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NIV is used unless otherwise noted.



God’s Will and My Will: be filled with the Spirit

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:17-18

 
Today ladies, let’s factor the Holy Spirit into our increased understanding of God’s will. I sure wouldn’t want to be considered a fool before God. As we read above, the key to understanding the will of the Lord is to be filled with the Spirit.   

What an unusual illustration Paul uses here. The Holman Commentary clarifies: “The Ephesian culture worshiped Baccus, the god of wine and drunken orgies. They believed that to commune with their god and to be led by him, they had to be drunk. In this drunken state, they could determine the will of their god and determine how best to serve and obey him.” The folks in Ephesus would know what Paul was talking about. So will most of the world today.  

In contrast, the woman of God is to be intoxicated with the Spirit of God, “under the influence” at all times of the Spirit within.    

As Avery Willis so aptly describes in his MasterLife study, your soul consists of mind, will, and emotions, plus you have a spirit. Will sits smack dab in the middle, pulled in all directions by thoughts and emotions, not to mention the spirit of this world. When the Holy Spirit enters your spirit at salvation, He lines up your will with the will of God.    

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest June 6, emphasizes the importance of will: “Will is the essential element in God's creation of man.” That is true of you, whether you have let God into your spirit or not. Once you let Him in, you have access to His will through His Spirit. Then, says Chambers, “God's will is your will, and your natural choices are along the line of God's will, and life is as natural as breathing.”

The trick, ladies, is to be filled with the Spirit. Kick back, get self out of the way, and Spirit breathe. Enjoy Paul’s picture of you, Spirit-filled: Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:19-20).
 
Nancy P

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