principle as he discusses the relationship of husbands to wives, which brings in the whole realm of marriage and divorce and the problems that arise there. Then he will take up the matter of children and parents, which brings in the whole issue of juvenile delinquency, causes and what can be done about it. Then he will take up the issue of management and labor. In each case, the remedy is always the same: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

If we have any desire at all to be part of a solution to the issues surrounding us today, we must do so out of an understanding of what God has revealed about the heart of the problem. We must go back to the cause of all human strife. There is no one who has not at some time asked the question, “How can I get the greatest satisfaction out of life? How can I get the maximum expression of my potential? How can I fulfill myself?” It is not wrong to ask these questions because God has put these urges within us, but it is gravely wrong to ask them in this way.

When we ask the questions this way, we are asking as though we were the only person in the world, as though we were responsible for our own self-development. Sooner or later, in my attempts to develop myself and to gain satisfaction, I find myself on a collision course with someone else who is attempting the same thing. I find that my efforts to satisfy myself are continually sabotaged by others who are trying to achieve satisfaction in the same way. I insist on my rights, and others insist on their rights, and so we become obstacles to each other.

But Paul changes the whole pattern for Christians by introducing two radical factors that alter the whole situation. First, the Christian must never forget that in every relationship of life, another person is present: It is not merely a problem of what I want versus what you want. In every relationship, the apostle reminds us, a third Person is present--the Lord Jesus Christ.

That brings us to the second matter. When I am at odds with another person, to see that Christ is there too is to make me aware immediately of what He has taught me. It is only when I forget myself and devote myself to another’s fulfillment that I will find my own heart running over with grace and satisfaction. This is one of the fundamental mysteries of life, and it is confirmed to us every day. Those who try desperately to satisfy themselves are the ones who end up hollow inside. Our Lord put it this way: “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25).

It becomes, then, a question of priority. You cannot have your rights by insisting upon them. You can have them only when you seek to give others their rights. Do you dare to try this radical principle right where you live?

Father; I thank You for a word that searches me and cuts deep and lays bare and hides nothing. I know that in this sweet surgery of Holy Spirit there is healing, forgiveness, cleansing. and restoration. (Ephesians 5:21 The Cure For Conflict)

Boy, would this world be different if we stopped insisting on our rights but actively worked to give others their rights! Satisfying only ourselves leads to emptiness, envy and unhappiness. We should also always remember that Christ is in the midst of our relationships with another people.

The church is subject to Christ and wives are subject to their husbands in everything, according to the last part of this passage. Everything? Does this mean that a wife must suffer abuse or obey when her husband commands her to sin or sit quietly by when her husband commits adultery? Once again, I think Enduring Word has excellent commentary that answers these questions and more about the order of submission:

Therefore: We see in this passage three reasons for a wife’s submission to her husband:

· It is part of her obedience to Jesus (as to the Lord).

· It is appropriate to the order of creation (the husband is the head of the wife).

· It is appropriate because of the model of the relationship between Jesus and the Church (as also Christ is head of the church… as the church is subject to Christ).

• i. The first reason is compelling enough, but in itself it doesn’t close the issue. If all we had was as to the Lord, it might be fair enough to ask, “Aren’t men to live as to the Lord also? Shouldn’t men submit to their wives in obedience to Jesus in the same way?” Then you wouldn’t have a real “head” of the home. This is the goal in some marriages. “No one is really in charge. We’re equal partners. I’ll submit to you sometimes and you submit to me other times. We’ll just let Jesus be our head and work out each situation as it comes along and see who will submit to whom.”

• ii. To say it simply, that isn’t a Biblical marriage relationship. It ignores the essential order of creation, and it ignores the model of the relationship between Jesus and the Church. This leads us to carefully notice something in general about submission. The principle of submission is presented in many different ways in the New Testament.

  • · Jesus submitted to His parents (Luke 2:51).

  • · Demons submitted to the disciples (Luke 10:17).

  • · Citizens should submit to government authority (Romans 13:1 and 5, Titus 3:1, 1 Peter 2:13).

  • · The universe will submit to Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:27 and Ephesians 1:22).

  • · Unseen spiritual beings submit to Jesus (1 Peter 3:22).

  • · Christians should submit to church leaders (1 Corinthians 16:15-16 and Hebrews 13:17).

  • · Wives should submit to husbands (Colossians 3:18, Titus 2:5, 1 Peter 3:5, Ephesians 5:22-24).

  • · The church should submit to Jesus (Ephesians 5:24).

  • · Servants should submit to masters (Titus 2:9 and 1 Peter 2:18).

  • · Christians should submit to God (Hebrews 12:9 and James 4:7).

• iii. We notice that none of these relations are reversed. For example, masters are never told to submit to servants, Jesus is never told to submit to the church, and so forth. The consistent use of the idea of submission in the Scriptures illustrates basically a “one-way” submission according to how God has arranged the order of authority.

…

g. To their own husbands in everything: Paul says that the wife should be subject to her husband in everything. Does he really mean everything? This needs to be understood in the same way we understand submission in other spheres. For example, when Paul says in Romans 13 that the Christian must submit to the state, we understand there are exceptions. So, what are the exceptions to everything?

• i. When the husband asks or expects the wife to sin, she is free from her obligation to submit. This applies in a place of clearly Biblical sin – such as signing a fraudulent tax return. It also applies in matters of true Christian conscience. But we must be very careful to distinguish between true Christian conscience and mere opinion. Yet the wife does not have to submit to a request to commit sin.

• ii. When the husband is medically incapacitated or insane, she is free from her obligation to submit. A wife does not have to submit to the requests a husband makes when he is insane or medically incapacitated.

• iii. When the husband is physically abusive and endangers the safety of the wife or children, the wife is free from her obligation to submit. She does not have to submit to his violence.

• iv. When the husband breaks the marriage bond by adultery. Obviously, a wife does not have to submit to her husband’s adultery, and just accept it. The Bible says she has the right to “come out from under his rank” in such cases. “If the husband has been guilty of adultery the wife is no longer bound to give him obedience in everything. She can divorce him, she is allowed to do so by the Scripture. She is entitled to do so because adultery breaks the unity, breaks the relationship. They are now separate and no longer one. He has broken the unity, he has gone out of it. So we must not interpret this Scripture as teaching that the wife is irrevocably, inevitably bound to an adulterous husband for the rest of her life. She may choose to be – that is for her to decide. All I am saying is, that this Scripture does not command it.” (Lloyd-Jones)

Because of the passages that follow that identify the responsibilities of the husband, it is clear that these behaviors would violate those responsibilities.

I’ll end this with the marvelous words that Paul wrote in Galatians (I added the emphasis in bold):

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭26‬-‭29‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

As will be noted in my next devotional for Ephesians 5:25-30, the husband has an even bigger responsibility for his wife.

Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:

Dear Lord - I have abjectly repented of my disobedience to Your word and will and I humbly submit to You and to my husband for the remainder of my days. Amen.

Citations and Credits:

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.

Precept Austin was accessed on 06/09/2026 to review commentary for Ephesians 5:22-24. Links to the source documents are provided where appropriate.

Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. Within the Enduring Word commentary:

Clarke, Adam The New Testament with A Commentary and Critical Notes, Volume II (New York: Eaton & Mains, 1831)

Lloyd Jones, D. Martyn: God’s Ultimate Purpose (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1980)

Lloyd Jones, D. Martyn: Life in the Spirit, In Marriage, Home & Work (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1975)

Lloyd Jones, D. Martyn: The Christian Soldier (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1977)

Lloyd Jones, D. Martyn: The Christian Warfare (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1981)

Genesis 1:29 as depicted by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.

About a month ago I studied another verse from Genesis (1:29), and today we’re back in the first book of the Bible looking at the verse where God creates “mankind in his own image”.

I confess that for most of my life, I believed the evolution story: Out of nothingness came subatomic particles, then atoms, which formed molecules, which formed complex chemicals that somehow gathered together, formed organs, muscles, nerves, bone, and ligaments, figured out how to split into two sexes for zygotic reproduction, and become sentient and started thinking about God… or not.

I still clung to this belief after I professed my faith in Jesus Christ. However, studying the Bible for years has made me realize that mankind being created by God is a much easier leap of faith to make than thinking humanity is the random result of millions of years of accumulated cellular genetic mutations. With that confession and my repentance from the sin of idolatry at the altar of evolution out of the way, let’s look more deeply into this verse.

This verse documents the sixth day of creation, the day on which God created more “living creatures” (that is, those animals that are alive, and have a mind, emotions, and will power; in this case specifically “beasts of the earth,” “cattle,” and “everything that creeps on the ground.”) in Genesis 1:25, and then made “man in our image” (note the use of the plural “our” here, representing the Trinity) in Genesis 1:26, giving mankind dominion over the earth and all of the other creatures.

At first glance, Genesis 1:27 seems like a series of repetitions:

1. So God created mankind in his own image

2. in the image of God he created them

3. male and female he created them

We already know from Genesis 1:26 that God created “man in our image.” Why the repetition? From earlier studies, we know that Scripture was often written with repetitive phrases, and there’s a good reason for that (from Bible Hub):

Genesis 1:27 is God’s way of pounding His truth into our thick skulls! He is telling us two important truths here: That He created mankind in His own image, and He created them in male and female sexes.

What does it mean to be made “in His own image”? This commentary from The Bible Says is instructive:

Reading that, I decided to do a quick word study on “image”. In Hebrew, that word is צֶלֶם (ṣelem), and sure enough the etymology is “From an unused root meaning to shade” (Blue Letter Bible). Mankind is a mere shadow to the glory of God!

The last part of this verse will surely upset some people who have fallen for the false belief that there are more than two human genders, male and female. The myth of transgenderism had its earliest roots in the 1960s, and things have gone completely off the rails since then, with some authorities claiming that there are 72 or more “gender identities”.

Believing in more than two human genders is roughly equivalent to believing that you can sprout wings and fly to the moon if you wish hard enough. Take any one of those self “gender-identified” people, study their genes, and you’ll find the God-given truth: they either have an XX chromosome (female, AKA the homogametic sex) or an XY chromosome (male, AKA the heterogametic sex). There are very rare genetic conditions where a male may have extra X or Y chromosomes (XXY or XYY syndrome, for example), but that person is still biologically a male.

As usual, Pastor David Guzik of Enduring Word provides clarity with his commentary:

and

God created us in His image for the purpose of having fellowship with us, to be His shadow. Like a shadow, believers are always with Him, revealed by His glorious light.

Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:

Thank You, God, for creating us in Your image. As believers, we acknowledge the dignity and purpose of being made either male or female, and we’re grateful for the relationship we have with You. We recognize that being made in Your image gives us value and worth, making it easy for us to embrace the beauty of our creation that reflects Your character and nature. Help us to commit to living in a way that honors our identity as Your creations, and teach us to deepen our relationship with You through prayer and worship. AMEN

Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.

Commentary from The Bible Says © 2026 The Bible Says, All Rights Reserved (https://thebiblesays.com)

Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author and reproduced here in their original format. © 1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com

BibleHub was accessed on June 6, 2026 for commentary on Genesis 1:27

Johnson, Philip “Darwin on Trial” (Downer’s Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993) cited on Enduring Word.

“So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬-‭21‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

The AI image at the top is a lovely scene. Believers are gathered at a home in Ephesus, speaking to one another and singing songs and learning His Word.

Paul commands the saints at Ephesus to not be foolish, but to understand what the will of the Lord is. Ray Stedman has an interesting take on this understanding, as quoted in Precept Austin:

Be aware of what God wants out of every situation. Now, almost always, when one uses the phrase, "the will of the Lord," most people, including most Christians, understand it in terms of guidance. They think you are referring to what you ought to do next, where you ought to live, what job you ought to have, whom you ought to marry, or how you can decide a problem that is before you. But guidance is not the major problem, or the major factor, in understanding the will of the Lord. God is not half so much interested in what you do as what you are. Therefore, the will of the Lord does not concern itself primarily about what you do. That is a rather simple matter. Once you get the real issue straightened out, what you do is relatively unimportant and can be handled very easily. What you are -- that is the big thing, what you are in every situation. This is what the apostle is talking about. (Sermon).

You can truly say that what you do in this life comes out of what you are. If you are filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit, then you approach everything in this life (employment, relationships, marriage, family, education, church, mentoring, bad situations, health concerns) with His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. You are His beloved, His ambassador for the faith.

Another good commentary from 19th-century pastor George Mueller (as quoted in Precept Austin) gives us an outline of how to discern God’s will:

1. Surrender your own will.

• I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.

2. Do not depend on feelings.

• Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great elusions [illusions].

3. Seek, the Spirit’s will through God’s Word.

• I seek the will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusion also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.

