Light!

Or suppose I said, “I’ll hide in the dark until night comes to cover me over.” But you see in the dark because daylight and dark are all the same to you. ~ Psalm 139:11-12 (CEV)

Jesus told us that God is light and doesn’t have any darkness in him. Now we are telling you. ~ 1 John 1:5 (CEV)

KEY IDEA:

God can see in the dark so there is no hiding from him. We should then live in the light.

PRAYER:

Lord, thank you for the light which makes my life better. But silly me -- I try to hide in the dark when I'm not living according to your way. Flood my life with your light so that I can better see the benefits of following Jesus. It only makes sense to build my life within the light. I make fewer mistakes that way. Amen.

God provides

And it turned out as he said—daily food for her and her family. The jar of meal didn’t run out and the bottle of oil didn’t become empty: God’s promise fulfilled to the letter, exactly as Elijah had delivered it! ~ 1 Kings 17:16 (MSG)

Give us each day the food we need... ~ Luke 11:3 (NLT)

KEY IDEA:

We can continue to expect the Lord to provide what we need to keep going.

PRAYER:

Lord, thank you for keeping me going. You provide just enough -- and sometimes even more. But we continue to act as though things are going to get scarce. I worry over the future. Relive me of that anxiety. Help me to lean into what I know about your constant care and provision from past experience. I am confident that you will not forget about me. Amen.

Pressure

The Fifth Sunday in Lent

I tested you in hard times just as silver is refined in a heated furnace. ~ Isaiah 48:10 (CEV)

Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:11 (NLT)

KEY IDEA:

Living for Jesus means that we are living under pressure. But the pressure is forming us so that the life of Jesus is more evident through us.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, I am so grateful for the way that you endured suffering so that we could be saved from sin and its consequences. But I don't really like the idea that I'm going to suffer, too. That scares me. I prefer a more relaxed life with fewer pressures. Help me to more fully embrace your agenda and your way of doing things. No matter what happens I am sure that you have my best interests in mind. I am counting on it. Amen.

Proof

Do what I tell you; live what I tell you. I am God. ~ Leviticus 22:31 (MSG)

The proof that we love God comes when we keep his commandments and they are not at all troublesome. ~ 1 John 5:3 (MSG)

KEY IDEA:

The proof that we truly love God (and that it's not just empty talk) comes when we live the way he tells us to live.

PRAYER:

Loving Lord, thank you for your commandments. They give us directions for healthy living. I confess that I often talk more than I walk the love. I'm good at telling people about how I love you but I treat your commandments like they are a difficult burden. Save me from my shallowness. Give me depth of love -- the depth that produces obedient action. I am depending on the love and gracious action of our Savior Christ Jesus. Amen.