Shining light
God said, “I command light to shine!” And light started shining. ~ Genesis 1:3 (CEV)
The Scriptures say, “God commanded light to shine in the dark.” Now God is shining in our hearts to let you know that his glory is seen in Jesus Christ. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:6 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
God is shining the light of Christ into our hearts.
PRAYER:
God, I am really happy that you have focused the light of Christ so that it shines right into the core of who I am -- my heart. Thank you for this light that is a gift not only to me but to all the world. Yet,
we still play with darkness at times. Personally, I think we enjoy the sense of fear. It makes us feel alive.
Yet it is the light of Christ that truly makes us alive. Keep shining your light until it completely pulverizes* any of the fears that we're holding onto. Christ is the light of the world and I'm going to thrive as a living witness of the light. Amen.
* pulverize -- to blast something into such tiny pieces that it cannot be recognized
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own 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)