4. Note providential circumstances.

• Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God’s will in connection with His Word and Spirit.

5. Pray.

• I ask God in prayer to reveal His will to me aright.

6. Wait.

Considering that we live in the most feelings-oriented therapeutic culture in the history of the world, this is so important to go beyond simple impressions; we must ensure that His Will that you perceive aligns with His Word.

Paul cautions the saints to not be drunk with wine, for that is dissipation (an abandoned life). Paul was not against wine, per se, as he advised Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23 to forego water and drink a little wine to settle his stomach. But what Paul is concerned with is a lifestyle of drunkenness that replaces being filled with the Holy Spirit. Wine is a marvelous creation and I enjoy a very good red wine with an excellent dinner, but I know that in my younger days that I probably drank more wine (and other alcoholic beverages) than I should have. Here is what Enduring Word says about this passage:

a. And do not be drunk with wine: In contrast with the conduct of the world (being drunk with wine), we are to be filled with the Spirit. Paul’s grammar here clearly says, “be constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit.”

b. Be filled with the Spirit: The filling of the Holy Spirit is not a one-time event that we live off of the rest of our days. It is a constant filling, asking to be filled, and receiving the filling by faith.

• i. There is a wonderful and significant first experience with the filling of the Holy Spirit, often thought of as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11, Acts 1:5 and 11:16). This is an experience valid and important for every believer.

• ii. Much of the weakness, defeat and lethargy in our spiritual life can be attributed to the fact that we are not constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit.

• iii. The ancient Greek grammar for be filled also indicates two other important things. First, the verb is passive, so this is not a manufactured experience. Second, it is imperative, so this is not an optional experience.

c. Do not be drunk with wine: The carnal contrast to being filled with the Holy Spirit is being drunk. The Bible condemns drunkenness without reservation.

• i. In which is dissipation: Paul says that drunkenness is dissipation. This means that drunkenness is a waste of resources that should be submitted to Jesus. John Trapp writes of drinking “all the three outs” – “That is, ale out of the pot, money out of the purse, and wit out of the head.” (Trapp’s commentary on Galatians 5:21)

• ii. We should listen to what Proverbs tells us about drunkenness in passages such as Proverbs 20:1 and 23:29-33.

• iii. We must not think that only the state of “falling down drunk” qualifies as sin. Being impaired in any way by drink is sin, as well as drinking with the intention of becoming impaired.

• iv. “The danger of drunkenness lies not only in itself but in what it may induce” (Wood). Practically, the world pays a high price for the ruin of alcoholism and drug addiction. To speak of alcohol alone, according to the United States Center for Disease Control, in 2010 88,000 people died of alcohol related causes in the USA, and excessive drinking cost the USA economy $249 billion dollars – almost a quarter of a trillion dollars. It is fair to suppose that the figures are comparable if not worse in many other nations.

d. But be filled with the Spirit: Paul contrasts the effect of the Holy Spirit with the state of drunkenness. Alcohol is a depressant; it “loosens” people because it depresses their self-control, their wisdom, their balance and judgment. The Holy Spirit has an exactly opposite effect. He is a stimulant; He moves every aspect of our being to better and more perfect performance.

• i. “We find it here imbedded amongst precepts laying down the great laws of self-control, and it comes just before the special directions which the Apostle gives for the quiet sanctities of the Christian home… But then, all the while, it is a thing supernatural. It is a state of man wholly unattainable by training, by reasoning, by human wish and will. It is nothing less than – God in command and control of man’s whole life, flowing everywhere into it, that He may flow fully and freely out of it in effects around.” (Moule)

To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to speak to one another in psalms and hymns, sing to one another, make melody in your heart to the Lord, be thankful together, and be subject to one another in fear of Christ.

An example of being filled with the Holy Spirit is from Acts:

“The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭16‬:‭22‬-‭34‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

I think the commentary from Enduring Word is really good for the second part of this passage:

a. Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord: When we are filled with the Spirit, we will have a desire to worship God and to encourage others in their worship of God.

• i. The connection with being filled with the Spirit and praise is significant. Those who are filled with the Spirit will naturally praise, and praise is a way that we are filled with the Spirit.

b. Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs: This variety suggests that God delights in creative, spontaneous worship. The most important place for us to have a melody unto God is in our heart. Many who can’t sing a beautiful melody with the voice can have beautiful melodies in their heart.

• i. The emphasis is more on variety than on strict categories. “We can scarcely say what is the exact difference between these three expressions.” (Clarke)

c. Giving thanks always for all things to God: The one who is filled with the Spirit will also be filled with thanksgiving. A complaining heart and the Holy Spirit just don’t go together.

• i. Paul recommends the same pattern for our thanksgiving as he practiced in prayer in Ephesians 3:14 – giving thanks to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• ii. “Every hour, yea, every moment has brought a favor upon its wings. Look downward and give thanks, for you are saved from hell; look on the right hand and give thanks, for you are enriched with gracious gifts; look on the left hand and give thanks, for you are shielded from deadly ills; look above you and give thanks, for heaven awaits you.” (Spurgeon)

…

a. Submitting to one another in the fear of God: When we are filled with the Spirit, it will show by our mutual submission to each other; and the submission will be done in the fear of God, not the fear of man.

b. Submitting: The word submitting here literally means, “to be under in rank.” It is a military word. It speaks of the way that an army is organized among levels of rank. You have generals and colonels and majors and captains and sergeants and privates. There are levels of rank, and you are obligated to respect those in higher rank.

• i. We know that as a person, a private can be smarter, more talented, and a better person than a general. But he is still under rank to the general. He isn’t submitted to the general so much as a person as he is to the general as a general.

• ii. The idea of submission doesn’t have anything to do with someone being smarter or better or more talented. It has to do with a God-appointed order. “Anyone who has served in the armed forces knows that ‘rank’ has to do with order and authority, not with value or ability.” (Wiersbe)

• iii. We also see from this how important it is to be “under rank.” In the military, they have a name for it when you no longer want to be “under rank.” They call it “mutiny.” “Just as an army would be in confusion if there were no levels of authority, so society would be in chaos without submission.” (Wiersbe)

c. Submitting to one another: To understand what this means, we can first examine what it does not mean. It does not mean that there is no idea of “rank” in the body of Christ. We can see how someone might take that impression. “It says we should be submitting to one another. So I should be submitting to you and you should be submitting to me. No one has any more obligation to submit than anyone else.”

• i. We know this is what Paul does not mean because that would be a clear contradiction of other things that he wrote. For example, in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, Paul clearly tells the Corinthian Christians to submit to his authority and to do something. Can you imagine the Corinthian Christians answering back, “Well Paul, you wrote that we should be submitting to one another. So we think you should submit to us here.”

• ii. Or, another example is Hebrews 13:17, which says Obey those who rule over you and be submissive. If Paul meant that there was no “rank” or “order of authority” among believers, then this command in Hebrews 13:17 is meaningless.

• iii. The idea of this military word is more easily applied when one rank is above another. Yet here Paul didn’t use it in that way. It is easily applied when you tell a bunch of privates, “Submit to the generals.” It is a little more difficult to get a hold of the meaning when you say to a group of privates “Submit to one another.” Paul isn’t emphasizing the idea of rank, because he addresses all Christians. But there is something else important here.

• iv. Paul means that we should take this “under rank” attitude of the military and apply it to our everyday dealing with each other. When a man joins the military, the first thing he does is strip away his individuality. He is now the member of a company or a battalion. He is no longer an individual. When you join the army, you essentially sign away your right to decide what you want to do with your life and your time. An army is filled with individuals, but they can never be individualistic. That is the first thing that a man is broken of when he joins the army.

• v. “Let no man be so tenacious of his own will or his opinion in matters indifferent, as to disturb the peace of the Church; in all such matters give way to each other, and let love rule.” (Clarke)

• vi. In practical action submitting to one another implies the following, all in line with the idea of being a “team player”:

  • · The Christian must not be thoughtless, but think of others.

  • · The Christian must not be individualistic, must not be self-assertive. “Self-assertion is the very antithesis of what the Apostle is saying.” (Lloyd-Jones)

  • · The Christian must never be self-seeking.

  • · We must have a “team attitude.”

  • · We must be happy when someone else succeeds or does well.

  • · We must bear our own discomforts and trials with courage.

d. In the fear of God: This is an important point, because Paul repeats the idea all through the extended section speaking about submission:

· Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

· Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

· Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ.

• i. The words in the fear of God describe what should be our motive for submitting to one another. We should submit to one other – see ourselves no longer in an individualistic way, but as a unit, as a company or a battalion – out of respect for God the Father respect for Jesus Christ.

• ii. The motive for submission is not social kindness. The motive for submission is not the law of God. The motive for submission is respect for Jesus Christ. If we respect Jesus, we then should submit to one another because we love Jesus. Paul uses the term fear in this passage, but it is a fear – a respect – that is compatible with love. It is a fear of disappointing Jesus, a fear of grieving Him. That is totally compatible with love. When you really respect someone, you care about pleasing him or her, and you are afraid to disappoint that one.

There’s a lot to unpack in this commentary. A few key takeaways:

1. A variety of songs and melodies in the heart can express our love for Christ! I know there are old school types who sneer at any contemporary Christian songs and want organ hymns only and there are worship bands that wouldn’t touch a resounding Martin Luther hymn. The point is, the variety can serve us well, as long as the music is aligned with God’s word.

2. Go up and read the Spurgeon again on giving thanks. I thought this was absolutely marvelous:

   1. We look down and are thankful that we are saved from hell.

   2. We look right and are thankful that we are given gracious gifts.

   3. We look left and are thankful for being shielded from deadly ills.

   4. We look up and are thankful that we are bound for heaven!

3. Gratitude is a wonderful way to live life. It is not a popular attitude, however. Envy drives many people these days.

   1. I saw a video the other day on social media of a couple that was homeless and was given (free of charge) a nice little apartment by the city they “dwell in” that had many amenities including heat, A/C, and running water and some modest furnishings. They griped to anyone who would listen about missing their life on the street, they immediately filled the new space with trash and junk, and then they had the nerve to also complain that they wanted something bigger, perhaps with a yard. No gratitude there, only entitlement and envy.

4. Submitting to one another as believers has a lengthy explanation in the commentary but this is part key:

   1. The Christian must not be thoughtless, but think of others.

   2. The Christian must not be individualistic, must not be self-assertive. “Self-assertion is the very antithesis of what the Apostle is saying.” (Lloyd-Jones)

   3. The Christian must never be self-seeking.

   4. We must have a “team attitude.”

   5. We must be happy when someone else succeeds or does well.

   6. We must bear our own discomforts and trials with courage.

5. I thought the examples of how submission works in the military were very apt, considering we just finished commemorating the 82nd anniversary of the invasion of Normandy by the Allies. Privates didn’t run the show, the generals did (thank goodness). By breaking down those who served into submission and strong discipline, you created the life-long camaraderie that is exhibited in Band of Brothers (book and series).

R. Kent Hughes is quoted in Precept Austin saying this about gratitude, a subject that should be the heart and soul of the believer:

“..the fullness of the Spirit does call us to a radical spirit of gratitude. We are to thank God in the midst of difficulties for everything which is consistent with his Fatherhood and his loving Son… The fullness of the Spirit rules out a grumbling, complaining, negative, sour spirit. No one can be Spirit-filled and traffic in these things. In America we, as a people, have so much. Yet we characteristically mourn what we do not have: another’s house, car, job, vacation, even family (see word study on envy)! Such thanklessness indicates a life missing the fullness of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, a positive, thankful attitude announces the presence of the Spirit. I once met a pastor in a remote little western town. His church met in rented facilities, and his car had seen better days, as had his house-trailer. But as we walked down Main Street, stepping around the tumbleweeds, he remarked, “I can’t believe how good God is to me. I have a wonderful wife, a church to serve, and sunshine 365 days a year!” And then he spent the day helping me set up a week-long outreach. What an argument for the reality of Christ and the life-changing power of the gospel in a world which has forgotten to be thankful” (cf. Romans 1:21-note). (Ephesians: The Mystery of the Body of Christ (Preaching the Word -Preaching the Word 1990.)

My hubby and I have done some cruises as part of our travels. We are always amazed and so grateful for the good staff, the great food, the beautiful ships and the interesting destinations and times at sea (or on a river) that showcase God’s creation. But we have run into our share of complainers (and the social media cruise groups are full of them, mostly petty nonsense). Perhaps we should be more vocal in our thanks and it might rub off on others.

Start your day and end your day in thanksgiving (and even song) to God for everything that you have received; it’s the best tonic (and it beats wine) for what ails you!

My next devotional examines Ephesians 5:22-24 - Wives, be subject to your husbands.

Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:

Dear Lord - I cannot thank You enough for everything that You have done for me. I am saved by the blood of Christ! Amen.

