Showing posts with label faithfulness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faithfulness. Show all posts

Monday, March 18, 2024

Monday Medley of Meditations


There's nothing quite like love's heartaches to remind us
of the Living Hope found in the Healer of the human heart
and rouse reflections on how our own lives reflect

Saturday night awed hearts with art
only God can orchestrate/accomplish!






So did Sunday morning!!!
(after a 'sheepish' snowfall overnight.
It was a bit like walking on fleece; soft and soundless)





By the grace God has given me, 
I laid a foundation as an expert builder, 
and someone else is building on it. 
But each one must be careful how he builds.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:
 Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, 
but think of yourself with sober judgment, 
according to the measure of faith God has given you.

***

Oh, self-inflicted agony
Oh, cruel way to live
Clinging to hate's hostility
Unwilling to forgive

Oh, what an awful way to face
A new day, mercy kissed
Greeting the goodness of God's grace
Not with praise, but raised fist

Oh, pray we do not waste each chance
To love each other, for
Today is like a gift God grants
To love Him more and more

How much we love Him, none can hide
Love's language plain to see 
By how freely self is denied
In light of Calvary

© Janet Martin 

***

We never will get it quite right
Human nature is bound to err
Better to forgive than to fight
Better to be kind than to swear

Or wield a vengeful, verbal knife
Darkening thought with bitter darts
Better to hold the gift of life
In gentle hands and thankful hearts

How futile, the vile mastermind
That plots ways to retaliate
Better to be patient and kind
Better to love, my dear, than hate

© Janet Martin

***

When All That Remains Is What Was...

We pass this way but once, my love
How long the way will be
Until the soul slips from its glove
No one can know or see

Thus, we do well to live each day
As if it were the last
To cheer each other on life's way
Ere death's shadow is cast 

...and all that remains is What Was
With those we leave behind
Pray, life's echoes are sweet because
They are gentle and kind 

© Janet Martin

Every test God allows in our lives is but an opportunity
to yield to and trust
and to bring Him glory!!







Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Wake In Me (a Careful Wanting)

 Life is like a flower blooming on the grave that claims it due...



***

I love the group of fellow-believers I gather with
every Tuesday night, to open God's Word together,
to learn, to worship, to meditate on God's goodness and holiness,
 and to challenge and encourage each other in our walk by faith!

***
This morning my devotion included this glorious passage from Titus 3-
(which is kind of a continuance of our focus/discussion last night; 
God's holiness and our response/attitude in return
and our assurance of salvation through His shed blood)

4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, 
but because of his mercy. 
He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, 
we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, 
so that those who have trusted in God may be careful 
to devote themselves to doing what is good. 
These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

***

A Prayer...
Wake in me a careful wanting for a heart, humble and true
Shield me from the futile flaunting of the follies of this world
Fill me, through Your word with wonder at the holiness of You
Awe me with the sacred splendor of love’s Majesty unfurled

Show me, oh, my precious Savior, (lest I stray) the way to walk
Let me not forget hope’s favor You suffered at Calvary
Fix my eyes in the direction of the cross You did not balk
Make my life like a reflection of the love that pardoned Me

Let no carnal care consume me with love’s opportunity
Life is like a flower blooming on the grave that claims it due
Thus Lord, wake a careful wanting for more of Your love for me
May it thwart the tempter’s taunting because of my love for You

© Janet Martin



 

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Sometimes We Miss The Scars...


Jesus said to him, 
“If[c] you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, 
“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

This poem began the other day, when, after listening
to 'her' frustrations, sorrows and challenges,
 all I could think of to say was,
'I will pray for you'.
As I pondered that promise I was a shamed to have wished
I could offer something more profound!


SO much to pray for, always!! 
So much to author awed worship and so much to kindle humble pleas
for God's leading, comfort, wisdom and provision,
 spiritually, emotionally and physically!
We pray for those who are striving to be faithful followers of Jesus,
for those who have wandered astray,
for those who have never put their faith in Christ
(and the finished work of Calvary.)
We pray for the poor, the downcast,
for those who mourn, 
for those in war-torn countries,
for the shut-in, and the shut out.
We pray for teachers and preachers,
students and school bus drivers.
We pray for strength for the day and rest at night.
For young, exhausted parents
and for those who long to be parents and are not...
We pray for the elderly, the lonely,
the sick and the prisoner...
The tempted and the fallen,
etc.
(or what feels like His silence)
and sometimes the reason we question Him is because
we miss the scars on His hands 
(and who/what put them there)

How often we find ourselves echoing those words of old; 
“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”





