Good day dear friends.
We ask for prayer for our sister Billy Hardesty. She has the results of her biopsy and may face surgery soon. She will know by Friday the course her doctors want to take.
Pray today for our brother Jason Scull who is one of three finalists to do the LBJ sculpture for the university. We know that Jason would do a great job for Texas State.
We continue to study "This Little Light of Mine." Here is the study guide for today:
Thursday: Luke 1:67-80, in this Christmas story, a servant of the Lord makes a declaration about Jesus. Please read that passage and see what the servant had to say about Jesus being light. How is this still true for us today? Can we reflect or be the light as Jesus intended?
Here is that passage from NRSV:
67 And his father Zechari'ah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, 68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, 74 to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." 80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
To know and love Jesus is to walk in light. To seek to do His will is to seek to do the things of light. Before we knew Jesus we were the ones mentioned in verse 79. We sat "in darkness and in the shadow of death." We needed to be pulled out of there. We needed someone to guide "our feet into the way of peace." There is nothing that we need more than what Jesus offers to us. To know we are loved by God enough to receive mercy for our sinfulness and to know our path is well lit is awesome. To be walking in the way of peace is to walk with that assurance that we're covered by God and that makes for our lives to be peaceful.
Yesterday at our Rotary meeting, one of our members set up a Christmas tree, pulled out some gifts from the bags he had brought in, and one of the gifts was a beautiful ceramic musical Christmas tree that played some songs of the season. Yes, it's only October but it was meant to get the club thinking about our Christmas Gala and the good that comes from that fundraiser. But it got me thinking about Who Christmas is about, Jesus. Jesus makes everyday like Christmas. After all, God shared with us the greatest gift: He who would be born to lead us in the way of peace and pay with his own life the price that would lead us out of darkness and out of the shadow of death.
PRAYER: Come, Lord of light and life into my heart today. Let the feeling in my heart be that of Christmas. Thank you for all you do and will continue to do. Let my life reflect Your light to bring blessings to others. I pray in Your name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
