"...You were like a burning stick
snatched from the flames.
But you never looked my way.
You continued to ignore me."
God’s Decree. ~ Amos 4:11b (MSG)
The fact is that many of the people whom God enlisted ended up being unfaithful to him. But there is no way that their unfaithfulness somehow cancels out his faithfulness. It doesn't work that way. Their lies simply highlight by contrast God's unwavering truthfulness. ~ Romans 3:3-4a (ABP)
KEY IDEA:
Even though we flake out God remains faithful to his word. So you can still trust him.
PRAYER:
Lord, you are such a solid and faithful God. You never stop pursuing the best for us even when we become flaky people. And I can be pretty flaky. It's not so much that I intend to be deceptive -- I just buckle and fall into deceitfulness when I feel pressure or depressed. Help me in the midst of my most flaky moments to notice again your faithfulness. I'm going to stick with you because I know that's the only way I can grow past my failure. In Jesus'name I pray, amen!
Noah was the only person who lived right and obeyed God. ~ Genesis 6:9b (CEV)
Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven. ~ Matthew 5:16 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Rightliving does not just benefit us, but others see and are challenged to consider how they might live to honor God, too.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank you for empowering us to live compelling lives radiating your light. But I confess that I can be pretty hohum about the whole thing. It's not that I think it is untrue. It's just that I allow competing priorities to capture my imagination and energy. Crank up the power so that your light radiating from my life is the most obvious thing about me. This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine. Amen.
Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.” ~ 1 Samuel 17:37b (NCV)
Whatever it is that you do, do it in such a way that it brings honor to God. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:31b (ABP)
KEY IDEA:
Honor God through all your actions, attitudes, and thoughts.
PRAYER:
Lord, I'm thankful that you are with us. Now, please, help me to express my confidence in your presence. I want to live my life in such a way that you are honored through every breath I take and every move I make. Help me to stay focused on that purpose. Amen.
His government and its peace
will never end. ~ Isaiah 9:7a (NLT)
Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. ~ Hebrews 13:8 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Jesus is the stable one we need. He never changes. So align your life with him.
PRAYER:
Thank you, God, for sending your Son Jesus to us. I desperately need the kind of stability that he is bringing into the world. I get so stressed by all the changes in the world that I neglect to trust you. Help me to lean on Jesus. He is reliable and his agenda is moving forward. Amen.
*ABOUT THE
DAILY TEXTS
The Daily Texts have been published by the Moravian Church since 1731. In 2011 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)
