October 21, 2026
Today's Reading: Ephesians 5:15-21
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 20:1-20; Matthew 15:21-39
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
There are so many things that compete for our time—there’s family and friends, schoolwork and sports, and that’s hardly scratching the surface. If you have a job, there’s another demand on your time. Do you participate in any extracurriculars? It’s already overwhelming, all the stuff we fill our schedules with—and now we’re supposed to make room for God, too? What is the best use of our time? Should we have fewer friends, do less homework, maybe quit a job so we can spend more time in the Scriptures?
The answer is… probably not, but… maybe. I’d imagine you can probably find a few minutes in your day to read the Scriptures and pray, but if not, it might be time to have that conversation with your parents, your pastor, or perhaps some trusted Christian friends. If the demands on your time begin to demand you spend less time on the one thing needful, it might be time to look carefully.
We can have these hard conversations and ask these hard questions because of who we are in Christ Jesus. Our God is even the God of time, who created time itself, who orders our days, and who in the fullness of time entered into our time that He might redeem us in body and soul for all time—even eternity! And this changes how we view time. Instead of “living each day like it’s our last,” we can live each day like it’s the first one of an eternity with Jesus and with all the faithful. Dear Christians, in Christ, you don’t have a last day!
Look carefully then how you walk—be wise in how you spend your time on this side of glory. The Scriptures you hear and read, the prayers you pray, the relationships you cultivate, the people you spend time with, the words of peace and joy and thanksgiving you express to one another, all these things matter. It matters how you walk, precisely because Christ has redeemed you for a walk with Him—both here in time and thereafter in eternity. Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise—as the faithful, redeemed by God, guided by His Word and Spirit, following Him always on the way that leads to life everlasting.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Almighty and ever-living God, You make us both to will and to do those things that are good and acceptable in Your sight. Let Your fatherly hand ever guide us and Your Holy Spirit ever be with us to direct us in the knowledge and obedience of Your Word that we may obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Rev. Roger Mullet, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Buffalo, WY.
Where are you looking for meaning? In Lift Your Eyes: How to Live Outside Yourself author Joshua Pfeiffer charts a compelling path outward: upward to God in faith and gratitude, outward to our neighbors in love and service, and forward in joyful anticipation of resurrection.