Citations and Credits:

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.

Precept Austin was accessed on 06/07/2026 to commentary for Ephesians 5:17-21. Links to the source documents are provided where appropriate.

Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. Within the Enduring Word commentary:

Clarke, Adam The New Testament with A Commentary and Critical Notes, Volume II (New York: Eaton & Mains, 1831)

Lloyd Jones, D. Martyn: God’s Ultimate Purpose (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1980)

Lloyd Jones, D. Martyn: Life in the Spirit, In Marriage, Home & Work (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1975)

Lloyd Jones, D. Martyn: The Christian Soldier (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1977)

Lloyd Jones, D. Martyn: The Christian Warfare (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1981)

Moule, Handley C. G. Ephesian Studies (London: Pickering and Inglis, ?)

Spurgeon, Charles Haddon The New Park Street Pulpit, Volumes 1-6 and The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volumes 7-63 (Pasadena, Texas: Pilgrim Publications, 1990)

Stott, John R.W. God’s New Society, The Message of Ephesians (Downer’s Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1979)

Trapp, John A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, Volume Five (Eureka, California: Tanski Publications, 1997)

Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary, Volume 1 (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1989)

Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.

Study More Psalms

What a joy to be back in the treasury of praise and wisdom that is the Book of Psalms!

Psalm 31 is a Psalm written by King David divided into four parts. Two of the parts (1 and 3) are songs of praise to God, while the other two parts are complaints. David, who has had blessings heaped upon him by God, is complaining?

Well, at least he is complaining to God with humiity! His first complaint (Psalms 31:9-13) begins with a plea for God to be gracious to him, after which he explains to the Lord that he is in distress (great anxiety). I’m sure that all of us have asked of God in prayer, “Are you kidding me? You’re really going to make me suffer through this???” — I know I have!

There’s nothing wrong with complaining to God, but it needs to be constructive complaining. Years ago when I was managing an engineering unit for a pipeline company, I had an employee who excelled in complaining. I finally taught him a valuable lesson that I understood even then — don’t just complain because you want to whine, but explain the problem, then offer possible solutions that you need help sorting out.

That’s what David does in his first complaint and first praise in Psalm 31; he humbly lays out the reasons that he is in distress, and then (in Psalm 31:14-18) offers his solution. David proclaims his trust in God, asks for deliverance from his enemies and those who persecute him, asks for his enemies to be put to shame (rather than himself), and for their “lying lips to be mute.” His solution is to put his trust in God alone — a pretty good solution, if you ask me.

What does David have to offer God in return? His unending praise, and that’s where today’s verse comes into play. He begins by reflecting upon the abundance of God’s goodness, His benevolence towards those who love Him. David is often filled with wonder at God’s kindness in his many psalms, realizing that God actively blesses the lives of believers.

David knows that God has an incomparably infinite storehouse of “good things” for those who fear Him, a veritable Amazon.com of blessings to use a modern-day metaphor. If you’re new to Bible study, it’s reassuring to know that you don’t need to be scared of God — biblically, the word “fear” describes reverence and awe toward God, not terror.

The psalmist goes on to state that those blessings are bestowed on believers “in the sight of all.” God doesn’t hide His goodness; rather He displays His blessings openly so they can serve as a testimony to all people. Think of the very visible blessings God gave to great figures of the Bible like Daniel and Joseph — their unshakable faith was rewarded with salvation from certain death. The ministry of Jesus was perhaps the perfect example of God’s publicly visible goodness, as multitudes of people witnessed His life and works.

David’s praise in this verse concludes by pointing out that belief in God also implies “taking refuge” in Him; that is, trusting and relying on His protection and provision. An image of God as a fortress or shield comes from the history of ancient Israel, where those physical barriers provided safety and refuge to those in danger. Those of us who have been blessed to live in New Testament times have our refuge in Christ, the ultimate fortress providing refuge from sin and death.

The Bible Says has several enlightening paragraphs in its commentary on this psalm:

and, in describing “fear of the Lord”:

Wrapping it all up:

David’s words of thanks in this psalm should remind all believers to continually praise and thank God for the abundant blessings He has stored up for them.

Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:

Father in Heaven, thank You for the abundant goodness You have stored up for those who trust in You. Help me to seek and to always find refuge in Your presence when I am troubled, and teach me to always reflect Your light and grace to those I meet. AMEN.

Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.

Commentary from The Bible Says © 2026 The Bible Says, All Rights Reserved (https://thebiblesays.com)

BibleHub was accessed on June 3, 2026 for commentary on Psalms 31:19

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

I found the description for the AI image suggested for these two verses to be quite intriguing:

Imagine a wide landscape image with:

A dusty road leading toward a magnificent Ephesian city gate.

Golden late-afternoon sunlight.

The gate still open—but clearly not for long.

One traveler striding purposefully toward it.

Several others wasting time along the roadside.

The feeling that a choice must be made now.

It communicates the entire message of Ephesians 5:15-16 without requiring any words: life is short, opportunities are fleeting, and wisdom acts while the door is still open.

That seems pretty astute for a soulless artificial intelligence source.

Let’s do a word study from the Blue Letter Bible lexicon:

Be careful comes from the Greek verb βλέπω or blépō (Strong’s G991), with the following Biblical usages:

1. to see, discern, of the bodily eye

   1. with the bodily eye: to be possessed of sight, have the power of seeing

   2. perceive by the use of the eyes: to see, look descry

   3. to turn the eyes to anything: to look at, look upon, gaze at

   4. to perceive by the senses, to feel

   5. to discover by use, to know by experience

2. metaph. to see with the mind’s eye

   1. to have (the power of) understanding

   2. to discern mentally, observe, perceive, discover, understand

   3. to turn the thoughts or direct the mind to a thing, to consider, contemplate, to look at, to weigh carefully, examine

3. in a geographical sense of places, mountains, buildings, etc. turning towards any quarter, as it were, facing it

I’m reaching that age when I’m becoming more and more aware of the hazards of falling. I have osteoporosis, among other ailments including decreased vision, and I would not like the fun and games of a broken hip or worse. So I am circumspect or careful in the steps that I take, especially on uneven ground or on stairs. Circumspectly is used in the KJV version. But this is not just about physical walking, obviously. We must be careful where we walk when we are with others or consuming the things of this world.

We as believers must be wise and walk as wise men and women, making the most of our time. The world is darker and darker, filled with more evil things now than Paul could ever have imagined, although the Romans were pretty debased. Steven Cole has a great exercise for believers to try in his commentary on this passage, as quoted in Precept Austin:

If you’re a soldier on patrol in a minefield, you must know where the mines are placed and be careful to avoid them. Paul is saying that we must walk that way as believers. We must choose our steps carefully, because the enemy has strewn the path with dangerous obstacles that will cause us serious harm if we are careless. The days are evil! And yet, many Christians just saunter through the minefield with no awareness of the grave danger that they face...“Look carefully” implies that if you are careless about how you walk, how you spend your time each day, you will not get through life without serious mishap. You will step on a mine or be attacked by the enemy or wander around hopelessly lost. The Gentiles walk in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, giving themselves over to sensuality and greed (Eph 4:17-19). But Christians are not to walk in that manner. We must walk carefully, because the days are evil. Without deliberate carefulness, the evil that surrounds us will overwhelm us....To walk carefully in this evil day,

• you must use your time wisely,

• understand the will of the Lord, and

• be filled with the Holy Spirit.

This is one reason that I urge you prayerfully to write out a one-sentence purpose statement for your life. It should describe what you think God wants you to be if you live to be 80. You should base it on biblically determined criteria. Then, underneath that purpose statement, write out some short-term goals that will move you toward your life purpose in each area (spiritual, relational, intellectual, moral, physical, financial, and vocational). Look at it often and readjust as necessary. If you just drift through life without thinking carefully about how to spend your time, you will not end up where God wants you to be. (Ephesians 5:15-17 Walking Wisely).

I am going to give serious thought to doing this exercise for my life. I have other things I like to do, like traveling, but how can I create a purpose statement that identifies where I want to be in ten years that is strictly in obedience to God? How do I merge that with other goals as a senior citizen (like keeping relatively healthy and having financial resources, especially for our charitable trust?). What a great idea!

Enduring Word also has good commentary on these two verses:

a. See then that you walk circumspectly: Because this light was given to us, we should walk circumspectly – carefully, wisely, not as fools.

• i. Adam Clarke thought that the phrase not as fools was connected to the practices of devotion to the ancient god Bacchus, worship with drinking and partying. “Do not become madmen. Here is a most evident allusion to the orgies of Bacchus, in which his votaries acted like madmen; running about, tossing their heads from shoulder to shoulder, appearing to be in every sense completely frantic.”

b. Redeeming the time: There were two ancient Greek words used for time. One had the idea simply of day upon day and hour upon hour. The other had the idea of a definite portion of time, a time where something should happen. It is the difference between time and the time. The idea here is of the time; it is a definite season of opportunity that Christians must redeem. This same word is translated opportunity in Galatians 6:10.

• i. Paul isn’t telling us to make the most of every moment, even though that is good advice. He tells us to seize opportunity for the glory of Jesus. It isn’t to make the most of time, but to make the most of the time.

• ii. The idea behind redeeming the time is that you buy up opportunities like a shrewd businessman. You make the most of every opportunity for Jesus Christ.

c. Because the days are evil: This is another reason why it is important to walk wisely. Jesus spoke of a time when, many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24:11-12). Surely we are in those times, because the days are evil.

We waste a lot of regular time every day, but we can optimize what we do for His time as much as possible (prayer, Bible reading and study, giving, telling others about Christ, worship).

My next devotional examines Ephesians 5:17-21 - Be filled with the Spirit.

Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer -

Dear Lord - Please guide me into creating an effective plan for how I obey You and where I expect to be as a believer in 10 years. Amen.

Citations and Credits:

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.

“G991 - blepō - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NASB95).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 5 Jun, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g991/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/>.

Precept Austin was accessed on 06/05/2026 to commentary for Ephesians 5:15-16. Links to the source documents are provided where appropriate.

Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. Within the Enduring Word commentary:

Clarke, Adam The New Testament with A Commentary and Critical Notes, Volume II (New York: Eaton & Mains, 1831)

Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.

God is providing me with the opportunity to explore the Book of Job once again. I’ve mentioned before that I used to just “gird my loins” and rush through this book of the Bible, since I thought it was somewhat boring and repetitive. Studying individual verses now as part of my research for Heaven On Wheels, I find that there is much more meaning and inspiration to be found in Job than I ever imagined.

Today’s verse comes from one of the replies of Job to Eliphaz the Temanite, one of the three friends of the long-suffering Job who is offering advice and consolation. This section of his response to Eliphaz is an explanation of Job’s emotional pain. Job feels that God is far away from him in the midst of his suffering, yet he still believes with so much conviction that he acknowledges that God is always good.

An excellent commentary on this verse is found in The Bible Says:

More than anything, this verse demonstrates the right attitude to have about studying God’s Word each day. From Precept Austin:

John MacArthur (also cited in Precept Austin) said:

and Warren Wiersbe, from the same source:

Precept Austin also provided this simple, yet profound “test” of our individual devotion to seeking God’s Word:

Unlike the image I had ChatGPT create for today’s devotional, Job may have never had written scripture to read — we simply don’t know. But God spoke to him (Job refers to the “words of His mouth)”, and he listened to His Word, and treasured the Word more than anything else in his life.

Examine your relationship with God’s Word. Are you engaged with reading it each day, and seeking the spiritual nourishment it offers? Reading these devotionals each day — not just letting the email clutter your inbox — is a simple way to begin treasuring His Word until it becomes more important than the distractions of your life.

Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:

Father in Heaven, I thank You for the wisdom, guidance, and truth found in Your Word. Scripture plays a vital role in my life, and I commit to treasuring it more than all else in my life. Help me in remaining faithful to Your commands, in the knowledge that they lead to true fulfillment and purpose in my life. AMEN.

Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.

Precept Austin was accessed on June 3, 2026 for commentary on Job 23:12

Commentary from The Bible Says © 2026 The Bible Says, All Rights Reserved (https://thebiblesays.com)

“Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says,

“Awake, sleeper,

And arise from the dead,

And Christ will shine on you.””

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬-‭14‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Believers are admonished by Paul, again, to not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness. Don’t even go there! Our task is to expose these deeds and it is disgraceful to even to speak about the “things that are done by them in secret”. Well, many of these deeds of darkness are done in bright daylight in public these days and are not a secret to anyone within the vicinity.

