July 26 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

God made daytime and nighttime. Daytime is for work and play. Nighttime is for sleep. Children learn this rule. When they don't go to bed on time, they are cranky in the morning. Since nobody tells grownups when they should go to bed, they often stay up too late. Then they don't perform very well the next day.

The Bible has based a figure of speech on this rule of God. But by daytime people the Bible does not mean those who go to bed on time or get up on time. Daytime people are those who got up when the Son began to shine!

On the clock of God's redemptive history, the hour to "get up and live" struck when Jesus performed his mighty acts of salvation.

Daytime people are those for whom salvation has come in Jesus Christ. They don't live in darkness anymore. People who live in darkness are those who don't know Christ. By their behavior they make it obvious that they don't know Jesus.

This passage of the Bible was once used by God to convert Augustine, a great leader in the early church. He lived in darkness—a wild nightlife—but he was converted and became the most influential teacher of the church.

The same words that converted him tell us to live as daytime people. Our moral behavior should be able to stand the bright light of day.

In the second half of verse 13, Paul mentions the things that are done by the children of darkness: carousing and drunkenness, sexual immorality and debauchery, dissension and jealousy. The first two words have to do with drinking parties, the second two are words for sexual immorality, and the third pair always go with such immorality. They are the exact opposites of Christian love.

The sins committed by the people of darkness are reminiscent of Roman night life. But the same words could be used to describe the darkness that has descended on much of our culture.

As daytime people, let's have nothing to do with these sins.

REFLECTIONS

What do you think—is it getting harder or easier to be daytime people? What in our society lures people—including Christians—towards the darkness?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.