Sometimes we miss the scars on hands we place our cares into
When kindness grasps at strands, and utters ‘I will pray for you’
But, this is no ‘when-all-else-fails, last-resort song-and-dance
No, this is to God, who prevails in spite of circumstance
His are the hands that wore the nails that bore deliverance

This is no consolation prize we offer casually
No secondary compromise of pious empathy
When we say ‘I will pray for you’ what sacred words we speak
When we pause to consider who hears the favors we seek
Whose ways are trustworthy and true; Whose strength uplifts the weak/meek

When we say ‘I will pray for you’ we relinquish control
The One who loves us so, who gave His Son, once and for all
To pay sin’s debt we owed, to break the curse wrought at The Fall
When we say I will pray for you’ it is on Him we call

Sometimes we miss the scars on hands outstretched to help us through
When desperation grasps at strands, with ‘I will pray for you’
But as we enter faith’s hushed courts, when creature cares beset
And trust the hands no hurtle thwarts and no ‘Unknown’ can fret
Then suddenly we see the scars that sometimes we forget

© Janet Martin

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
 Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess.
  15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, 
but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.
  16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, 
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.




Wednesday, January 17, 2024

As We Press Toward the Goal

Dawn’s hoists its mast, ahoy, we cast off to another day
Who knows, but our Captain the full of its come-what-may...

Some of my come-what-may suddenly needs to include a grocery run
when a sudden discovery is made that the household
is in short supply of bathroom tissue!
Nothing quite commands our attention like an empty roll😅😂




It's another frigid and blustery 'ahoy' in southern Ontario


 I LOVE this song as regular readers over the years, may guess😅🙏


Life sometimes tests our focus as we press toward the goal
Its Glance of Circumstances sometimes blinds us to the Whole
Where Time is like a Barge, heaped with its charge of creature care
And we are like the crew, appointed to our sacred share
Of doing our part to serve, first God, then fellowman
And not to grumble at the task, but do the best we can
With humble recognition of that Final Port of Call
When we will meet the Captain and give account for it all

Sometimes we become disillusioned by That Which Is Not
And seeds of discontentment may start to sprout in our thought
And sometimes we forget, in the belly of much-to-do
The Captain’s main concern is for the welfare of the crew
And though his methods of correction may vex you and me
He never fails; his love is steadfast as steadfast can be
A hand upon the shoulder and an anchor for the Soul
To fit us for each tumult, as we press toward the goal

Dawn’s hoists its mast, ahoy, we cast off to another day
Who knows, but our Captain the full of its come-what-may
But if we trust His promises and follow His command
He will not let us blow off course or wallow in quicksand
Though sometimes we are puzzled by the strategies He takes
To reel in our focus till the last stubborn hold breaks
Then, as we surrender both want and will to His control
We will be of good courage as we press toward the Goal

© Janet Martin


Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling,
 set your focus on Jesus, 
the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

Lord, lest we who ought to by now be anchored unwaveringly in the faith
we confessed as a child, 
lest we wallow in doubt and disillusionment,
and neglect to teach by setting a mature, humble and godly example  
for our children and grandchildren as we ought,
adjust our focus where needful, to remain fixed on you, 
and not the Glance of Circumstance!
Amen

Saturday, December 23, 2023

Keep On!


Yesterday I attended the funeral of Wayne.
Friends and family received words of comfort and encouragement
as we reflected on a man, not perfect, but committed humbly
to honor God, though his lot in life was not what anyone would choose,
he desired above all to;



The service opened with the reminder that Wayne has done what still awaits all of us! 
He has met his Maker, but His Maker was/is also his Savior. 
We were challenged that the same may be true of us;
that when we meet God we will meet Him not only as our Maker 
but, as our Savior too!

The second speaker reminded family and friends 
that our God is a God of promises; 
Sweet words of comfort esp. for Wayne's wife, children, Dad, siblings, etc.

...so, reflecting on a funeral at Christmas is not morbid
but in reality, is what the joy of Christmas is; Jesus, the hope of mankind
come to earth to be our Saviour
not for this brief life only, but to all who believe,
 forever and ever! Amen!
This reality makes our Christmas reflections more precious than ever!!
And rekindles faith's fervor to keep on till we too can say,

'I have fought the good fight, 
I have finished the race,
 I have kept the faith. 
8Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, 
which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day,
 and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
2 Tim.4:7-8


Keep on, we, not yet victorious
Upon Jesus fix faith’s eyes
For the joy still set before us
Keep on pressing to the prize

Keep on praying to keep seeking
God’s kingdom and righteousness
Keep on trusting, wholly leaning
Of His steadfast promises