I wanted to share some excerpts from a lengthy sermon by Vance Havner that was quoted on Precept Austin. He was a Baptist preacher who died in 1986 and was renowned for his pithy, quotable preaching. His words are more relevant today than ever:

Some time ago a friend of mine took me to a restaurant where they must have loved darkness rather than light. I stumbled into the dimly-lit cavern, fumbled for a chair, and mumbled that I needed a flashlight in order to read the menu. When the food came I ate it by faith and not by sight. Gradually, however, I began to make out objects a little more clearly. My host said, “Funny, isn’t it, how we get used to the dark?” “Thank you,” I replied, “You have given me a new sermon subject.”

We are living in the dark. The closing chapter of this age is dominated by the prince and powers of darkness. Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. The night is far spent; the blackness is more extensive and more excessive as it deepens just before the dawn. Mammoth Cave is not limited to Kentucky; it is universal!

Strangely enough, man never had more artificial illumination and less true light. Bodily, he walks in unprecedented brilliance, while his soul dwells in unmitigated night. He can release a nuclear glory that out dazzles the sun, and with it he plans his own destruction. He can put satellites in the sky, and left to himself, he is a wandering star to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

The depths of present-day human depravity are too vile for any word in our language to describe. We are seeing not ordinary moral corruption, but evil double-distilled and compounded in weird, uncanny, and demonic combinations and concoctions of iniquity never heard of a generation ago. This putrefaction of the carcass of civilization awaiting the vultures of judgment is not confined to Skid Row; it shows up in the top brackets of society. Plenty of prodigals live morally among swine while garbed in purple and fine linen. A Bishop once said: “There is no difference in reality between the idle rich and the idle poor, between the crowds who loaf in gorgeous hotels and the crowds who tramp the land in rags, save the difference in the cost of their wardrobes and the price of their meals.”

Man lives in the dark and even his nuclear flashlight cannot pierce it. We not only live in the dark, we get used to it. There is a slow, subtle, sinister brainwashing process going on and by it we are gradually being desensitized to evil. Little by little, sin is made to appear less sinful until the light within us becomes darkness—and how great is that darkness! Our magazines are loaded with accounts of sordid crime, our newsstands with concentrated corruption. We are engulfed in a tidal wave of pornographic filth. Television has put us in the dark with Sodom and Gomorrah—right in the living room. We get used to it, acclimated to it. We accept, as a matter of course, its art, its literature, its music, its language. We learn to live with it without an inner protest.

…

The worst of all is that such people get so used to the dark that they think it is growing brighter. Sit long enough in a dark room and you will imagine that more light is breaking in. Men who dwell too long in darkness fancy the day is dawning. We call “broadminded tolerance” what is really peaceful coexistence with evil. It is an effort to establish communion between light and darkness, a concord between Christ and Belial.

…

One may live in a twilight zone, in conditions of low visibility, until he finds the practices of this world less repulsive. He mistakes the stretching of his conscience for the broadening of his mind. He renounces what he calls the "Pharisaism" and "puritanism" of earlier days with a good word for dancing, smoking, and even cocktails now and then. Instead of passing up Vanity Fair, he spends his vacations there..Operators of Vanity Fair would see little difference in the clothes, conversation, and conduct of most professing Christians today. If the proprietors of that Fair beheld the modern church member, especially in the summertime, wearing in public a garb in which he [or she] should never have left the house or even come downstairs, they would not seem barbarians to each other!

…

The world lives in the dark because it rejects Jesus Christ, the Light of the world: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). The word here translated “condemnation” is “crisis” in the original. The coming of Christ precipitated a crisis. It compels men in the very nature of things to come to the light or abide in darkness. This light shines in the Saviour: “I am the light of the world… “ (John 8:12). It shines in the Scriptures: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). It shines in the saints: “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). “… every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved” (John 3:20). That explains why some people do not come to church.

I remember a couple in my first pastorate. The husband, an unsaved man, brought his wife to church on Sunday nights, but he sat outside in his car. He was in the dark in more ways than one because he did not like to face the gospel light. His wife enjoyed the service because she loved the light and came to the light that her deeds might be made manifest that they were wrought in God. When you overturn a stone in the field and the sunlight strikes beneath it, all the hidden creeping and crawling things scurry for cover. So do our sinful hearts grow restless under the light of God’s truth. In an unlighted cellar you do not see the spiders and snakes and lizards and toads until the light breaks in. So men do not realize their sinfulness until they face the Light. No wonder some live in the dark all week and then blink their eyes and wince in church on Sunday morning when the preacher turns on the Light! They have photophobia—they fear the Light.

…

We are a city set on a hill, not hidden in a dungeon. We are to shine as lights in the world. This is no time to get used to the dark; it is time to turn on the Light! Too long have the caverns of this world been undisturbed. Of course some cave dwellers will squirm, but others will see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Light has no communion with darkness. We are not here to commune with it but to conquer it, and “this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (I John 5:4).

Early Christianity set the world aglow because absolute Light was pitched against absolute darkness. The early Christians believed that the gospel was the only hope of the world, that without it all men were lost and all religions false. The day came when the church and the world mixed light and darkness. The church got used to the dark and lived in it for several centuries, with only occasional flashes of light. Today too many Christians think there is some darkness in our light and some light in the world’s darkness. We half-doubt our own gospel andl half-believe the religion of this age. We are creeping around in the dark when we should be flooding the world with light. We need to get our candles out from under bushels and beds, take off the shades of compromise and let them shine in our hearts, our homes, our businesses, our churches, and our communities with that light that shines in the Saviour and in the Scriptures and in the saints. (Why Not Just Be Christians).

Belial is a name for a demon that means wicked or worthless. I don’t think there’s anything else I can add to this, but it’s worth reading a couple of times. The link goes to a book that contains the complete write-up. Vance Havner thought that he had seen every darkness known to humanity 40+ years ago, but he probably never imagined the added grim and lightless labyrinths of Pride month, transgenderism, social media battlefields, on-line and on-demand pornography (check your Netflix and HBO listings), and mainstream churches that embrace every weird and wacky sinful idea and call it “love”. Darkness becomes overwhelming when you think too much about it, like this totally creepy hallway that has a meager little light that does nothing to dispel the gloom.

So how are we to expose these dark deeds if we are not even to speak about them? Some scholars have difficulty with this seeming contradiction by Paul. But the late John MacArthur has a good answer to this in Precept Austin:

Some things are so vile that they should be discussed in as little detail as possible, because even describing them is morally and spiritually dangerous. Some diseases, chemicals, and nuclear by–products are so extremely deadly that even the most highly trained and best–protected technicians and scientists who work with them are in constant danger. No sensible person would work around such things carelessly or haphazardly. In the same way, some things are so spiritually disgraceful and dangerous that they should be sealed off not only from direct contact but even from conversation. They should be exposed only to the extent necessary to be rid of them. Some books and articles written by Christians on various moral issues are so explicit that they almost do as much to spread as to cure the problem. We can give God’s diagnosis and solution for sins without portraying every sordid detail. Our resource for exposing evil is Scripture, which is the light (Ps 119:105, Ps 119:130; Pr 6:23; He 4:12, 13) and is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2Ti 3:16).(MacArthur, J: Ephesians. Chicago: Moody Press) (Bolding added by Precept Austin).

I think I get his drift - turn toward the light and tell others what is good and profitable for teaching from Scripture without falling into the gutter to try and explain the horrors of some of these things. You might inadvertently attract people (who naturally like darkness) to that vileness by describing it too well.

By the say, Jesus said it best about darkness and light:

“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.””

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

In the final part of this passage, Paul is paraphrasing Isaiah 60:

““Arise, shine; for your light has come,

And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

For behold, darkness will cover the earth

And deep darkness the peoples;

But the Lord will rise upon you

And His glory will appear upon you.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭60‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

The AI image at the top today had this description from ChatGPT:

It combines all three major themes of the passage:

spiritual sleep,

awakening,

Christ’s light shining on the believer.

And visually, a sleeping figure awakening in the first light of dawn could make for a beautiful, powerful landscape-oriented image that feels both realistic and deeply symbolic.

The scholars are divided on whether or not this is addressing all people or just believers. I like what Enduring Word says about this:

a. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light: Even the things done in secret will be exposed. They will be made manifest by the light of God’s searching judgment.

• i. This is a reason for avoiding and exposing the unfruitful works of darkness as described in Ephesians 5:8-12. Since those unfruitful works are destined for exposure and their day will be over, it makes sense for Christians to avoid such unfruitful works.

b. Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead: Our participation in the light is shown by our resurrection with Jesus (He made us alive together with Christ, Ephesians 2:5). Paul quoted what was probably a worship chorus from the early church to illustrate this truth.

• i. Remember that this exhortation to awake comes to Christians. A Christian may be asleep and not know it. If you are asleep, you probably do not know it. As soon as you become aware of your sleep, it is evidence that you are now awake.

• ii. “This sleepiness in the Christian is exceedingly dangerous, too, because he can do a great deal while he is asleep that will make him look as if he were quite awake.” (Spurgeon)

  • · We can speak when we are asleep.

  • · We can hear when we are asleep.

  • · We can walk when we are asleep.

  • · We can sing when we are asleep.

  • · We can think when we are asleep.

• iii. “The man who is asleep does not care what becomes of his neighbors; how can he while he is asleep? And oh! Some of you Christians do not care whether souls are saved or damned… It is enough for them if they are comfortable. If they can attend a respectable place of worship and go with others to heaven, they are indifferent about everything else.” (Spurgeon)

Are you comfortable and asleep in your pew, or are you wary and awake and anxiously looking to shine the light of God on an incredibly evil world? That evil is also in those same pews with you, as the enemy works relentlessly to put his words and doubt in people’s minds and lure them to sleep: Did God really say…?

My next devotional examines Ephesians 5:15-16 - Be careful how you walk.

Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:

Dear Lord - Please help me to shine a light of Your word on the darkness in this world and to be awake and sober in anticipation of Your return. Amen.

Citations and Credits:

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.

Precept Austin was accessed on 06/03/2026 to commentary for Ephesians 5:11-14. Links to the source documents are provided where appropriate.

Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. Within the Enduring Word commentary:

Spurgeon, Charles Haddon The New Park Street Pulpit, Volumes 1-6 and The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volumes 7-63 (Pasadena, Texas: Pilgrim Publications, 1990)

Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.

Apologies for the delayed sending of today’s devotional. Substack appears to be having issues…

“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18‬:‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Study More Psalms

Today we’re studying a psalm of David. Chapter 18 of Psalms begins with the preface “For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul,” providing those who sang the psalm in David’s time as well as those who cherish these words today with some context for what he set down in words and music.

David knew from his experiences that God’s “way is perfect,” and that His “Word is flawless.” Another David, Bible commentator David Guzik of Enduring Word, illuminates us with this commentary on the verse:

David is telling us through his song and personal witness that God is the ultimate wellspring of moral strength, refuge, and power, guiding us through all challenges and saving us with His protection.

For all who “take refuge in Him,” David tells us that God “shields all” with His protection. Throughout Scripture, we read passages describing the Lord as “a fortress” or “a strong tower,” further evidence that like David, we will find safety and security from danger when we run to Him.

Note that David highlights the perfection of both God’s word and His way in this verse, pointing out the unwavering nature of His guidance. The truth we find in His Word never varies, and it offers us a way to bypass life’s tribulations on a path of security and sanctuary.

Many of the Psalms foreshadow the reign of Jesus, and in this case we can be reminded of His words from John 15:4 when He invited followers to abide and remain in Him. That invitation promises believers a level of spiritual refuge and salvation that lasts for an eternity.

Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You that Your way is perfect and Your Word is constant. I hold to Your promise to be a shield to all who find refuge in You, and trust in Your guidance and protection as I am transformed by my belief and Your grace. May all who believe in You always find the safety and security of Your loving arms. AMEN.

Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.

Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author and reproduced here in their original format. © 1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com

BibleHub was accessed on June 1, 2026 for commentary on Psalms 18:30

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬-‭10‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Paul cautions the saints at Ephesus to not let anyone deceive them with empty words. Apparently, he was concerned that someone at the church there was filling their minds with deceit to give them cover to continue to be disobedient and sinful. To deceive also means to mislead, beguile or delude. Precept Austin has some excellent examples of what this means:

Illustrations of the danger of letting someone deceive you -

• We are informed by chemists that one grain of iodine will give colour to seven thousand times its own weight of water. One indulgence in bad company is enough to communicate much of its contagion to your moral being. If you handle pitch with your bare hand it will adhere for days or weeks, so the connection which you may form with bad company, will pollute you in a way which a whole life may not suffice to remove. (John Bates in the Biblical Illustrator)

• The Rev. John Elliot was once asked by a pious woman who was vexed with a wicked husband, and bad company frequently infesting her house on his account, what she should do? “Take,” said he, “the Holy Bible into your hand when bad company comes in, and that will soon drive them out of the house.” (K. Arvine in the Biblical Illustrator)

Steven Cole writes that...

