GOD'S PERSISTENCE

ISAIAH 41:9 (NLT)
You are my servant. For I have chosen you
and will not throw you away.

ROMANS 11:1 (CEB)
So I ask you, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not!

SUMMARY SENTENCE
God persistently loves his people -- even when they are wayward.

PRAYER
God, our refuge, thank you for choosing me to be your servant. Hide me in the shadow of your safety. I regret the way I can wiggle out of your hands, rebellious, and discouraged. Forgive me and corral me with your gentle way into claiming my place as chosen in your kingdom. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

LIGHT

ZECHARIAH 14:7 (MSG)
What a Day that will be! No more cold nights—in fact, no more nights! The Day is coming—the timing is GOD’s—when it will be continuous day. Every evening will be a fresh morning.

1 JOHN 1:5 (MSG)
This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there’s not a trace of darkness in him.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Let God's light define your day.

PRAYER
Lord of light, you sent Christ into the world to reveal what light looks like and what it does. I confess that even though I'm drawn to his light I still worry about all the darkness in the world. There is a lot of pain and there are lots of evil people. Help me to step back, take a deep breath, and assess the situation so that I can once again see how light conquers death. Resurrection gets the final word in a world defined by light. Amen.

FAITHFUL LEADERSHIP

The Fourth Sunday in Eastertide

PSALM 48:14 (CEB)
“This is God,
     our God, forever and always!
He is the one who will lead us
     even to the very end.”

PHILIPPIANS 1:6 (MSG)
There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
God has a long-term commitment to lead us to the end of our journey.

PRAYER
God, you are the one who has gotten me up and moving. You've given me a new life through Christ Jesus. Forgive me for doubting that you're still with me -- that my circumstances are so overwhelming that I'm going to be derailed. Give me an encouraging word so that I can persevere and stand in glory on the day when Christ once again appears among us. Amen.

SIGHT

ISAIAH 42:6-7 (MSG)
I am GOD. I have called you... To make a start at bringing people into the open, into light: opening blind eyes, releasing prisoners from dungeons, emptying the dark prisons.

MARK 10:49 (CEB)
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him forward.”

They called the blind man, “Be encouraged! Get up! He’s calling you.”

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Jesus calls us out of the darkness.

PRAYER
Lord of the Light, sight is such a glorious gift -- whether it is physical sight, spiritual sight, or intellectual insight. You are Lord over it all. Forgive my indifference toward those who are blind. It shows that I'm still at least partially blind myself and in need of your full healing. I'm going to get up and moving, trusting that you will lead me with your light. Amen.