The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11.

I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. Psalm 13:5.

Something remarkable happens when we open our hearts to Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. We read His word anew with Him guiding our understanding. Our chapter, Ephesians 5, may we read with His help. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. v. 1-2. Not lording over us but loving us and giving up Himself for us…imagine if we were imitators of Him! But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. v. 2-21. The remaining verses in this chapter have been so misused by individuals and by religions – but can we read them just as Paul wrote them? As I read them, I thought of the word misapprehension: “A mistaken belief about or interpretation of something.” Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. v. 22-33.

How can we judge others when we were formerly darkness? And if we were formerly darkness, can we know that so too will they be formerly in darkness, as they open their hearts to God? Where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living…God understands its way, and He knows its place…He established it and also searched it out. And to man He said, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Job 28:12, 13, 23, 27, 28. But how can we get there? With Him. Open your heart to Him. When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You…”Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.” Psalm 27:8. And as we seek His face, we find His face turned to us loving and caring for us. There will come a day when His truth and His Love will not be misapprehended by any person or institution of men. Let God Himself show you who He is. He is willing. Are you? Awake sleeper…and arise from the dead…and Christ will shine on you!