Quote: In a book I was reading recently I came across a line that has remained with me: “So long as we live, we will live either the examined or the unexamined life.” The observation is straightforward enough. Either we’ll be thoughtful people, or we’ll be thoughtless. Either we’ll be characterized by wisdom, or we’ll be characterized by folly. Either we’ll walk circumspectly, or we’ll behave boorishly, leaving paths of destruction. 

Text: In the imperative sections of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he writes the following sentence towards the end of the epistle: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph 5:15-17). 

Connections to Our Day: This morning I arose quite early and studied. I read the news from my computer. I was grieved by what I read. Regardless of one’s political leanings, I don’t see how any sensible person could think anything less than that the world is a mess. Many articles were about the deluge of unvetted illegals streaming into the U.S. America’s borders are wide open, and if one thinks evil people are not exploiting that avenue of invasion, one’s grasp of reality should be called into question. Another series of articles was of DHS Secretary Mayorkas’ being fired/impeached. And then of course was the cascade of articles about Mr. Biden’s cognitive inabilities, continued gaffes, and whether he will be allowed to speak in public or be seen in public at all anymore, especially as America’s election season nears. Then there was the usual series of budget-related articles about how the government is going to send billions more of U.S. dollars to Ukraine for its borders. Just as a reminder, America currently has $34 trillion of debt. In other words, we spend money we don’t have. $34,000,000,000,000. That’s 12 zeros.

Explanation: Then I went back to the New Testament text from Ephesians. Look carefully; be wise; make the best use of the time; the days are evil, etc. And Paul tells us who the fountain of wisdom is: the Lord. 

Encouragement/Application: In other words, the way to know how to walk circumspectly, wisely, and the way to know how to make the best use of our time during these evil days is rooted in God. Not in humanism, not in politics, not in spending money we don’t have, not in vanity of vanities, but in the Lord. When you study the history of civilizations, when “[e]veryone did what was right in his own eyes,” (Judges 21:25), it did not go well. But the encouragement for all who will heed God’s ways is this: “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22).