The weapon of righteousness
The weapons of the strong are smashed to pieces,
while the weak are infused with fresh strength. ~ 1 Samuel 2:4 (MSG)
Paul wrote: In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind... We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. ~ 2 Corinthians 6:4,7 (NLT)
KEY THOUGHT:
Don't underestimate the power behind the weapon of righteousness.
PRAYER:
Almighty God, I confess that as I look at the state of the world around me I feel defeated. But as I read 2 Corinthians 6 I realized that I am underestimating the power of righteousness to crush evil. Lift my head up so that I can patiently wait without anxiety the victory that you have in mind. I'm going to confidently carry my weapon of righteousness. 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)
