Light for the world
The leader who governs a nation by emphasizing justice for the poor and respect for God and his ways -- that person is as welcome as the dawn after a long dark night -- as beautiful as the rising sun on a cloudless morning. ~ 2 Samuel 23:3b-4a (ABP)
A city built on a hill is glaringly obvious -- each night projecting light out to the surrounding area. Likewise, you, my followers, are called to be the light illuminating the whole world. ~ Matthew 5:14 (ABP)
KEY IDEA:
Through our faithful living our lives shine God's light onto the whole world.
PRAYER:
Lord, you show us the way to go, clearly lighting the way. Forgive me for stepping across your beams and creating unwelcome shadows. Reposition me so that I am able to reflect your light to the people around me. I am going to live as your light for the world. Amen.
*ABOUT THE
DAILY TEXTS
The Daily Texts have been published by the Moravian Church since 1731. In 2011 I started posting these Bible verses for my spiritual formation students at Pacific Islands University. In the process of responding to the verses, I found the rhythm of looking for a common thread and writing a prayer based on that key idea to be helpful for my own soul. The prayers are more or less modeled on the TRIP method, which is what I ask my students to do in their journaling. ~ Brad Boydston
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase -- a freestyle biblical adaptation -- somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
NRSV = New Revised Standard Version (© 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.) NTE = New Testament for Everyone (©2011 Nicolas Thomas Wright.)