Today's Daily Bread
Better Than Planned
Interruptions are nothing new. Rarely does a day go by as planned.
Life is filled with inconveniences. Our plans are constantly thwarted
by forces beyond our control. The list is long and ever-changing:
Sickness. Conflict. Traffic jams. Forgetfulness. Appliance malfunctions.
Rudeness. Laziness. Impatience. Incompetence.
What we cannot see, however, is the other side of inconvenience. We
think it has no purpose other than to discourage us, make life more
difficult, and thwart our plans. However, inconvenience could be God’s
way of protecting us from some unseen danger, or it could be an
opportunity to demonstrate God’s grace and forgiveness. It might be the
start of something even better than we had planned. Or it could be a
test to see how we respond to adversity. Whatever it is, even though we
may not know God’s reason, we can be assured of His motive—to make us
more like Jesus and to further His kingdom on earth.
To say that God’s followers throughout history have been
“inconvenienced” would be an understatement. But God had a purpose.
Knowing this, we can thank Him, being confident that He is giving us an
opportunity to redeem the time (Eph. 5:16,20).
Lord, so often it’s the little things in life that get
to me, and there seem to be so many of them.
Whenever I’m tempted to lose my temper, blame
someone, or just give up, help me see You.
to me, and there seem to be so many of them.
Whenever I’m tempted to lose my temper, blame
someone, or just give up, help me see You.
What happens to us is not nearly as important as what God does in us and through us.
Insight
In today’s passage, after exhorting the believers to “be very careful” (niv)
in how they live and to be skillful in handling life (v.15), Paul went
deeper by asking them to look at their lives and ask: Who or what is in
control of my life and dictates how I live? Instead of allowing wine (or
anything else) to control one’s mind and actions, believers are to let
the Holy Spirit continually fill them so that He governs how they live
(v.18; Prov. 20:1; 23:21,29-35). A life under the Spirit’s control is
characterized by joy, gratitude, and the fear of the Lord (Eph.
5:19-20).
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