1 00:00:02,700 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:13,580 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,620 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and 4 00:00:18,020 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: today's devotion is inspired by Ephesians 5, verse 1, which says, Therefore, 5 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: be imitators of God as beloved children. From the earliest 6 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,180 Speaker 1: seasons of their lives, children begin to imitate their parents. 7 00:00:35,820 --> 00:00:38,940 Speaker 1: They imitate the way their parents speak. They copy the 8 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: way they act toward people. They often tend to show 9 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:44,740 Speaker 1: an interest in some of the same things their parents 10 00:00:44,780 --> 00:00:49,379 Speaker 1: are interested in. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have 11 00:00:49,420 --> 00:00:53,870 Speaker 1: become children of God. We are part of His eternal family, 12 00:00:54,290 --> 00:00:58,250 Speaker 1: and we are deeply loved by Him. As His deeply 13 00:00:58,370 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: loved children, we are encouraged to be imitators of Him. 14 00:01:03,540 --> 00:01:05,380 Speaker 1: What are some of the ways this works out in 15 00:01:05,470 --> 00:01:09,990 Speaker 1: our lives? As the Lord is loving toward us, we 16 00:01:10,050 --> 00:01:13,929 Speaker 1: can reflect His love toward others. As the Lord shows 17 00:01:13,990 --> 00:01:18,590 Speaker 1: us great patience, we can show others and even ourselves patience. 18 00:01:19,670 --> 00:01:22,550 Speaker 1: As the Lord blesses us with mercy, even though we 19 00:01:22,630 --> 00:01:28,220 Speaker 1: deserve condemnation, we can be merciful toward others. He invites 20 00:01:28,300 --> 00:01:31,330 Speaker 1: us to imitate Him in all these areas and more. 21 00:01:32,050 --> 00:01:34,830 Speaker 1: He is the ultimate standard by which our lives should 22 00:01:34,870 --> 00:01:38,270 Speaker 1: be measured. And not only has the Lord called us 23 00:01:38,330 --> 00:01:41,610 Speaker 1: to imitate Him, He has empowered us to do so 24 00:01:41,750 --> 00:01:44,970 Speaker 1: as well. We aren't required to rely on our own 25 00:01:45,090 --> 00:01:49,300 Speaker 1: strength to do these things. That's not even possible. Our 26 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,460 Speaker 1: ability to live as imitators of God is directly enabled 27 00:01:53,840 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: by His presence within us. Let's pray. Lord, we thank 28 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: you for your word, and we thank you for the 29 00:02:03,410 --> 00:02:04,910 Speaker 1: privilege that it is to be able to look at 30 00:02:04,930 --> 00:02:07,830 Speaker 1: this portion of scripture from the book of Ephesians today. 31 00:02:09,270 --> 00:02:11,330 Speaker 1: And Lord, as we look at this portion of your word, 32 00:02:11,450 --> 00:02:14,530 Speaker 1: you show us that you are the one we're called 33 00:02:14,730 --> 00:02:17,660 Speaker 1: to imitate. We recognize that there are many people in 34 00:02:17,700 --> 00:02:21,540 Speaker 1: our day-to-day lives that we also have copied or learned 35 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: things from, just like children learn from their parents and 36 00:02:25,310 --> 00:02:29,410 Speaker 1: Students learn from their teachers, or apprentices learn from their mentors. 37 00:02:30,350 --> 00:02:33,050 Speaker 1: There are plenty of people that we've learned things from, 38 00:02:33,130 --> 00:02:37,059 Speaker 1: but ultimately, you are the one we're called to imitate. 39 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:42,119 Speaker 1: Through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ, we likewise become 40 00:02:42,580 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: your children. And as your children, you encourage us to 41 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,540 Speaker 1: follow your lead, to follow your example, to imitate you 42 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:53,340 Speaker 1: in all areas of life. Lord, we know that at 43 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: times that might be challenging because the standards that this 44 00:02:57,660 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: world tries to impose upon us are very different than 45 00:03:01,500 --> 00:03:05,790 Speaker 1: the standards you've given to us in your word. But Lord, 46 00:03:05,830 --> 00:03:08,490 Speaker 1: we pray that we would continue to follow your example 47 00:03:08,889 --> 00:03:12,029 Speaker 1: no matter what kind of pressure we experience or what 48 00:03:12,070 --> 00:03:15,950 Speaker 1: types of standards this world starts to elevate. We want 49 00:03:15,990 --> 00:03:18,989 Speaker 1: to follow your lead. We want to treat people with 50 00:03:19,010 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 1: the kind of compassion that you treat us with. And 51 00:03:22,900 --> 00:03:25,460 Speaker 1: as we do so, it's our prayer that you would 52 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: use the testimony of our lives to point others to yourself, 53 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,770 Speaker 1: that they would learn more about you through your children 54 00:03:33,850 --> 00:03:37,910 Speaker 1: who imitate you. This is a great privilege, and we're 55 00:03:37,950 --> 00:03:41,330 Speaker 1: grateful that you create a desire within us to follow 56 00:03:41,430 --> 00:03:45,350 Speaker 1: through with this. Thank you for empowering us. Thank you 57 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: for being present with us. And thank you for enabling 58 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:52,350 Speaker 1: us to copy the example you've set before us. We 59 00:03:52,390 --> 00:03:58,130 Speaker 1: commit ourselves to you now and pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.