• Paul knew that many, including many Christian leaders, would say, “You’re under grace. God is a God of love who won’t condemn you. He understands your weaknesses.” By such enticing words, they lure unsuspecting people to eternal ruin (2Pe 2:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, esp 2Pe 2:18, 19, 20, 21, 22).

MacArthur writes that...

• No Christian will be sinless in this present life, but it is dangerously deceptive for Christians to offer assurance of salvation to a professing believer whose life is characterized by persistent sin and who shows no shame for that sin or hunger for the holy and pure things of God. (MacArthur, John: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word Pub)

John Piper asks...

• What does the deceiver say? Who do you think it is today that does what the deceiver does in verse 6. “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience”? I would answer that the deceiver is the person today who says that gospel obedience can’t be motivated by these words in verses 5 and 6. The deceiver is the person who says that the preaching of wrath belongs only to the law, and produces only legalistic fear. This is not true. If it were true, Paul wouldn’t warn his readers—professing Christians—about the danger of falling short of the kingdom and falling under the final wrath of God. The point of introducing the wrath of God and the danger of missing out on the kingdom of Christ is not to enslave people to unwilling and burdensome obedience. The point is this: evangelical obedience from a renewed mind and a heart brimming with joy and thanksgiving is not optional. (Ephesians 5:3-6: The Enthronement of Desire)

Some key takeaways:

1. Moral pollution is pervasive and takes very little agency, like the examples of iodine and pitch (chlorine bleach is another good example). Perhaps an even more appropriate example is the fact that a single neutron, impacting a large nuclei (like uranium) can cause a nuclear chain reaction. Another example: If you have seen “Pinocchio”, the classic Disney animated feature, it only took one beguiling but really bad kid to persuade Pinocchio to be bad, too, and be turned into a donkey.

2. The example by Steven Cole is a perfect one. Many mainstream “pastors” today tell their flocks that they are under grace and God indulgently smiles on their weaknesses (sins), so they are “ok”.

3. A supposed believer who shows no shame for sin or any hunger for holiness and righteousness is a son of disobedience.

4. As John Piper says, obedience from a renewed mind and a heart brimming with joy and thanksgiving is not optional. It is not an unwilling and burdensome obedience.

Satan used deceitful words from the very beginning:

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.””

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Did God really say…Watch out for those words!

We don’t partake with those who deceive. We were once darkness, but we are to live in light! Precept Austin has a handy table that has Bible references for the two types of families in this world:

Enduring Word also has good commentary on this passage;

a. For you were once darkness: As Paul condemned those who practiced fornication, uncleanness or covetousness as the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 5:6), he also recognized that this was the exact darkness Christians had emerged from. But now, having been enlightened, we are to walk as children of the light.

• i. Again, the theme is repeated: you are children of light, so live like children of light.

• ii. Paul doesn’t only say that we were once in darkness. He says we were once darkness itself. Now, we are not only in the light, we are light in the Lord.

b. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth: In contrast to the walk in darkness and wrath is the fruit of the Spirit, more fully described in Galatians 5:22-23. Goodness, righteousness, and truth should mark us because we have the Holy Spirit in our life.

Note the distinctions: We were not in darkness, we were darkness. Now, we are not only in the Light, we are the light!

In the AI image for today, the same man is seated on the left in shadow (before belief) and is walking into light in the center (after belief). I thought it was intriguing that the one in shadow is looking down, while the man in light is looking forward. From 1 Peter:

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Light is an amazing thing! It is both particle (photons) and waves and extremely powerful, especially when coherent (like a Laser). I like this commentary quoted in Precept Austin:

AMAZING LIGHT - Light can do startling things! One single burst from a laser beam can drill a hole through a diamond. Such a ray of concentrated and amplified power can melt steelplate in a fraction of a second. A laser beam aimed at the retro-reflector placed on the moon by the astronauts has given the scientists greater ac-curacy in measuring the distance between the earth and the lunar surface. Medical science too is broadening its field in the use of light. A tiny laser aimed at cells diseased by cancer will in a split second destroy a great number of them. What amazing energy! I remember seeing (or was it hearing?) music transmitted on a ray of light in one of the “Sermons from Science” conducted by Keith Hargett of the Moody Institute of Science. That was an interesting demonstration — an uninterrupted flow of sharply focused electrons carrying a beautiful melody!

And divine Light—who can tell its great effect? Every child of God is not only the possessor but the reflector of it. Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world.”

Light must be concentrated and directed, however, to be most effective. Lives controlled by God’s Spirit will shine with a glowing witness, bringing spiritual health and blessing to others. Indeed, heavenly harmonies will be transmitted when the Lord Jesus shines in and through us. As the hymn writer reminds us:

Out in the highways and byways of life,
Many are weary and sad;
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife,
Making the sorrowing glad.

Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may...glorify your Father, who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).

Is your life a shining witness
With a testimony true?
Could the world be won to Jesus
Just by what they see in you?
— Adams

The light that shines farthest
shines brightest at home.

The fruit of the Light has all goodness and righteousness and truth; those who walk as children of Light want to do what is pleasing to the Lord. These last two commentaries, from William MacDonald and Steven Cole, quoted in Precept Austin, tell us what is pleasing to the Lord;

MacDonald writes that “Those who walk in the light not only produce the type of fruit listed in the preceding verse, but also find out what is acceptable to the Lord. They put every thought, word, and action to the test (1Th 5:21,22, Ro 12:2). What does the Lord think about this? How does it appear in His presence? Every area of life comes under the searchlight—conversation, standard of living, clothes, books, business, pleasures, entertainments, furniture, friendships, vacations, cars, and sports.

Two good tests of whether something is pleasing to the Lord…

(1). Will it make others stumble?
(2) Will I be ashamed if Jesus should return?

Steven Cole - We do not determine what pleases the Lord by our own feelings, which fluctuate, or by what the world or other Christians say or think. We don’t even determine it by our own conscience, in that our conscience may be improperly informed. Rather, we learn what pleases the Lord through growing to understand His Word. Living to please the Lord is a fundamental difference between the believer and the unbeliever. An unbeliever may be a good man and even be somewhat righteous or upright, at least outwardly. He may be truthful. But, he does it all out of selfish motives, for his own self-respect, or so that others will think highly of him. But, only believers live to please the Savior. We have a new personal relationship with this One who snatched us out of a horrible pit. We now evaluate everything we do by the question, “Does this please the Lord, who loved me and gave Himself for me?” So, the first requirement for living in this dark world is to be children of light and to walk as children of light, doing everything to please the Lord. (Ref)

So much of what we do would not survive the intensity of His Light (movies and shows we watch, casual conversations, work habits, etc.). The two questions that MacDonald asks are really good ones, when examining whether or not we are children of Light.

My next devotional examines Ephesians 5:11-14 - Expose unfruitful deeds.

Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:

Dear Lord - Help me to be Light, to focus Your Light on the darkness of this world. Guide me away from darkness in all things that I do. Amen.

Citations and Credits:

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.

Precept Austin was accessed on 06/01/2026 to commentary for Ephesians 5:6-10. Links to the source documents are provided where appropriate.

Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com.

Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.

““ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭19‬:‭‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today’s verse comes from the third book of the Christian Bible, Leviticus. The entire chapter consists of God talking to Moses and setting out the laws He wants Moses to teach to the people of Israel. Some of these laws sound very strange indeed to our modern and New Testament-attuned ears — “Do not mate two different kind of animals” and “Do not wear clothing woven from two different materials” (Leviticus 19:19).

Others are very good advice at any time in human history — “Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute” (Leviticus 19:29 ) and “Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:32). Some of these laws almost sound like they should come back into practice: “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:28)

‭‭Woven in between these various laws are those commandments God wanted His chosen people to live by (Leviticus 19:2-4):

““Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. “ ‘Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God. “ ‘Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.”

‭‭and

““ ‘Do not steal. “ ‘Do not lie. “ ‘Do not deceive one another. “ ‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. “ ‘Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. “ ‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭19‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The verse we’re looking at today is perhaps the most important in this entire chapter of Leviticus. Jesus referred to this law as the second most important command in all of the Mosaic Laws — “but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” That truth, spoken by Jesus, is found in Matthew 22:36-40 and Mark 12:28-31, and repeated by His half-brother James in James 2:8-9.

What about the first part of this verse, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people”? We are taught in the New Testament (Romans 12:19) that vengeance is God’s alone:

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.”

‭‭This can be somewhat confusing to someone new to Christianity, as it may sound like “well, we should let lawbreakers go free, because God will get His vengeance on them.” That’s not the point; this law is for interpersonal relationships, not for the governing of people. Elsewhere in Romans we also learn that God’s vengeance is applied through the use of government authority (see Romans 13:1-7). As David Guzik notes in Enduring Word:

OK, so we’re to leave vengeance to God… but we’re also not supposed to bear a grudge against our neighbors? C’mon, grudges are a human trait! I liked this explanation from The Bible Says:

The heart of the verse, of course, is “but love your neighbor as yourself.” In the Old Testament times during which this was written, many Jews would have thought of their neighbors as being friends or (on a larger scale) their countrymen. Jesus expanded the definition of neighbor; He commanded us to love our enemies in Luke 6:27, and taught us that our neighbor was anyone in need, even if they were thought of as an enemy (Luke 10:29-37, the parable of the Good Samaritan).

Reading on just a wee bit further in Leviticus 19 (verse 34 to be exact), God expanded the scope of “neighbor” to “The foreigner residing among you”, with an entreaty to “Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” Jesus would reprise that lesson many years later.

What does it mean to “love your neighbor as yourself?” For a good explanation, I refer here to Enduring Word’s commentary again:

Old Testament or New, God’s command for us to show our love to everyone is at the heart of His Word.

Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:

Father in Heaven, I thank You for Your teachings in this verse and elsewhere in Scripture. Throughout Your Word, You teach us to love our neighbor as ourselves, to reflect Your love in our interactions with others. I pray that You give me the strength to forgive those who have wronged me, and to let go of any bitterness that is in my heart. Guide me each day to serve others with kindness and compassion, especially when it is difficult. I pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus, AMEN.

Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.

Commentary from The Bible Says © 2026 The Bible Says, All Rights Reserved (https://thebiblesays.com)

Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author and reproduced here in their original format. © 1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com

“For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭5‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

We spent plenty of time investigating immorality and impurity in my last devotional and also touched on covetousness. The saints are to know with certainty (that’s pretty emphatic) that any one of them who still practices these things will not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. The AI image for today shows a group on the right in Ephesus talking about the Good News from God. The man on the left is bowing in reverence towards his large repository of coins and jewelry. He is an idolator because he covets and essentially worships the money that he has accumulated. Behind him, a statue of the false goddess Athena looks on the scene. The remains of her elaborate temple in Ephesus today consist of one column.

So if we slip up and sin or become more focused (even temporarily) on an earthly idol (see the definitions below) have we lost our salvation? Some of the scholars I read believe that this admonition is focused on those who claim to be believers who continue to regularly pursue these sinful states. When we do sin, the Holy Spirit convicts us of that sin and we should repent.

I’m going to dig into the idea of idolatry a little bit more. Here are two good commentaries from Precept Austin on what can become a idol:

[Henry] Morris has an interesting note on the meaning of idols writing that they “are either physical images or mental constructs with which men try to explain and control the forces and systems of nature without acknowledging the one true God as Creator and Sustainer of all things. Paganism, with its pantheism and polytheism, worshipping the various forces and systems of nature personified as Mother Earth with all her other personifications as various gods and goddesses, was rife in John’s day and, through various forms of evolutionism, has always been arrayed in opposition to the true God of creation and redemption. This is more true today than ever before, and it is absolutely vital that true Christians should refrain from all forms of idolatry, whether rationalistic humanism, economic materialism, or New Age pantheism--all of which are founded on an evolutionary world view.” (Morris, Henry: Defenders Study Bible. World Publishing)

[M.F.] Unger adds that...

Idolatry may be classified as follows: (1) the worship of inanimate objects, such as stones, trees, rivers, etc.; (2) of animals; (3) of the higher powers of nature, such as the sun, moon, stars; and the forces of nature, as air, fire, etc.; (4) hero-worship or of deceased ancestors; (5) idealism, or the worship of abstractions or mental qualities, such as justice.

