Children
Children are a blessing
and a gift from the Lord. ~ Psalm 127:3a (CEV)
Jesus said,… “Don’t you know that the Scriptures say, ‘Children and infants will sing praises'” ~ Matthew 21:16b (CEV)
Jesus, it is interesting that you so closely identify with children. I shouldn't be surprised because you were always hanging out with the powerless people -- the people who are low status. And children certainly don't have power or status. They cry when they shouldn't. They need constant attention. They don't really contribute to the family. Yet they are definitely a gift from you -- live-in illustrations of what it means to trust and praise you. They are leaders in your kingdom. Please, Lord, I need to become more like a child in this way. And I need to have a greater heart for children. Help me to be less consumed with my grown-up world and more interested in the well-being of children. I'm going to look for a way to bless a child today -- even if it is with just a smile or a greeting. Amen.
*ABOUT THE
DAILY TEXTS
The Daily Texts have been published by the Moravian Church since 1731. In 2015 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)
