Ephesians – Be Still…

Ephesians 2:8-9 – Gift of Grace

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Grace. What is it? God saved us “by” his grace when we believed. That’s a memory verse I’ve had in my brain from childhood. This grace that saved us is definitely a gift because of how much it changes us when we let it.

Context (Ephesians 2:1-10): Paul speaks of grace in these verses in a helpful way. Grace is something Jesus gives us that we don’t deserve. We might wonder how God could be so rich in his mercy toward us sinners. That’s love and God’s desire to be in a right relationship with us, his children. Such a great reminder that our salvation does not depend on us! Continue reading “Ephesians 2:8-9 – Gift of Grace”

Ephesians 6:12 – Who is Your Enemy?

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Have you ever wondered where you actual enemies were? It’s not the backstabbing coworker or the troublemaker on the playground. This memory verse reminds us that our true enemies are unseen, evil spirits. How does that make you feel? We’re likely to feel uneasy, to the say the least, when we realize that we’re powerless over something we cannot see.

Context: Paul wrote to the Ephesians about these invisible enemies to make a point about God’s power. Again we look at the armor of God as our protection, and this verse explains why it is so important that we allow God to be our defender. For foes such as are described in our verse, we definitely need more than our own power. Continue reading “Ephesians 6:12 – Who is Your Enemy?”

Nahum 2:1-13 – Nineveh’s Demise

Read Nahum 2:1-13

It’s not easy to read about the destruction of human life, even when those humans had been oppressive enemies of God’s people. They had their triumphs in this world, but their time was done. Completely done.

Justice. The Assyrians who had been ruthless to Israel and Judah would now be silent. God allowed and orchestrated their demise at the hands of the Babylonians, the same empire who trampled on Judah. Such an interesting time in history with profound messages from our Creator.

Ephesians 6:10-18 – Be Protected!

Read Ephesians 6:10-18

helmet of salvation and sword of the spirit

You are witnessing a milestone for this devotional blog! This is the 1,800th post! I chose this Bible passage especially for this occasion. The children at church sang a song about the armor of God yesterday–complete with battle gear made out of something indestructible that looked much like brown construction paper. The visual was incredible, but watching their innocent faces as they shared this timely message is what brought tears to my eyes. I knew this was the message God wanted me to share with you today.

We find ourselves living in challenging times. While true today, this statement could be said by many, if not all, past generations as well. Have no fear, God has set us up for success! Keeping our focus on God is the first step. Next, we have the “armor” Paul talks about here to give us all the security and hope we need. Let’s take a look at what we have access to.

Ephesians 2:8-10 By Grace

Read Ephesians 2:8-10

Have you ever wondered how it could be that easy? I’m talking about our salvation. These verses should be impressed upon our hearts every day to realize it’s not about what we do. We can never do more to “earn” our salvation. That’s hard for us to understand because in this world those who get ahead have worked hard.

God has given us a gift. It’s not a tangible gift with ribbons that we open. It’s certainly not a gift we deserve. It is truly amazing, just like the old familiar hymn suggests. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see.”