Another classification is suggestive: (1) the worship of Jehovah under image or symbol; (2) the worship of other gods under image or symbol; (3) the worship of the image or symbol itself. Each of these forms of idolatry had its peculiar immoral tendency. (Unger, M. F., Harrison, R. K., Vos, H. F., Barber, C. J., & Unger, M. F. The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary. Chicago: Moody Press)

Fascinating! There are many people today who spend their lives and time completely laser-focused on various types of mental abstractions like justice, characterized as environmental justice, social justice, economic justice (“fair share”), and restorative justice (like reparations for slavery), to name a few of the popular types of justice that are floating around. This idealism can never be achieved, so peace will never be obtained, in spite of slogans written on a sign. There will always be someone who can “claim” an injustice, no matter how petty or small and someone else will pay the price. Some mainstream churches have replaced working towards an inheritance in God’s kingdom, which would include serving those who are truly needy and understanding and obeying His word, with working towards “perfect justice” in this world.

This focus on idealism can lead to another idol: outrage. Outrage about everything under the sun seems to be the result of constant doom scrolling through news and opinion. This outrage, usually impotent, creates an anxious state of mind that is unable to receive the “peace that passes all understanding”. People do not want to give up their outrage, making it one of the worst forms of modern idolatry.

It’s also interesting to see that these idolatries include hero worship. Our culture is so focused on hero worship that we have a term for those folks that are inappropriately idolized: Celebrity. According to the search assist AI in my search engine (DuckDuckGo) here are the attributes of a celebrity:

Definition of Celebrity:

A celebrity is a person who is widely recognized and famous, often due to their involvement in various fields such as:

• Entertainment

• Sports

• Politics

This fame is typically driven by media attention and public interest.

Characteristics of Celebrity Status - Key Attributes

• Public Recognition: Celebrities are known by a large audience, often through mass media.

• Media Coverage: Their lives and activities are frequently reported in news outlets, magazines, and social media.

• Cultural Impact: Celebrities can influence trends, opinions, and behaviors in society.

Pathways to Fame - Celebrities often achieve their status through:

• Talent: Exceptional skills in acting, music, sports, etc.

• Endorsements: Collaborations with brands that enhance their visibility.

• Public Persona: Crafting a unique image that resonates with the audience.

Historical Context:

• The concept of celebrity has evolved over time. Notable historical figures, such as athletes in Ancient Greece and actors in Ancient Rome, were celebrated similarly to modern celebrities. The rise of mass media in the 18th and 19th centuries further transformed how fame is generated and maintained.

Conclusion:

• In summary, a celebrity is not just a famous person but someone whose life and persona are consumed by the public, often leading to significant cultural influence.

We can admire the skills and talent of other people without turning that into hero worship and spending thousands of dollars attending concerts and buying memorabilia and screaming at just the sight of certain celebrities.

As most readers know, I am an amateur scholar of WWII history. The people that I admire a lot are those ordinary people who dug deep into internal wells of courage and fortitude during that awful war and other wars, many of them paying the ultimate price. In April, we visited the new National Medal of Honor museum in Arlington, Texas (it opened in 2025). It was a cool and rainy Sunday, a perfect opportunity for locals to check out this brilliant and very emotionally moving new museum. Sadly, there were very few visitors there (the volunteer docents and staff certainly outnumbered the attendees). As an aside, you can begin to idolize a hobby or learning, too, and I have to back away from my other interests every day and realize that He is the priority.

This museum is in an area surrounded by huge arenas that serve as temples at various times for those who are invested in celebrity athlete worship; those temples are likely full to the brim regardless of the caliber of the teams playing on the field (there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a good game, by the way). The day we visited the museum, there were no games going on in any of the venues, thank goodness. I can’t imagine how this museum’s attendance can suffer during Cowboys season or when the Rangers are in town. By the way, I also admire people who are inventors, engineers, entrepreneurs and explorers, but “American Idol” doesn’t award big money contracts to the next Thomas Edison.

Another interesting definition of idolatry is the worship and focus on religious symbols to the exclusion of worshipping God. This crops up in the focus on relics and symbols in various Christian denominations like Catholicism and Orthodoxy. I’ve talked about some of our encounters with relics on our travels. The photo above shows the elaborate reliquary for a few body parts that allegedly belonged to the Apostle Andrew in Patras, Greece. This reliquary was treated as an object of worship, with people praying over it. This beautiful church, by the way, was also full of icons (you can see one on the wall to the left of the reliquary).

Is the prayer itself important or is the relic or the rosary with rare jewels and beads more important? When we visited the Vatican the first time, we wandered into the gift shop and bought Steve’s Mom a rosary (she was a perfunctory Catholic). There were rosaries in that store that cost about one Euro or less and there were rosaries that were thousands of dollars with rare shells, jewels and gold beads. And who are you praying to when looking at the relic or using that rosary?

Another idol mentioned in the first commentary from Henry Morris is economic materialism. Grokipedia defines economic materialism as:

Economic materialism is a consumer-oriented value system in which individuals prioritize the acquisition, possession, and consumption of material goods and wealth as central measures of personal success, social status, and life satisfaction.^[1]This orientation treats worldly possessions not merely as utilities but as primary sources of happiness and identity, often leading to heightened status-seeking behaviors and economic aspirations.^[2]

As a person who lives in the United States, I strongly admire the virtues of a true capitalistic and free Republic that we supposedly inhabit. Usually we are not forced by a mandate to buy something, but we tend to buy a product or possession because of a mutual benefit that can be had between buyer and seller. However, this exchange system can devolve into an idolatry, like the one the AI drawing at the top where the man is bowing to his gold, when this consumption becomes the sole source of our “happiness” and identity and life satisfaction. This idolatry is closely linked to pride and envy and usually those who engage in hardcore economic materialism worship those things ahead of God (or don’t worship God at all).

Paul’s warning is that those who persistently engage in these behaviors and sins will not inherit the kingdom of Christ and God. Here’s what Martyn Lloyd-Jones has said about the kingdom, as quoted in Precept Austin:

It means, in its essence, Christ’s rule or the sphere and realm in which He is reigning. It can be considered in three ways as follows. Many times when He was here in the days of His flesh our Lord said that the kingdom of heaven was already present. Wherever He was present and exercising authority, the kingdom of heaven was there. You remember how on one occasion, when they charged Him with casting out devils by the power of Beelzebub, He showed them the utter folly of that, and then went on to say, ‘If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you’ (Matt 12:28). Here is the kingdom of God. His authority, His reign was actually in practice. Then there is His phrase when He said to the Pharisees, ‘the kingdom of God is within you, or, ‘the kingdom of God is among you’ (NAS “is in your midst” Luke 17:21). It was as though He were saying,

• It is being manifested in your midst. Don’t say “look here” or “look there”. Get rid of this materialistic view. I am here amongst you; I am doing things. It is here.

Wherever the reign of Christ is being manifested, the kingdom of God is there. And when He sent out His disciples to preach, He told them to tell the cities which received them not, ‘Be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.’ (Luke 10:9, 11, cf Luke 19:11, 21:31)

It means that; but it also means that the kingdom of God is present at this moment in all who are true believers...In writing to the Colossians he gives thanks to the Father ‘who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son’ (Col 1:13-note). The ‘kingdom of his dear Son’ is ‘the kingdom of God, it is ‘the kingdom of heaven’, it is this new kingdom into which we have entered. Or, again, in his letter to the Philippians he says, ‘Our conversation is in heaven,’ or, `Our citizenship is in heaven.’ We are here on earth, we obey the powers that be, we live our lives in this way. Yes; but ‘our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we wait for a Saviour’ (Php 3:20-note). We who recognize Christ as our Lord, and in whose lives He is reigning and ruling at this moment, are in the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of heaven is in us. We have been translated into the ‘kingdom of his dear Son’; we have become a ‘kingdom of priests. (cf 1Pe 2:9, 10-note, Rev 1:6 -note; Rev 5:10 -note)

The third and last way of looking at the kingdom is this. There is a sense in which it is yet to come. It has come; it is coming; it is to come. It was here when He was exercising authority; it is here in us now; and yet it is to come. It will come when this rule and reign of Christ will be established over the whole world even in a physical and material sense. The day is coming when the kingdoms of this world will have become ‘the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, when Jesus shall reign where’er the sun Doth his successive journeys run; His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no more. (Play Isaac Watts precious hymn - Jesus Shall Reign sing it out unto the Lord)

It will then have come, completely and entirely, and everything will be under His dominion and sway. Evil and Satan will be entirely removed; there will be `new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness’ (2Pe 3:13-note), and then the kingdom of heaven will have come in that material way. The spiri­tual and the material will become one in a sense, and all things will be subject to His sway, that ‘at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father’ (Php 2:10, 11-note). (Lloyd-Jones, D. M. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount) (Bolding added)

Jesus is the life and the mission as it says (in French) in that photo just above. The treasures and idols will die and rot away, but He endures forever.

My next devotional examines Ephesians 5:6-10 - Walk as children of Light.

Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:

Dear Lord - Please help me to continue my journey away from those sins and idols that can keep me from the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

Citations and Credits:

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.

Precept Austin was accessed on 05/30/2026 to commentary for Ephesians 5:5. Links to the source documents are provided where appropriate.

Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. Commentary from Enduring Word was not used for this devotional.

Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.

““So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

These words of Jesus were recorded by Matthew and are found in his Gospel, but not in the Gospels of Mark, Luke, or John. Barb wrote a devotional that included this verse back in July of 2022 when she was studying the Sermon on the Mount, but it is worth a revisit of this reminder to practice humility while engaging in charity. Matthew 6:1-4 is all about giving to the needy, with Jesus focusing on the importance of not making a show of charitable giving.

Jesus begins with the words “So when you give to the needy,” rather than “So if you give to the needy.” At the time of the ministry of Jesus, giving to the poor was an important part of Jewish culture. As far back as Leviticus and Deuteronomy, God’s people were expected to take care of the poor, and most Jews provided a portion of their income as provision for those who could not support themselves (widows and orphans). The Roman Empire, in which Judea was a subject country, could have cared less about the poor…

The ancient Greek word for “giving to the needy” is ἐλεημοσύνη (eleēmosynē), which not only means a donation or alms for the poor, but is also defined as “mercy” or “pity.” Giving to the poor was an act of righteous living, of showing mercy towards those less fortunate.

Why does Jesus tell the crowd “do not announce it with trumpets”? The Bible Says (via Blue Letter Bible) has this to say about the choice of phrasing:

With the rise of the Pharisees who served as guardians of Jewish tradition and Law, giving money to the poor had become a spectacle. It was apparently a competitive sport among the self-righteous as to who could draw the most attention to their giving. Generally speaking, the bigger the donation, the greater they would be honored by men. Such charity was not motivated by taking care of the poor. It was about buying honor and respect from peers.

Jesus humorously mocks this kind of giving as he describes it, when you give to the poor do not sound a trumpet before you (v 2). (Dignitaries would have their trumpeters blast their horns so everyone would pay attention when they arrived.) In similar fashion, Jesus warns against making a spectacle of your giving. He brands these types of givers as hypocrites.

“Hypocrite” was the Greek term for “actor.” It literally means to over-judge or over-emphasize a situation. It is an apt description because these hypocrites are both overdoing things and pretending to care about the poor, when really they only care about what other men think of them. When Jesus says that the hypocrites do this in the synagogues and in the streets, He is likely describing the Pharisees, who taught in the synagogues (v 2). Jesus will later directly name the Pharisees as hypocrites (Mathew 23:13).

When Jesus pointed out the practices of the hypocrites (Greek: ὑποκριτής - hypokritēs), he was highlighting the fact that the Pharisees and others were acting the part of holy people, but not living by the standards of righteousness. 17th Century Bible commentator John Trapp hit the nail on the head when he said:

iii. “Oh, let us rather seek to be good than seem to be so.” (Trapp, via Enduring Word)

All of these people who were giving for show, not true charity, wanted to be “honored by others.” I love the image that ChatGPT generated from my mental picture of a Pharisee making a big deal out of his donation to the Temple while a righteous man quietly presses his coins into the hand of a high priest in the background..

So why does Jesus tell those listening to His sermon “Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full”? David Guzik explains on Enduring Word;

c. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward: Jesus tells the one who gives so he can hear the applause of others that he should enjoy the applause, because that will be all the reward that he will receive. There will be no reward in heaven for the one who did it for the motive of an earthly reward.

i. It is all they will receive. “It would be better to translate it: ‘They have received payment in full.’ The word that is used in the Greek is the verb apechein, which was the technical business and commercial word for receiving payment in full.” (Barclay)

There is a lot of empty giving by celebrities in our time, who of course have well-paid public relations people to make sure that we hear about their “philanthropy”. What is really sad is that many times these contributions are to pet causes that actually promote sin, rather than supporting those who are truly needy. The next time you see a video or article touting “charitable giving” by a celebrity or politician, cast a critical eye on what they’re actually supporting and think about what reward they will receive in the long run…

True generosity is not about drawing attention to ourselves, but about quietly reflecting God’s love through sincere acts of compassion done for His glory rather than our own.

Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:

Today’s prayer comes from Prayerz.org:

Dear God, as I strive to do merciful deeds, please help me to resist the temptation to seek recognition and praise from others. May I not sound a trumpet before myself, but instead humbly serve those in need without seeking personal gain. Please remind me that true reward comes from serving You and others with a pure heart. Amen.

Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.

Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author and reproduced here in their original format. © 1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com

Commentary from The Bible Says © 2026 The Bible Says, All Rights Reserved (https://thebiblesays.com)

Trapp, John “A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments” Volume 5 (Matthew to Revelation) (Eureka, California: Tanski Publications, 1997)

Barclay, William “The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1” (The New Daily Study Bible, Matthew 1-10) (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1975)

“But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

The AI image at the top, as requested by Steve from ChatGPT, had this description:

A first-century Ephesian street scene at dusk. In the foreground, a small group of believers quietly walks away from a loud tavern-like gathering filled with drunken laughter, gambling, and crude behavior. The sinful gathering is intentionally somewhat blurred and shadowed — not grotesque, just spiritually empty.

The believers are moving toward warm lamplight coming from a humble home where other Christians are gathered in fellowship and prayer. One woman at the doorway is smiling warmly in welcome. The emotional focus is peace, dignity, and gratitude rather than condemnation.

This would visually reflect:

“Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking…”

“…but rather thanksgiving.”

Paul identifies more sinful behaviors that the saints at Ephesus must put away (they should not even be named). Let’s do some word studies from the Blue Letter Bible lexicon:

Immorality comes from the Greek feminine noun πορνεία or porneía (Strong’s G4202), with the following Biblical usages:

1. illicit sexual intercourse

   1. adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.

   2. sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18

   3. sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11-12

2. metaph. the worship of idols

   1. of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols

We have studied this word before, as the topic of immorality crops up quite often in Paul’s epistles and other scripture. It has two meanings: Illicit sexual intercourse and the worship of idols. Porneia is the root for the term pornography. The Bible is VERY CLEAR that adultery, fornication (sex outside of marriage), homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, and incest are sins. These are not just prohibitions in some ancient bible book that nobody wants to read like Leviticus but are repeated in the NT in the Gospel and epistles. Modern-day churches that deny the sinfulness of these acts, soften them or even promote them (looking at you, ELCA) are committing apostasy and are leading their flocks to destruction. Boy, am I a buzzkill or am I a buzzkill? Well, the path is narrow and these types of sins are not ones that Christians should even think about.

Back in Paul’s time, the idea of pornography was probably not very developed. There were no printing presses or dissemination tools like the internet, so the sexual sins of the time were more personal (face-to-face). The insidious and degrading scourge of pornography is everywhere; the enemy tries to lure us in with enticing images and scenes and it is known to be as addicting as some of the worst narcotics. Here are some startling statistics about pornography from Worldmetrics.org (these are dated to 2023):

• In Western Europe, 62% of men and 12% of women report having consumed pornography in the past year.

• The majority of pornography consumers (72%) are between the ages of 18-44.

• 15% of women globally have consumed pornography in their lifetime, with 5% reporting regular use.

• 30% of individuals in committed relationships report that pornography use has negatively affected their romantic intimacy.

• Adolescents who consume pornography are 2.5 times more likely to report erectile dysfunction in early adulthood.

• The global pornography industry generated $97 billion in revenue in 2023.

• User-generated content makes up 70% of pornography website traffic, with platforms like OnlyFans leading this trend.

• The top 10 pornography platforms generate 80% of global revenue, with Pornhub, Xvideos, and TikTok being the leaders.

• 43 countries have implemented mandatory age verification measures for accessing pornography.

• 60% of countries do not have explicit laws criminalizing the possession or distribution of pornography.

• 15 countries have banned pornography entirely, including Afghanistan, Iran, and Somalia.

• As of 2023, there are an estimated 2.14 billion internet pornography users worldwide.

• Average daily time spent by pornography users is approximately 38 minutes.

• 40% of 18-24 year old individuals report visiting pornography websites daily.

A few years ago, the Marriott chain eliminated adult movies from its pay-per-view selections. This is good, but the facts are that anyone with a laptop or iPad or even a smart phone can access free hardcore pornography almost anywhere there is a cell or WiFi signal. Heck, just turn on HBO or most other streaming services and you can get movies and TV series that are soaked in immorality. It must be so challenging to be a parent these days; it’s challenging enough for adults. John Piper has great resources at this link to help fight sexual sin.

Ok, let’s move on to the next word:

Impurity comes from the Greek feminine noun ἀκαθαρσία or akatharsía (Strong’s G167), with the following Biblical usages:

1. uncleanness

   1. physical

   2. in a moral sense: the impurity of lustful, luxurious, profligate living

      1. of impure motives

Steven Cole is quoted in Precept Austin describing moral purity and what it means:

As Steven Cole rightly reminds us that "God’s standards for moral purity are not up for popular vote! He designed the sexual relationship for a man and a woman in a lifelong committed marriage. When practiced within these boundaries, it is a good gift from God, not something dirty. He gave us His commandments for our good. When we violate His standards, it results in short term pleasure (that’s why we’re tempted to do it), but long term pain and problems. Keeping God’s commandments is often difficult in the short term, but deeply fulfilling in the long term. (Ephesians 5:3-6 Clean Up Your Act!)

Greed comes from the Greek feminine noun πλεονεξία or pleonexía (Strong’s G4124), with the following Biblical usages:

1. greedy desire to have more, covetousness, avarice

Greed (covetousness) is, of course, the subject of the tenth Commandment:

“‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Paul equates greed with idolatry. What you covet becomes what you worship. According to Torrey’s Topic, quoted in Precept Austin, covetousness leads to the following:

Adultery (coveting another’s wife Ex 20:17, 14) - 2Sa 12:1,2, 3, 4, 5

Injustice and oppression -Proverbs 28:20; Micah 2:2

Foolish and hurtful lusts -1 Timothy 6:9

Departure from the faith -1 Timothy 6:10

Lying -2 Kings 5:22, 23, 24, 25

Murder -Proverbs 1:18,19; Ezekiel 22:12

Theft -Joshua 7:21

Poverty -Proverbs 28:22

Misery -1 Timothy 6:10

Domestic affliction -Proverbs 15:27

Abhorred by God -Psalms 10:3

Forbidden -Exodus 20:17

A characteristic of the wicked -Romans 1:29

A characteristic of the slothful -Proverbs 21:26

Commended by the wicked alone -Psalms 10:3

Hated by saints -Exodus 18:21; Acts 20:33

To be mortified by saints -Colossians 3:5

Woe denounced against -Isaiah 5:8; Habakkuk 2:9

Punishment of -Job 20:15; Isaiah 57:17; Jeremiah 22:17-19; Micah 2:2,3

Excludes from heaven -1 Corinthians 6:10; Ephesians 5:5

Beware of -Luke 12:15

Avoid those guilty of -1 Corinthians 5:11

Pray against -Psalms 119:36

Reward of those who hate -Proverbs 28:16

Shall abound in the last days -2 Timothy 3:2; 2 Peter 2:1, 2, 3

And what is the opposite of greed/covetousness: Contentment!! What is proper among the saints is that we shouldn’t even name these sins, much less engage in them.

This passage continues, with Paul admonishing the saints to abstain from filthiness (obscenities), silly talk, and coarse jesting. Coarse jesting comes from the Greek feminine noun εὐτραπελία or eutrapelía (Strong’s G2160), with the following Biblical usages:

1. pleasantry, humour, facetiousness

2. in a bad sense

   1. scurrility, ribaldry, low jesting

Ribaldry can be found almost everywhere, including most of Shakespeare’s plays and in almost every modern sit-com (especially after “The Andy Griffith Show” era). So are Christians prohibited from having a sense of humor? Of course not. But our humor should be based on grace and agape love, not on “low jesting”, immorality or making fun of others. Our language should be reflective of our thanksgiving to God for His blessings and not full of curse words. Albert Barnes is quoted in Precept Austin saying this about our words:

Barnes has some good advice writing that "Christians should be grave and serious, though cheerful and pleasant. They should feel that they have great interests at stake, and that the world has too. They are redeemed--not to make sport; purchased with precious blood--for other purposes than to make men laugh. They are soon to be in heaven--and a man who has any impressive sense of that will habitually feel that he has much else to do than to make men laugh. The true course of life is midway between moroseness and levity; sourness and lightness; harshness and jesting. Be benevolent, kind, cheerful, bland, courteous, but serious. Be solemn, thoughtful, deeply impressed with the presence of God and with eternal things, but pleasant, affable, and benignant. Think not a smile sinful; but think not levity and jesting harmless. (Albert Barnes. Barnes NT Commentary).

The saints should spend their time giving thanks and being content rather than engage in or even think about these sins and behaviors.

My next devotional examines Ephesians 5:5 - Immoral, impure, covetous isolators will not inherit the kingdom.

Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:

Dear Lord - Thank You so much for Your gifts of marriage and Your commandments against immoral behavior. Please help me to continue my journey on the narrow path. Amen.

Citations and Credits:

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.

“G4202 - porneia - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NASB95).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 28 May, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4202/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/>.

“G167 - akatharsia - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NASB95).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 28 May, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g167/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/>.

“G4124 - pleonexia - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NASB95).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 28 May, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4124/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/>.

“G2160 - eutrapelia - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NASB95).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 28 May, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2160/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/>.

Precept Austin was accessed on 05/28/2026 to commentary for Ephesians 5:3-4. Links to the source documents are provided where appropriate.

Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. Commentary from Enduring Word was not used for this devotional.

Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.

“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Psalm 32 is a “maskil of David.” That odd word in ancient Hebrew is מַשְׂכִּיל, defined as “song or poem of contemplation,” although 20th Century American theologian and biblical teacher James Montgomery Boice thought maskil was better interpreted as “instruction.”

Enduring Word says of Psalm 32:

This is the first of twelve psalms with this title. It is full of instruction and contemplation, and it is worthy of meditation, as indicated by the frequent repetition of Selah, three times in only eleven verses.

What does “Selah” (Hebrew: סֶלֶה) mean? The exact meaning has been lost to antiquity, but a quick internet search shows that:

Selah is a term used 74 times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in the Psalms, and its exact meaning is uncertain. It is often interpreted as a musical or liturgical mark indicating a pause, interlude, or a moment for reflection.

There is a Selah after this particular verse, so David felt that it was worth pausing during the singing of the psalm to praise God and contemplate these words. This verse, and the one before it, highlight the blessing of God’s protection. In verses 3-5, David expresses the weight of unconfessed sin upon his soul. Verse 6 is an encouragement to pray to God in thanks, and then we come to today’s verse…

On Enduring Word, David Guzik comments that:

c. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance: Setting one term upon another, David gloried in the protection he now felt as one in fellowship with God and under His care.

• God Himself was his hiding place, a secure shelter. A good hiding place has strength and height, is not easily seen, and is reliable. In more modern phrasing we might say that Jesus is our safe-room or panic-room.

• David found security surrounded by God’s own songs of deliverance, sung in the joy and confidence of victory.

i. The idea of God as our hiding place is also associated with the idea of finding shelter in the house of the Lord, in His own presence. This is indicated by the use of the same Hebrew phrasing in two earlier psalms.

• For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle…(Psalm 27:5).

• You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence (Psalm 31:20).

The Bible Says also elaborates on the meaning of the verse:

The psalm then turns from confession to divine assurance when David says, You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance (v. 7). With sin acknowledged and forgiven, David imagines God as a refuge, using the language of safety and protection. From earlier desperation, David now finds rest in God’s shelter.

This hiding place serves as the safe domain where redemption silences shame. The transition from groaning to songs of deliverance underscores how confession and divine grace usher in gratitude. The songs of deliverance suggest a celebratory atmosphere, evoking images of joyful praise that follows a great rescue.

In calling God his hiding place, David expresses a profound trust that lingers even when trouble appears. The synergy of repentance and God’s renewed closeness yields a fresh perspective. No matter how dire one’s past mistakes, turning to the Lord offers rest and guarded hope, echoing throughout this psalm’s emphasis on God’s faithful rescue.

