Let Your Light Shine

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  -Matthew 5:16

Natural Virtues

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him."  -Jeremiah 17:7

Memorable

"How many are your works, LORD!  In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures."  -Psalm 104:24

A Happy Heart

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit."  -Proverbs 15:13

God is With Us

"Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples."  -Psalm 117:1

Placed in the Light

"Then Jesus told them, 'You are going to have the light just a little while longer.  Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you.  Whoever walks in the dark knows not where they are going.  While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light'...."  

-John 12:35-36a

Treasure and Ponder

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."  -Luke 2:19

Hope**Joy**Peace

"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.'"  

-Luke 2:9-10

True Light

"The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world."  -John 1:9

Silent Night

"Jesus answered, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.'" -John 3:5

Let His Light Shine

"While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  

-John 9:5

Children are a Gift

"Children are a gift from the LORD, offspring a reward from him."  -Psalm 127:3

Cutting to the Quick

"I came not to send peace, but a sword."  -Matthew 10:34

Test of Loyalty

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." -Genesis 50:20

Lift Him Up

"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." -John 12:32

Wrestling Before God

"And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose."  -Romans 8:28

Approved Unto God

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, right dividing the word of truth."  -2 Timothy 2:15

Do Not Lose Heart

"Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."  -Galatians 6:9

Interceding

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail." -James 5:16

True Self

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three.  But the greatest of these is love."  -1 Corinthians 13:13

Washed

"How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"  -Hebrews 9:14

Restored

"The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down."  -Psalm 145:14

What is Your Life?

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."  -James 4:14

Joy of Salvation

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit."  Psalm 51:12

Sick in Bed

"....I was sick and you looked after me...." --Matthew 25:36

Determined Faith

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand."  -Daniel 3:17

Jesus Loves You

"Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which those hast given me in thy love for me before the foundation of the world."  -John 17:24

Hopeful Waiting

"As we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ."  -Titus 2:13

Door of Destitution

"Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous.  He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins."  - Romans 3:24 (NLT)

Blessed God

"We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious.......and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching that agrees with the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted."  -1 Timothy 1:9-11

No Limelight

"Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."  

-1 Corinthians 10:31

Imperfect

"God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  -Romans 5:8

Empathy

"Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."  -Hebrews 13:3

The Force

"He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth--the LORD God Almighty is his name."  -Amos 4:13

Knowing Better

"When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes."  -2 Kings 22:11

Me at 8

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

"Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end."  -Hebrews 12:2

Be Compassionate

"All of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble."  -1 Peter 3:8

Female Red-bellied Woodpecker

Heart's True Home

"My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?"  -John 14:2

You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You."  

-St. Augustine.

In today's Our Daily Bread David Roper uses his Westie as his illustration of how we, like them are "bred" to be tenacious in our search for something that satisfies.  A Westie's instinct is to chase after any small animal it sees.  It will follow badgers and other small animals into their burrows.  If they become stuck their tails are structured in such a way that their handler can pull them out of the hole by their tail without hurting them.

We humans will pursue any number of things in our attempt to have meaning.  Solomon, in Our Daily Bread's scripture today, tells us God has set eternity in our heart.  You could say we are "bred" to search for the infinite God.  And because of that our hearts are restless, like St. Augustine tells us, until we find rest in God.  Jesus told his followers he was leaving in order to prepare a place for them in God's house.  That is where our true home exists--with God.

I am grateful that I have a permanent home with God.

Giving Thanks

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name."  

-Psalm 100:4

Make a Joyful Noise

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music."  -Psalm 98:4

Falling to the Earth

"How foolish!  What you sow does not come to life unless it dies."  -1 Corinthians 15:36

Do I Love Jesus?

"Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.  These words are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me."  -John 14:24

Cleansed Conscience

"If we claim to be already free from sin, we lead ourselves astray and the truth has no place in our hearts."  -1 John 1:8

Hiding Game

"He said to me, 'Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol?  They say, 'The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.'" -Ezekiel 8:12

By Any Road

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have laid hold of it.  But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead."  -Philippians 3:13

In His Presence

"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, LORD."  -Psalm 89:15

Supplies All Your Needs

"And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."  -Philippians 4:19

Perseverance

"Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, 'If you are really serious about wanting to return to the LORD, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth.  Determine to obey only the LORD; then he will rescue you from the Philistines."  -1 Samuel 7:3

Grace of Giving

"See that you also excel in this grace of giving."  

-2 Corinthians 8:7

Whiter Than Snow

"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."  -Psalm 51:7

The Good Earth

"Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness,"  -Genesis 1:2-4