Mark 9:33-37
What were you discussing on the road? Which one of us is the greatest. Whoever embraces one of these little ones embraces me, and even more, embraces God who sent me. Lord, help me keep my focus on you and off of me and my petty quarrels, even if they are only internal to me.
Matthew 4:12-17
Arrest of John the Baptist. Jesus picks up where John left off: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here."
Matthew 5:14-16
"You are here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this...on a lamp stand. Shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up to God..." Need to keep that last part in mind, especially as I prepare messages and things.
Isaiah 9:1-3
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows--light! Sunbursts of light!"
May we be lightbearers, even in the spirit of Romans 13, awake to what God is doing in and among us.
1 Chronicles 5-6
The family of Reuben. And Gad. And Levi. David's worship leaders.
From Gburg daily:
Micah 7:1-20
Wow. V. 1-6 could apply to these times...But I'm not giving up. I'm going to wait and see what God will do. God will listen to me, and God will make things right. Down but not out. Dark, but God is my light. I can take God's punishing rage--I know God is on my side. ...You (God) don't nurse your anger and don't stay angry long, for mercy is your specialty. That's what you love most. And compassion is on its way to us. You'll stamp out our wrongdoing. You'll sink our sins to the bottom of the ocean. You'll continue to show us the compassion you showed Abraham. Micah's name means, "Who is like the Lord?" Those like the Lord will be full of mercy, not anger; compassionate, not condemning; forgiving sin to the point of forgetfulness. No known gods of that, or any other day, were/are like that. How great is our God!
Psalm 30:1-12
I give you all the credit, God--you got me out of that mess...I yelled for help and you put me together...you gave me another chance at life when I was down & out. Sing your hearts out to God! Thank God to his face. He gets angry once in a while, but across a lifetime, there is only love.
When I thought I had done it and could keep doing it from myself, and I took my eye off of God, God looked the other way and I fell apart. I called out, and you came, despite my fallen pride and self-centeredness. You changed my lament into dancing, took off my mourning band and clothed me with wildflowers. I can't keep quiet about God. I can't thank God enough.
A person praying joy, the result of something God is doing or has done. Joy is what we experience when God takes over our lives, when our self-sufficiency gives out and God's all-sufficiency takes over. The experience of joy is derivative. It doesn't come from us; it comes to us. It isn't something we do; it's something God does...so we give God all the credit.
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