PROVERBS 16:18 (MSG)
First pride, then the crash—
the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.
LUKE 6:41 (MSG)
It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.
SUMMARY SENTENCE
When we focus on the shortcomings of others we're setting ourselves up to crash and burn.
PRAYER
Lord, you have graciously given us the gift of observation and discernment. But we take things too far when we start measuring others against ourselves. I make my own life the gold standard by which others have to live. Grant me the additional gift of humility so that I can kindly give a hand to those who need a lift up. I'm going to measure everything and everyone according to your standard of grace. Amen.
ISAIAH 33:22 (CEB)
The LORD is our judge;
the LORD is our leader;
the LORD is our king—
he will deliver us.
LUKE 9:20 (CEV)
Jesus then asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah sent from God.”
SUMMARY SENTENCE
Jesus, sent from God, is the one who saves us.
PRAYER
I'm grateful, God, for the gift of Jesus, sent into the world to save it. This is good news -- yet, I'm slow to share it. I worry that people might think I'm some kind of religious fanatic. Give me the boldness to speak the right words at the right time. I'm going to be more open about my relationship with you and who you are. Amen.
PSALM 119:10 (CEB)
I have sought you with all my heart.
Don’t let me stray from any of your commandments!
1 JOHN 5:3 (NCV)
Loving God means obeying his commands. And God’s commands are not too hard for us...
SUMMARY SENTENCE
If you truly love God, you'll turn your attention to following his instructions.
PRAYER
Thank you, God, for giving us the directions needed to live lives that please you. It's no great secret. Yet, I'm prone to go halfway. I'm an enthusiastic student of the Bible but I'm not nearly so passionate about living out your instructions. I mean, they aren't hard but they are inconvenient and I'll have to change some things. Lead me through the changes that I need to make so that my life honors Christ Jesus, who is your living set of instructions. Amen.
JEREMIAH 8:9 (MSG)
Your religion experts have taken you for a ride!
Your know-it-alls will be unmasked,
caught and shown up for what they are.
Look at them! They know everything but God’s Word.
HEBREWS 2:1 (CEV)
We must give our full attention to what we were told, so that we won’t drift away.
SUMMARY SENTENCE
Give your full attention to what God says or you'll end up falling in line behind a huckster.
PRAYER
Thank you, Lord, for so freely sharing your wisdom with your people. I acknowledge that at times I don't pay close attention to what you've shared. It's so easy to get distracted by everything new and shiny. Help me to focus so that I'm giving my full attention to you and your ways. I reject all that is false -- even though it is popular. Through Christ Jesus, I'm going to stay the course with you. 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 — 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)