Keep on looking to the Saviour
To imbue our walk and talk
To correct rebel behaviour
Lest we leave a stumbling block

Keep on casting cares on Jesus
Praise Him with each thought and breath
Until His last mercy frees us
From these bodies doomed to death

Keep on hoping, keep on loving
Every sin, humbly confess
Until the day of faith’s proving
Wins a crown of righteousness

Keep on with fixed dedication
To fight dark forces of sin
Until faith’s last invitation
Hears these blessed words ‘enter in’

© Janet Martin



Monday, December 18, 2023

Faith's Perfect Provision


In a week from today, (Christmas!)
Christians will be celebrating the birth of the Object of our faith;
our Lord Jesus Christ!

Luke 2:10-11
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: 
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
 which shall be to all people.
 For unto you is born this day in the city of David
 a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Romans 5:1
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, 
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hallelujah!!!

Yesterday morning a plea in the opening prayer at our church service
caught at my heart...'that You would find us faithful, Lord'!!
What is the use of anything else, if He does not find us faithful?!!

Matt.24:13
But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

Does this not bid us plead for Sunday morning's fire
to kindle Monday morning's desire?!!

Doesn't it bring fresh zeal/appeal to this old, cherished Christmas hymn??




So this morning, no matter what composes our fears, regrets and sorrows
we may rejoice and be glad in this day He has made...
for He who promised is faithful!!

Heb.10:19-23
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence 
to enter the Most Holy Placed by the blood of Jesus, 
20by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body,e
21and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
  22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,
 having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience 
and our bodies washed with pure water.
23Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, 
for He who promised is faithful.

***

Enough to know, though sorrow scores the garment of the soul
And the enemy of faith roars, still, God is in control
The witness of each thought and intent of the heart, is kind
His everlasting love is not a figment of the mind

But is, in every circumstance, a Present Help indeed
To all who trust in Him, He grants exactly what we need
Then, where care’s billows ebb and flow, joy and peace still console
Because, it is enough to know that God is in control

Thus, all contenders for the faith have no cause for despair
God’s full armour will keep us safe to persevere through prayer
For He is in control no matter how the Whole may bend
The Shepherd of the Soul helps us be faithful to the end

© Janet Martin

 

Friday, December 8, 2023

Forbid Folly To Interject

Daniel 9:4-5&8-9

4And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said,
 “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy 
with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 
5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, 
we have done wickedly and rebelled, 
even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. ...

8 “O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, 
and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.
 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, 
though we have rebelled against Him...

2 Cor.7:10
For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation,
not to be regretted;
but the sorrow of the world produces death.

***
Why, oh why does human nature so easily forget
to trust our trustworthy Heavenly Father?!
Why are we so prone to want so much less
than He is waiting to lavish us with?!
Why are we so easily blinded by circumstance
rather than enlightened by His promises?!
Oh Lord, grant us godly sorrow that leads to repentance!
again and again!

***
I am reading through the book of Daniel and am always moved by the account
of Daniel after the decree that none should pray to anyone but
King Darius and anyone who does will be put to death...
Dan.6:10
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home.
 And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, 
he knelt down on his knees three times that day, 
and prayed and gave thanks before his God,
 as was his custom since early days...

Oh, that we may dare to be a Daniel too;
to be un-swayed in our devotion to God
no matter what or who attempts some sad
folly to interject and redirect our worship !

Today's post is also influenced by yesterday's devotion
from My Utmost for His Highest...

Forbid folly to interject and redirect my gaze from He
Whose goodness grants deliverance from hell’s hopeless eternity

Whose grace (a gift) bridges the rift that gaped with sin’s unholy strife
Whose mercy gave His Son to brave the death that wrought eternal life

Whose blood redeems and washes clean each one who repents and believes
Whose joy complete, so rich and sweet, only godly sorrow achieves

Whose righteousness, when we confess turns scarlet sins to snowy white
Whose love anoints all He appoints with His divine power and might

Whose law is peace, though wars increase, whose Light no darkest dark can dim
Forbid folly to interject and redirect my gaze from Him

But, let me seek with motive meek, a heart like Daniel, bold and true
Then, humbly bring, my God and King, faithful and thankful praise to You

© Janet Martin




Friday, December 1, 2023

Above All (Else)

Jim (my husband) called while I was struggling 
through the middle of the third stanza of today's poem, 
and in the course of conversation he remarked 
that he's driving through a stretch of the north 
that always feels like forever to get through!!
I told him 'thank-you!! that imagery was exactly what I needed
 to give this poem steam through the middle of it!
(Jim is a great conversationalist and I've written many a verse whilst conversing, 
or, he converses and I interject an occasional 'ugh-huh')😅😂💖

