Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our Reading today titled, Wise or Unwise, was written by Glenn Packiam.

When I was 10, I brought home a cassette tape from a friend at youth group that contained the music of a contemporary Christian band.

My dad, who had been raised in a Hindu home, but had received salvation in Jesus, didn't approve.

He only wanted worship music played in our home.

I explained it was a Christian band, but that didn't change his mind. After a while,

he suggested that I listened to the songs for a week and then decide if they brought me closer to God

or pushed me further away from him. There was some helpful wisdom in that advice. There are things in life that are clearly right or wrong, but many times we wrestle with

disputable matters.

In deciding what to do, we can seek the wisdom found in Scripture.

Paul encouraged the Ephesian believers to be very careful then how you live, not as unwise, but as wise.

Like a good parent, Paul knew that he couldn't possibly be there or give instructions for every situation.

If they were going to make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil,

they were going to have to discern for themselves

and understand what the Lord's will is. A life of wisdom is an invitation to pursue discernment

and good decisions as God guides us even when we wrestle with what might be disputable.

Now let's listen together to the wisdom of Scripture.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional Scripture reading is taken from Ephesians chapter 5,

verses 15 through 17.

Be very careful then how you live, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most

of every opportunity because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what

the Lord's will is. Let's pray.

Dear Jesus, would you cultivate in us hearts of wisdom

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