Fear not, Earth! Be glad and celebrate!
God has done great things. ~ Joel 2:21 (MSG)
This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough:
He appeared in a human body,
was proved right by the invisible Spirit,
was seen by angels.
He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples,
believed in all over the world,
taken up into heavenly glory. ~ 1 Timothy 3.16 (MSG)
KEY THOUGHT:
God does great things.
PRAYER:
Our Father, we wonder at the way you see and do things. It all goes way beyond our capacity to understand. Forgive me for over simplifying your truth -- reducing your great mystery to platitudes and bumper sticker sayings. Help me to find my place in the mystery and to enjoy being there. I'm going to celebrate! Amen.
The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him. ~ Psalm 22:27a (NLT)
He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned... ~ 1 Timothy 2:4 (MSG)
KEY THOUGHT:
God is interested in the salvation of everyone.
PRAYER:
Gracious God, thank you for including me. I confess that my vision is way too narrow. I'm only interested in reaching people who are like me. Expand my vision and passion. I'm going to join with you in welcoming the whole world to join up with Christ. Amen.
The Second Sunday after the Epiphany
You are my God and protector.
Please answer my prayer.
I was in terrible distress,
but you set me free.
Now have pity and listen
as I pray. ~ Psalm 4:1 (CEV)
God blesses those people
who grieve.
They will find comfort! ~ Matthew 5:4 (CEV)
KEY THOUGHT:
God has pity on the broken and needy who look to him.
PRAYER:
You are my God and protector. When things are not going so well I can count on your continued support. Even when I mess up you have pity and listen. I am blessed beyond what I could ever deserve. Amen.
Let’s walk by the Lord’s light. ~ Isaiah 2:5 (CEB)
You know what sort of times we live in, and so you should live properly. It is time to wake up. You know that the day when we will be saved is nearer now than when we first put our faith in the Lord. Night is almost over, and day will soon appear. We must stop behaving as people do in the dark and be ready to live in the light. ~ Romans 13:11-12a (CEV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Since light is going to be the defining reality of the future, it is best to be an early adopter.
PRAYER:
As sure as dawn begins each day, thank you that your light and love provide a new beginning. Wake me from my clouded disposition and foggy thinking. Grant me faith to know that behind the clouds blue skies are near. In Jesus' name, Amen. (Daily Texts, Mount Carmel Ministries edition)
*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 — 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)