And one more commentary, this time from Charles H. Spurgeon:

Thou art my hiding place." Terse, short sentences make up this verse, but they contain a world of meaning. Personal claims upon our God are the joy of spiritual life. To lay our hand upon the Lord with the clasp of a personal "my" is delight at its full. Observe that the same man who in the fourth verse was oppressed by the presence of God, here finds a shelter in him. See what honest confession and full forgiveness will do! The gospel of substitution makes him to be our refuge who otherwise would have been our judge. "Thou shalt preserve me from trouble." Trouble shall do me no real harm when the Lord is with me, rather it shall bring me much benefit, like the file which clears away the rust, but does not destroy the metal. Observe the three tenses, we have noticed the sorrowful past, the last sentence was a joyful present, this is a cheerful future. "Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance." What a golden sentence! The man is encircled in song, surrounded by dancing mercies, all of them proclaiming the triumphs of grace. There is no breach in the circle, it completely rings him round; on all sides he hears music. Before him hope sounds the cymbals, and behind him gratitude beats the timbrel. Right and left, above and beneath, the air resounds with joy, and all this for the very man who, a few weeks ago, was roaring all the day long. How great a change! What wonders grace has done and still can do! "Selah." There was a need of a pause, for love so amazing needs to be pondered, and joy so great demands quiet contemplation, since language fails to express it.

The key to this wonderful verse resides in God’s complete forgiveness when we give Him our heartfelt confession. Rather than feeling the wrath of God’s judgment, we can feel safe in His refuge and hear the sweet music of His grace!

Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:

Father in Heaven, You are my refuge in difficult times, my protection from all that life can throw at me. Thank You for surrounding me with songs of deliverance when I seek Your help, confess my sin, and accept Your grace after repenting. AMEN.

Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.

Commentary from The Bible Says © 2026 The Bible Says, All Rights Reserved (https://thebiblesays.com)

Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author and reproduced here in their original format. © 1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Paul continues the thoughts he shared at the end of chapter 4 (remember, chapter breaks in the Bible are an invention of humans). He wants the saints at Ephesus to be imitators of God, just like beloved children imitate their father and walk in love with him (I love the AI image at the top with beloved children and their father). I thought about doing a word study on imitator, but it simply means “to imitate or follow” (μιμητής or mimētḗs).

Enduring Word has good commentary on verse 1 of this passage:

b. Be imitators of God: The idea is simple – that we are to make God our example and model. We can’t content ourselves comparing us among men. We must heed the idea of 1 Peter 1:15-16: as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

• i. It does not say, “Think about God” or “Admire God” or “Adore God,” though those are all important Christian duties. This is a call to practical action, going beyond our inner life with God.

• ii. We could say this is a continuation of the same idea Paul mentioned in Ephesians 4:13 regarding the extent of Christian growth: to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We could also say that this is a continuation of the idea from Ephesians 4:32, where we were commanded to be forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. God’s behavior towards us becomes our measure for our behavior towards one another.

• iii. It is important to see that God is far more than our example. Many errors come into the church when Jesus is presented only as an example of behavior. We are not saved by the example of Jesus, but once saved His example is meaningful to us. God is more than our example, but He is also our example.

c. As dear children: Children are natural imitators. They often do just what they see their parents or other adults do. When we act according to our nature as children of God, we will imitate Him.

• i. As we do imitate God, we become representatives of God, especially before those who have shut God out of their life. “What are we sent into the world for? Is it not that we may keep men in mind of God, whom they are most anxious to forget? If we are imitators of God, as dear children, they will be compelled to recollect that there is a God, for they will see his character reflected in ours. I have heard of an atheist who said he could get over every argument except the example of his godly mother: he could never answer that.” (Spurgeon).

We don’t just think about God or adore God, we strive to be holy as He is holy. As noted above in the commentary, we are not saved by the example of Jesus. However, once saved, His example becomes meaningful to us. Charles Spurgeon puts it this way:

Precept Austin has a good example of the privilege of imitating our Lord:

In 1839 David Livingstone heard Robert Moffat speak about missionary opportunities in Africa:

• “I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been.”

Livingstone was accepted as a missionary to the African interior. Livingstone discovered Victoria Falls (aerial view) and was awarded the London Royal Geographical Society’s gold medal for crossing the African continent from west to east. But he paid dearly: A lion mauled his left arm and rendered it useless; his wife died while in Africa when he was forty-nine; he lost a son in the Battle of Gettysburg; his daughter died of fever in the jungle; his house was destroyed during the Boer War; and he himself endured rheumatic fever and other illnesses.

Livingstone wrote in his journal:

• “People talk of the sacrifice I have made... Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paying back a small part of the great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind and a bright hope of glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege.”

Do you desire to imitate Jesus Christ? Today in prayer, thank Christ for the love that He has given you. It is a privilege to live a life of love.

“Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God’s plans, but God is not helpless among ruins. Our broken lives are not lost or useless. God’s love is still working. He comes in and takes the calamity and uses it victoriously, working out his plan of love.”—Eric Liddell (Generation to Generation - Peter Kennedy).

Livingstone’s testimony about his privilege of serving God is wonderful! According to other information I read, his son died in one of the Confederate POW camps during the Civil War (and not at Gettysburg). Here’s a picture of the glorious Victoria Falls that he “discovered” (well, he was the first European to see the falls); we saw these falls on an amazing trip to Southern Africa in 2009:

Precept Austin has commentary about walking in love because of Christ’s love for us and how He gave Himself up for us as an offering and a sacrifice:

d. Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us: As in all things, Jesus is our example. As He has loved us and has given Himself for us, we are to display the same kind of self-giving love.

e. An offering and a sacrifice: Jesus’ giving of Himself was obviously a sacrifice pleasing to the Father. We can also offer a pleasing sacrifice (a sweet-smelling aroma) as we give ourselves in love to others.

• i. We often think we could lay down our life in a dramatic way to show our love for others. But God often calls us to lay down our life little by little – in small coins (as it were) instead of one large payment – but it is laying down our lives nonetheless.

• ii. Adam Clarke on an offering: “An oblation, an eucharistic offering; the same as minchah, Leviticus 2:1 and following, which is explained to be an offering made unto the Lord, of fine flour, with oil and frankincense. It means, any offering by which gratitude was expressed for temporal blessings received from the bounty of God.”

• iii. Adam Clarke on a sacrifice: “A sin-offering, a victim for sin; the same as zebach, which almost universally means that sacrificial act in which the blood of an animal was poured out as an atonement for sin. These terms may be justly considered as including every kind of sacrifice, offering, and oblation made to God on any account.”

Our sacrifice should be a pleasing sacrifice, a fragrant aroma. Let’s do a couple of word studies from the Blue Letter Bible lexicon:

Fragrant comes from the Greek feminine noun εὐωδία or euōdía (Strong’s G2175), with the following Biblical usages:

1. a sweet smell, fragrance

2. a fragrant or sweet smelling thing, incense, on odour or something sweet smelling

   1. an odour of acquiescence, satisfaction

   2. a sweet odour, spoken of the smell of sacrifices and obligations, agreeably to the ancient notion that God smells and is pleased with the odour of sacrifices

3. metaph. a thing well pleasing to God

This sacrifice is fragrant in that it is well-pleasing to God.

Odor comes from the Greek feminine noun ὀσμή or osmḗ (Strong’s G3744), with the following Biblical usages:

1. a smell, odour

Odors can be very bad, but this odor is qualified by the term fragrant. There’s an interesting usage again of these terms in 2 Corinthians:

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Enduring Word commentary is worth examining on this passage in 2 Corinthians:

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. ^NASB95

a. Thanks be to God who always leads us: Paul dealt with criticism from the Corinthian Christians, who said he was unreliable and fickle because of his travel plans. He has explained himself and his reasons for not arriving when he had previously planned. More than anything, he wanted the Corinthian Christians to know he is following Jesus Christ as his General. More than any plan he may declare to the Corinthian Christians, Paul’s plan is to follow Jesus Christ.

b. Who always leads us in triumph in Christ: Here, Paul takes an image from the Roman world, seeing Jesus as the victorious, conquering general in a triumphal parade. A Roman triumphal parade was given to successful generals as they returned from their conquests.

• i. “The idea is borrowed from an ancient Roman triumph, which to the eyes of the world of that day was the most glorious spectacle which the imagination could conceive.” (Meyer)

• ii. “In a Triumph the procession of the victorious general marched through the streets of Rome to the Capitol… First came the state officials and the senate. Then came the trumpeters. Then were carried the spoils taken from the conquered land… Then came the pictures of the conquered land and models of conquered citadels and ships. There followed the white bull for sacrifice which would be made. Then there walked the captive princes, leaders and generals in chains, shortly to be flung into prison and in all probability almost immediately to be executed. Then came the lictors bearing their rods, followed by the musicians with their lyres; then the priests swinging their censers with the sweet-smelling incense burning in them. After that came the general himself… finally came the army wearing all their decorations and shouting Io triumphe! Their cry of triumph. As the procession moved through the streets, all decorated and garlanded, amid the cheering crowds, it made a tremendous day which might happen only once in a lifetime.” (Barclay)

• iii. “That is the picture that is in Paul’s mind. He sees Christ marching in triumph throughout the world, and himself in that conquering train. It is a triumph which, Paul is certain, nothing can stop.” (Barclay) And, Paul sees himself as sharing in the triumph of Jesus, the Captain of the Lord’s Army, and Paul is one of the Lord’s chief officers!

c. Leads us: Paul wanted the Corinthian Christians to realize that he followed his general, Jesus Christ. Paul can almost see Jesus’ triumphal parade winding its way through the whole Roman Empire, throughout the entire world.

d. Diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge: Fragrance, in the form of incense, was common at the Roman triumphal parade. In Paul’s mind, this fragrance is like the knowledge of God, which people can smell as the triumphal parade comes by.

• i. No sense remains in the memory like scent. There is nothing we remember more strongly than pleasant smells, except perhaps unpleasant smells. “Thus the apostle wished that his life might be a sweet perfume, floating on the air, reminding me, and above all reminding God, of Christ.” (Meyer)

• ii. “A sweet savour of Christ! It does not consist so much in what we do, but in our manner of doing it; not so much in our words or deeds, as in an indefinable sweetness, tenderness, courtesy, unselfishness, and desire to please others to their edification. It is the breath and fragrance of a life hidden with Christ in God, and deriving its aroma from fellowship with Him. Wrap the habits of your soul in the sweet lavender of your Lord’s character.” (Meyer)

…

For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? ^NASB95

a. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life: The scent of incense burnt to the gods in a Roman triumphal parade smelled wonderful to a Roman. The same aroma was a bad smell to a captive prisoner of war in the parade, who would soon be executed or sold into slavery.

b. We are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: In the same way, the message of the gospel is a message of life to some and a message of condemnation to those who reject it (John 3:17-21).

• i. “The same happens to the present day to those who receive and to those who reject the Gospel: it is the means of salvation to the former, it is the means of destruction to the latter; for they are not only not saved because they do not believe the Gospel, but they are condemned because they reject it.” (Clarke)

The Gospel is the message of life and knowledge of God is like a fragrant perfume from Heaven!

Our sense of smell is a marvelous gift! I recall doing a cruise on the lower Mississippi River many years ago as we were heading into New Orleans. We sat outside and marveled at the various industries that were along the river, but the smells were the thing we remembered best. There were the strong gasoline odors of the refineries, the acrid and almost nauseating smells emanating from a chemical facility, but then there were sweet smells from a sugar cane plant as raw sugar was loaded on a huge ocean-going ship and also the tart tang of the smell of citrus at a facility loading fruit onto barges and trucks.

One of the things we love to do on trips is to visit a local food market. You can sense the life of a community through these markets, smelling and looking at fresh fish, colorful flowers, freshly baked breads, mounds of spices and herbs, and fruits and vegetables among other beautiful things. This picture is from a spectacular three-story food market in Bilbao, Spain we visited many years ago (imagine the aromas of the various types of fresh fruit):

As believers, by imitating our Father, our sacrifice to God is from life to life and not death to death. We are not the foul odor of the tomb, but the sweet fragrance of the meadow where we are walking with our beloved Savior for eternity.

My next devotional examines Ephesians 5: 3-5 - Remove immorality and impurity and purge silly talk from your life.

Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:

Dear Lord - I thank you for the related message today that is from 2 Corinthians. May my life be a fragrant sacrifice. I can never repay Jesus for His sacrifice, but I can place one coin at a time. Amen.

Citations and Credits:

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.

“G2175 - euōdia - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NASB95).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 26 May, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2175/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/>.

“G5483 - charizomai - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NASB95).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 24 May, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5483/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/>.

Precept Austin was accessed on 05/26/2026 to commentary for Ephesians 5:1-2. Links to the source documents are provided where appropriate.

Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. Within the Enduring Word commentary (Ephesians and 2 Corinthians):

Spurgeon, Charles Haddon The New Park Street Pulpit, Volumes 1-6 and The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volumes 7-63 (Pasadena, Texas: Pilgrim Publications, 1990)

Barclay, William The Letters to the Corinthians (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975)

Clarke, Adam The New Testament with A Commentary and Critical Notes, Volume II (New York: Eaton & Mains, 1831)

Meyer, F.B. Our Daily Homily (Westwood, New Jersey: Revell, 1966)