The initial inspiration of this poem was sparked after I came home last night
 after enjoying dinner at my daughter's home and getting a first-hand reminder 
of the end of day endurance tests when children are tired and parents are too!
Hang in there, parents of little children! 
it really is worth every lackluster labor of love!
Hang in there mother/daddy that feels like you walk or rock, 
rather than sleep the night away!
Hang in there, engineer of eighteen wheels. 
And we will soon welcome you to warm home fires, Lord willing! 
Hang in there, dear daughter-son-parent-spouse etc, traveling home after dark 
after spending precious time with a loved one in a long term care facility or hospital! 
Hang in there, husband and wife whose marriage ties seem strained to breaking point! 
God is love! 
Love never fails!

***

I couldn't help but chuckle at the amplified tranquility
of our house after we returned home last night.
That forever-stretch of raising youngsters,
as I look back feels more like a silk scarf
that slip-slipped through my fingers and disappeared!
only Victoria and I left to decorate the tree
while listening to Christmas music...
bittersweet!!
(for her and me)




Above all else, though duty’s dues may seem common and small
And in the grand scheme of pursuits, not very grand at all
Where no corporate ladder hails to scale with eagerness
And no plaque or trophy regales accomplishment’s success
Where no one notes the unsung skills of mundane ministry
Or celebrates the daily drills of domesticity

Above all else, no matter how we view Duty’s reply
It is not what but Who we do it for, not where but why
Then, in our search to satisfy fulfillment’s siren call
We find, to our surprise, a One-size Reason that fits all
For we will find the kind of wealth that always grants Enough
When what we do, above all else, is a labour of love

Love is enough to make remarkable, the commonplace
It transforms life into a miracle of joy and grace
It equips us to weather what loveless motives reject
For, ‘stretches of forever’ are so brief in retrospect
The miles that seem mundane, thankless, a mess of prayers and tears/fears
Soon meld into the counterpane of yester-days-and-years

Love instills wonder, thrills the things of modest recompense
It fills the world with whirring wings we cannot see, but sense
Because angels of mercy travel on the common beat
Clad in workday apparel; their wings look like hands and feet
As love fills with thunderous applause, each care-worn mile they trod
For above all, love is the wondrous evidence of God

Above all, let love carve a sacred crucifix within
Above all, fix faith's sight-scarred gaze, on the image of Him
Upon a cross, a cross that should have been for you and me
He bore love's brutal albatross to show how love should be
So, lest love grows ungrateful when love seems impossible 
Remember, love is faithful and will triumph, above all

© Janet Martin

1 Cor.13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. 
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
 it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 
7 It always protects, always trusts,
 always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails.


Monday, November 27, 2023

Through The Ups and Downs of 'Becoming'


Nothing in life stays the same for long, does it?!
Seasons change. People change.
Change is constant but something I read this morning reminded readers
that rather than just seeing ourselves, or situations as changing, 
to view it as 'becoming'.
This attitude helps us be more merciful and prudent 
with both ourselves and others!

So off we go to meet the ups and downs of
a new day and a new week, of Becoming
all by the changeless grace of our changeless, loving God.
p.s. it's worth every precious while we take
to think about how much God loves us!


Doesn't the canvas of a new day sometimes almost take your breath away,
considering humankind's track-record?!!



Oh, the ups and downs of living
Oh, the cups that fill and drain
As torrents of take-and-giving
Rush hearts with pleasure and pain

Oh, the highs and lows of loving
Oh, the ties that strain and bend
In the thick and quick of proving
Love’s faithfulness to the end

Oh, the Yet of have-and-holding
Oh, the letting go it bears
Teaching us the art of folding
Life-long learning into prayers

Oh, the tug of wars we weather
Oh, the hug that bids release
Oh, the testing of love’s tether
As God works its masterpiece

Oh, the rise and fall of laughter
Oh, the prize and gall of tears
Caught between before and after 
While a lifetime disappears 

Oh, love's fumbles, oh, life's stumbles
Oh, the bumbles we repeat (or, oh, the humble pies we eat)
While God's grace and goodness tumbles
New 'becoming' 'neath our feet 

Oh, the beauty of His favor
Oh, the duty of reply
Oh, the love of Christ, our Saviour's
'Upsy-daisy, here am I 

Through the ups and downs of living
In the cups that fill and drain
With torrents of take-and-giving
Here am I to help again'

© Janet Martin

May we take heart through
Solomon's Benediction, as relevant now as then!

