See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise…Ephesians 5:15 

Believe it or not, most (if not all) of the Bible verses that I memorized growing up were in the King James Version. We used this version in our church Sunday School classes, confirmation classes, and we used the KJV in my Christian school as well. That was a while back! Although it’s certainly a reliable version, I would probably not recommend a young person using the KJV in their studies as a first or only choice. Even so, there is a certain nostalgia for me when I read the Bible in the King James Version. It brings me back to my childhood.

In Ephesians 5:15 (KJV), the apostle Paul urges us to walk “circumspectly.” This means that we should walk carefully and alertly. More specifically, we should live our lives with purpose, careful intent, and according to God’s Word. The Bible reminds us that living an undisciplined and careless life is not wise. Although we might feel that earthly rulers don’t always have our best interest in mind, we can know with certainty that living according to God’s rules will always bring fulfillment and reward. The greatest adventures in life occur when we walk circumspectly with the Bible as our playbook and the Lord as our Guide.

Timothy started demolition on Monday of this week for Project IMPACT Phase 3. I took some pictures early this morning of the work after Day 1. Check them out! In these pictures, you’ll see exposed ceilings and even the peak and soffit on the north face of the original building on our campus in Elmhurst from 1962. Moreover, you don’t have to walk far before you see signs…lots of them! I took some pictures of the signs too. These signs are clear! It’s obvious what they mean. They are here for our safety. They serve as a reminder to walk carefully, alertly…even circumspectly. Doing so is wise.

Ignoring caution signs in a construction zone can result in injury and harm. When we disregard the teachings of God’s Word and live (or walk) in a haphazard manner, we shouldn’t be surprised when trouble comes our way. Let’s be sure to spend time in the Bible each day. Life at its fullest is only truly experienced as we live according to God’s Word.

Application: Share a time in your life when you disregarded specific teachings in the Bible. What was the outcome? One thing I know for certain, it wasn’t good. What did you learn from that experience? Now think of all of the times in your life when you trusted the teachings of God’s Word and stood on His promises. What a radically different outcome from the times we didn’t “walk circumspectly.”