Today's Verse - Ephesians 5:8

You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light...

—Ephesians 5:8

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Our before and after: we were lost, now found; we were darkness, now light. This should be our journey of grace. "I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see," as the old hymn "Amazing Grace" has us sing. If we could only fully grasp what we so easily sing, then maybe our lives would be filled with more grace and our churches with more confident servants of God. Let's "live as children of light" (1 Thessalonians 5:5), transferred from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of God's love (Colossians 1:13-14), in whom we have light and life (John 1:4).

My Prayer...

LORD God Almighty, by your grace we know that we stand before you today, welcomed into your glorious presence and received as your beloved children. You have rescued us from the dominion of darkness and flooded our hearts with your glorious light. Thank you for rescuing us from all the traps of the darkness and bringing us into your light. Please guide our hearts and our feet so they will walk your path and show forth your light to those in darkness. Through Jesus and by his authority, we pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - James 3:13

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

—James 3:13

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

James promised that if we ask for wisdom in faith, God will grant it to us (James 1:5). This kind of wisdom, God-granted wisdom, reveals itself through a loving, humble lifestyle. In worldly cultures, someone who is smart can easily justify acting arrogantly. In the LORD's eyes, however, smart but arrogant people are worse than those who are silly and foolish. The pridefully intelligent people of our world are woefully ignorant if they are ignorant. True godly wisdom is not about flaunting knowledge, but about living a "good life"characterized by good deeds done with humility. Which more closely resembles you in your walk with Jesus: Wisdom expressed through good deeds and a humble lifestyle, or an arrogant intelligence expressed in deeds and words of superiority and arrogance?

My Prayer...

Loving Shepherd, I know you have always been a wise and loving Father to me. Help me share the care you have lavished on me with the person who needs it most, in my circle of influence, today. Please give me the wisdom to recognize each opportunity and respond with deeds and words shared with them in humility. Please protect me from arrogance and feelings of superiority and privilege. Please humble me gently in the ways that forge me into a more useful tool in your hands. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - 1 John 4:16

We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

—1 John 4:16

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

How do you know God is at home in your heart? It's an important question! You know when you are doing loving things to bless the lives of others, and your love reflects the Spirit-formed kind of love Paul defines in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; God is at home in your heart:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

When we consistently act in unloving ways, we show we really do not know God, no matter how much Bible we think we know!

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:7-8).

Just as we trust and rely on God's constant love for us, our brothers and sisters in Christ need us to show them our love consistently and steadfastly. Love is not only a sign that we have been born of God, but this kind of Spirit-led love is the glue that holds our fellowship together.

My Prayer...

Loving God and Almighty Father, please open my heart to see how Jesus has loved me. Please fill me with your Spirit so I can love my family, my friends, and those you place in my path with that kind of love. Please use my love for Jesus, for them, and for those around me to help them learn about Jesus and his love for them. In the name of my gracious Savior, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.