The Upper Room Devotion for Thursday, June 27, 2024, was written by Wayne Greenawalt of Illinois.
Scripture
1 You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3 All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ —by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
Ephesians 2:1-10 NRSV
Author's Thoughts
I took on the challenge of remodeling my basement to provide additional space for an office and recreation room. The project included running wire to connect lights, recepticles, and switches. Have I done everything right? I pondered. One last step remained. I had to tap in to the power source by connecting the wire to the main service panel. I switched on the circuit breaker, and the lights came on. I was elated.
No matter how meticulous I was in connecting all the wires, it was for naught until I tapped in to the power souce. The same is true with us as people of faith. We may think we have made all the right connections. We attend church services, participate in the sacraments, and follow biblical teaching as best we can. But until we connect to the power of God, we are as dead as a disconnected appliance.
Paul writes in Ephesians 2 that we are spiritually dead until we are made alive through faith in the redemptive work of Christ. Through faith in Christ we are empowered to "walk in the newness of life" (Rom. 6:4). We are "created in Christ Jesus to do good works" (Eph. 2:10). God, our source of life, blesses us with this gift not just to benefit us but others as well.
Pastor Anthony's Thoughts
Friends,
Wayne’s reflection offers us a profound and challenging question to ponder: How solid is our connection to God? Are we engaging in the spiritual disciplines needed to maintain and strengthen our connection? Like every relationship, our relationship with God requires us to invest time to nurture our bonds. Doing so allows us to discern God’s presence and guidance amidst distractions or struggles. Using a daily devotional guide, like the Upper Room, can be an essential tool for helping us commune with God. May we all take time to grow in our relationship with God.
Author's Prayer
Source of life, help us to embrace the newness of life you offer, serving others and glorifying you. Amen.
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