Ephesians Lesson 5/Days 4 & 5

What’s the oldest lie? I think it can be summed up in any one of these: “I know best”...or...“My way is better than God’s”...or...”I am enough”...or “I can do it my way.” God’s word teaches that the original sin was man’s attempt to place himself and herself ahead of God’s plan. From that point forward mankind has been battling to stay on top in every aspect of every relationship – between us and God and between ourselves and one another. God continually reminds us that true love, peace, joy, and ultimate satisfaction will only be found when we humble ourselves and submit to Him and submit ourselves to one another. It’s not “my way or the highway” it’s “God’s way is the right way.” And yet, if there’s one word that can continually keep us bristled it’s that word: submit. Thinking about submission – whether to God or to one another – opens our mind to thoughts of missing out, losing out, and being left out. But God assures us over and again that this way of true mutual and godly submission is the way in, being drawn near, included, and blessed. The constant lie of the devil is to make us doubt God’s word and twist God’s intent in this. Satan’s especially favorite target is marriage – the one bond that most closely points to God’s covenant with us – because if he can warp that bond with selfishness, he can effectively warp our view of God as well. Pray today for a pure heart to read and grasp God’s view of submission, to be discerning in spotting errors in your understanding or resistance to God’s plan in your thinking.