Spiritual Storehouse...

Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart--those with moral integrity and godly character].

Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;

Sing praises to Him with the harp of ten strings.

Sing to Him a new song;

Play skillfully [on the strings] with a loud and joyful sound.

For the word of the LORD is right;

And all His work is done in faithfulness.

He loves righteousness and justice;

The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,

And all their host by the breath of His mouth.

He gathers the waters of the sea together as in a wineskin;

He puts the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear and worship the LORD;

Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

For He spoke, and it was done;

He commanded, and it stood fast. The counsel of the LORD stands forever,

The thoughts and plans of His heart through all generations.

Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the nation whose God is the LORD,

The people whom He has chosen as His own inheritance. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear Him [and worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and obedience].

He is our help and our shield.

For in Him our heart rejoices,

Because we trust [lean on, rely on, and are confident] in His holy name.

Let Your [steadfast] lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us,

In proportion as we have hoped in You. (Psalm 33:1-12,18-22) The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters [copious and difficult to fathom];

The fountain of [mature, godly] wisdom is like a bubbling stream [sparkling, fresh, pure, and life-giving].

A fool’s lips bring contention and strife,

And his mouth invites a beating.

A fool’s mouth is his ruin,

And his lips are the snare of his soul.

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;

The righteous runs to it and is safe and set on high [far above evil. (Proverbs 18:4,6,10) Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; and walk continually in love [that is, value one another--practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance. Let there be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse [obscene or vulgar] joking, because such things are not appropriate [for believers]; but instead speak of your thankfulness [to God]. For be sure of this: no immoral, impure, or greedy person--for that one is [in effect] an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God [for such a person places a higher value on something other than God]. Let no one deceive you with empty arguments [that encourage you to sin], for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience [those who habitually sin]. So do not participate or even associate with them [in the rebelliousness of sin]. For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [live as those who are native-born to the Light] (for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn [by experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [and letting your lifestyles be examples of what is most acceptable to Him--your behavior expressing gratitude to God for your salvation]. Do not participate in the worthless and unproductive deeds of darkness, but instead expose them [by exemplifying personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character]; for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that such people practice in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light [of God’s precepts], for it is light that makes everything visible. For this reason He says,

“Awake, sleeper,

And arise from the dead,

And Christ will shine [as dawn] upon you and give you light.”

Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil. Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:1-2,4-17,19-21)