It's way better to be poor while living a life characterized by honesty and justice than to be rich while living a life characterized by dishonesty and injustice. ~ Proverbs 16:8 (ABP)
Don’t run roughshod over the concerns of your brothers and sisters. Their concerns are God’s concerns, and he will take care of them. ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:6a (MSG)
KEY IDEA:
In God's eyes treating people right is a top priority.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for looking out for me.
For me, though, it's nice when justice happens for others but there are so many other priorities in my life. I'm not as passionate about justice as you. Again, I am asking you to help me reset my priorities so that they are aligned with your passions. I doubt I will ever have a lot of money but I expect that you will make me rich in other ways. Amen.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. ~ Psalm 121:8 (NLT)
On this earth we don’t have a city that lasts forever, but we are waiting for such a city. ~ Hebrews 13:14 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
The Lord maintains a long term perspective.
PRAYER:
Dear God, thank you for watching out for me. Thank you for bringing a forever, long-term perspective to our relationship. I am too shortsighted. Grant me patience so that I can live for the forever. I'm not going to allow short-term issues to dominate my life. Amen.
I will not fail you or abandon you. ~ Joshua 1:5b (NLT)
Jesus says: your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. ~ John 16:20b (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
Be happy, for God will not desert you.
PRAYER:
Thank you, God, for watching out for me. You are loyal and faithful. Even so, I get depressed when bad things happen. I am so shortsighted. Grant me a grander vision and a joyful song that transcends adversity. I am going to trust you forever. Amen.
The 26th Sunday after Pentecost
But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God. ~ Psalm 50:23 (NLT)
No matter what happens -- give thanks. This is a critical aspect of being connected to Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ABP)
KEY IDEA:
You can't go wrong in expressing thanks to God.
PRAYER:
Lord, you are worthy of all the gratitude the world can give. I want to do my part in thanking you. But I'm pretty consumed with my own accomplishments. Squelch my ego and refresh my perspective. I'm going to lead the thanksgiving parade. 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)
