Daily Devotional from The Way Bible Church for June 2nd, 2020

Lying, anger, stealing, not giving, corrupt words, bitterness, wrath, anger, and clamor grieve our best friend. We see this as we read today’s verse in context, Ephesians 4:25-30. “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

So, how do we stay close to our best friend? The answer is in Ephesians 4:31-32. “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Love people, by being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving others. This makes the Holy Spirit happy. Our best friend is very interested in what we do and how we treat people.

There are times when we feel the presence of the Holy Spirit stronger than others. We recognize when He is close and when He is distant. Remember, our best friend cannot dwell or remain in the presence of sin. The Holy Spirit is grieved by sin because it hurts people. Intimacy with our best friend is contingent upon our love walk with God and others.

With love and prayers,
Pastor Sherry C.