1 Kings 8:54-61
Solomon’s Benediction

54Now when Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and petition to the LORD,
he got up before the altar of the LORD,
where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven.
55And he stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:
56“Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel
according to all that He promised.
Not one word has failed of all the good promises
He made through His servant Moses.
57May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers.
May He never leave us nor forsake us.
58May He incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways
and to keep the commandments and statutes
and ordinances He commanded our fathers.
59And may these words with which I have made my petition before the LORD
be near to the LORD our God day and night,
that He may uphold the cause of His servant
 and of His people Israel as each day requires, 
60so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God.
There is no other!
61So let your heart be fully devoted to the LORD our God,
as it is this day, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments.”

Thursday, November 16, 2023

Till Life on Earth Is Through


Each new day overflows
With undefeated worth...


The gladness only God bestows
Undergoes grand rebirth



This time of year our hearts and minds start to turn Christmas-ward!
For the believer in Jesus, it is a glad celebration
 of the Living Hope, joy and peace we cherish every day!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
 as you trust in him, 
so that you may overflow with hope 
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13




We walk by faith, not sight
The joy that we proclaim
By God’s grace, is the chief delight
Of all who love His name

We do not hope in vain
Our God, faithful and true
Abides with us midst fear and pain
Of this world’s fleeting rue

Each new day overflows
With undefeated worth
The gladness only God bestows
Undergoes grand rebirth

As we fix our gaze
While weathering the wearing ways
Of time that lies between

By faith, reply reveres
The call that we receive
As we treasure God's Word that cheers
All who trust and believe

…while keeping watch, we pray
That faith will remain true
Until the great and glorious day
When life on earth is through

© Janet Martin


Matthew 24:42
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.







Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Collections of Bit By Bit



Two-for-Tuesday prompt. 
Write to one prompt, both prompts, 
and/or combine them: 
Write a big poem, or...
Write a small poem.

Life roads/loads can seem impossible/impassable when viewed in a lump sum...



Sometimes, as a loved one bears a cross, 
 oh, how we wish we could
bear or ease it for them but we cannot, and should not! 
(sometimes we wish we could rid ourselves of our own crosses!)
 Only beneath life's crosses
does faith become stronger and humbler/meeker💗🙏
But we can and should pray for God's sufficient grace 
to be the strength in our weakness!!

2 Cor.12:9
And He said to me,
 “My grace is sufficient for you, 
for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”


Life roads/loads can seem impossible/impassable when viewed in a lump sum
Its weight of cares can topple the most hopeful optimist
For none can see what waits to be, what is ‘what-ifs’ outcome
What favor or calamity the hour may untwist
What detour must be taken or what leap of learning tried
What perseverance shaken or what darling wish denied

But one breath, one step, one moment and one prayer at a time
The feeble can scale mountains and great burdens can be borne
Courage can face the giant where faith’s steppingstones align
To make us more reliant on the Author of each morn
As we press on toward the place where troubles cease their cry
As step by step and grace by grace He whispers ‘here am I’

A small word of kindness begins ripple effects of cheer
Tis step by step, the victor wins the title victors claim
Moment by moment unravels seasons, marked year by year
And draws each road we travel back to He, from whence we came
Do not despair, the Whole of It, when analyzed will show
Life's collections of bit by bit, as by God’s grace we go

© Janet Martin



John 1:16
And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.




Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Faithfulness's Fitness/Litmus Test (or All For Christ)


Today's song and poem, a very personal challenge!!

Ps.130:1-4
Out of the depths
I cry to You, O LORD!
2O Lord, hear my voice;
let Your ears be attentive to my plea for mercy.
3If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities,
then who, O Lord, could stand?
4But with You there is forgiveness,
so that You may be feared.


 





Am I equipped with the Full Armor, (that without, none can endure)
Where an unscrupulous charmer tosses many a lovely lure

Am I willing to be accused falsely, yet answer not a word


Ready, no matter what the cost, self-sacrificed, to follow Him

Knowing, for all who truly love Him, God works out all things for good
Oh, am I ready to portray Him, with faith all but Jesus-blind

© Janet Martin

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.


Eph.5:1-17
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, 
an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, 
let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, 
which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 
5 For [a]this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man,
 who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things
 the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.
Walk in Light

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. 
Walk as children of light 
9 (for the fruit of the [b]Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,
 but rather [c]expose them. 
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 
13 But all things that are [d]exposed are made manifest by the light,
 for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
Walk in Wisdom

15 See then that you walk [e]circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is...