The Weekly Word: Align & Shine
The weekly verse
“Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.”
Daniel 12:3 (NLT)
the weekly question
How did you love?
When the stakes seem big, when there is attention to be had, and when there is credit to be earned, there’s no shortage of people who are willing to “make a difference” in those moments. But what about all the other moments that make up the time in between? What value exists in the matters of life that are often deemed small, insignificant, or completely off-the-radar? According to Jesus, many of life’s “trivial” moments have value now & for all eternity.
The Kingdom of God is built on a humble standard of right-doing, whose measurements are completely different (and opposed) to the proud scales of human opinion. God’s righteousness doesn’t pander to a crowd, nor does it ebb & flow with the trends of the day. But rather, Jesus’ Kingdom rests on the simple acts of obedient love that are demonstrated as a result of our relationship with His Spirit.
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’
Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.”
Jesus (Matthew 25:34-40, BSB)
the weekly Consideration
As we press into our relationship with The Lord, and seek to know Him as He is, we begin to see a more complete picture of God’s character. We see that He’s not only full of love, grace, and mercy, but also truth, justice, and righteousness.
Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we mature through moments of tension that arise when we’re challenged by perceived “contradictions” concerning God. By humbly immersing ourselves in Jesus’ Presence & the Truth of His Word, we renew our understanding of how pure & perfect He truly is.
We come to recognize God as the Source of every good thing in our life, and regardless of circumstance, we know the goodness of His character remains unchanging (James 1:17). And as we submit ourselves as living sacrifices (like Jesus), we find that true fulfillment is only found in The Father.
“Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”
Jesus (John 17:17-19, 21, NLT)
the weekly challenge
“If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength! Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?”
Proverbs 24:10-12 (BSB)
In the world we live in, there are many things that fall outside the radius of our control. But just because we can’t fix everything doesn’t mean we’re exempt from doing anything. If we turn a blind eye toward the wellbeing of others, we will lose ourselves in this spiritual fight. If God’s love & care for us doesn’t move us to minister on His behalf, we’ll be judged for refusing to shine Jesus’ Light.
It’s not easy to incur the costs & bear the burden that comes from investing in others, but God expects us to. It’s not easy to take our eyes off ourselves & to set them on Christ, but God expects us to. There’s nothing easy about going against the grain of a broken world, but The Lord promises to empower those of us who step out in the faith He’s called us to.
“.. Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.”
Isaiah 58:9-12 (NLT)
we pray this week’s edition of “the weekly word” blesses you & the lives of those around you!
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