Today's Readings: New Testament -
Matthew 2:13-23
1 Timothy 3:1-10
Old Testament -
Proverbs 4
Ezra 6
Click on Text Links to Read Online
Focus Verses: Proverbs 4:18-19
18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. 19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.
Insight:
The more a person walks in the light of God's wisdom, the more he is able to see. As the light increases, the clearer things become. As the sun of wisdom rises higher into the sky of a person's life, the right paths to walk become easier to find and follow.
Darkness, on the other hand, leads to deeper darkness. The longer the sun of truth sinks below the horizon, the darker the night becomes, and the harder it becomes to see anything at all. The tighter people close their eyes, the more hopeless and futile their journey becomes.
Response & Action:
I am encouraged by the idea that knowledge leads to more knowledge. I'm inspired by the promise that living in the light of wisdom will result in greater light and wisdom. I want to grow in truth and understanding every day.
I will seek God's wisdom through study, knowing that as I learn and grow, I will get increasingly more out of the things I am studying. I will explore and consider things that stretch my mind. I will seek out meaningful conversations with others, trusting that deep questions and discussions will lead me to deeper understanding. I will humble myself before God through prayer, worship, and obedience, believing that the more I see the light of Christ, the more clearly I will see everything else by that light.
O God, guide my steps in the light of your truth. Help me to walk in the light as Christ is in the light. Make your wisdom to shine brighter and brighter each day I live. Help me to see the light and to see by the light. Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Be thou my best Thought, by day or by night--waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Luke 8:16-18
16 "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."
Resources:
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God
Dallas Willard
