JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Matthew 7:24 and 25.

As Jesus was concluding His sermon on the mount, He said, “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

The words that Jesus spoke in the Sermon on the Mount are vitally important for our lives. They are a light to guide our way forward in the wisdom of God. They will put our faith on a firm foundation that is strong enough to withstand the storms of life, so that our faith is not shaken.

Take time to digest the words of Jesus in Matthew chapters 5 to 7, and then, discover the wisdom of putting them into practice.

This Light Reflection inspires us to build a strong foundation on the words of Jesus in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is trusting God’s unfailing love.

In Psalm 52:8 and 9, David wrote, “I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in your unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.”

In this Psalm, David highlights the difference between a boastful man and a worshipper of God. The boastful man trusts in his great wealth, and grows strong by destroying others. But this is not the way of the person who flourishes in the house of God. The worshipper trusts in God’s unfailing love and lifts up His name in the assembly of the saints.

Trusting in God’s unfailing love is a vital step to a radiant faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Jeremiah 15:16.

The Prophet Jeremiah said to the LORD, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty.”

Our attitude toward someone will greatly affect how we receive their words. If we are skeptical, we will respond with resistance. If we respect them, we will be receptive to what they have to say.

Jeremiah loved the Lord, and received His words with great joy and delight.  This is how God’s Word can affect our day today as we open the Bible to the words of life. They can guide us to a better understanding of who Jesus is so that we might be better prepared to follow Him with a faithful heart. They offer hope and encouragement for our faith. They remind us of a God who loved us so much that He sent Jesus into the world to save us from our sins.

This Light Reflection inspires us to take great joy and delight in God’s Word in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is peacemaking.

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

God’s love is so strong that it can be a force to turn enemies into friends. That is what happened at the cross when Jesus died for sinners. We were in hostility against God, and our sin was the expression of that hostility. However, His love draws us to His saving grace and turns us from foe to friend when we yield to His love.

We also become ambassadors for Christ to share a message of grace and peace through Jesus. This good news has the power to persuade people to follow Jesus and build healthy relationships between people. James 3:18 says, “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”

Peacemaking is a vital step to a radiant faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is a Pure Heart.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

This beatitude has to do with living for God with pure devotion and pure motives. If we want to live in the light, then the way forward is to fix our eyes on Jesus and protect our heart from all kinds of corruption.

The starting place for a pure heart is reverence for God. Job was commended as a man who was blameless and upright. He feared God and shunned evil. In light of all that God has done for us, it is fitting for us to respond with gratitude and offer ourselves to Him with complete devotion.

Second Corinthians 7:1 urges us to “purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”

A pure heart is a vital step to a radiant faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Psalm 119, verses 9 to 11.

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

God’s Word is a light to help us overcome temptation. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus responded by reciting God’s Word, and did not give in to the devil.

Taking God’s word to heart will affect the desires of our heart so that we do not want to grieve God’s heart. Our delight will be in the Lord and our fellowship with Him will take top priority in our lives.

James 4:7 urges us to submit ourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from us. Come near to God, and He will come near to us.

This Light Reflection inspires us to guard our heart from temptation by the power of God’s Word in the Year To Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Second Peter 1:19 to 21.

“We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Bible prophecy is a light to bring us hope in a world darkened by sin. The prophets were moved by God to utter revelations of things yet to come, and to speak truth to the people of their time. The message of prophecy can be compared to a list of God’s promises. Just as Jesus fulfilled many prophecies about Him at His first appearance, so He will fulfill more prophecies when He returns. God is faithful to His Word.

This Light Reflection inspires us to trust in God’s promises in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is Mercy.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said in Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.”

Mercy can be shown in different forms. Both expressions are life-giving in our relationships. One way to express mercy is to reach out with a helping hand to someone in distress. The Good Samaritan extended this kind of mercy to a man that was badly beaten by robbers. He attended to his needs and helped him get back on his feet.

Another way to express mercy is to forgive someone who has wronged us. Jesus equated mercy with forgiveness in one of His parables. Ephesians 4:32 encourages us to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

The demonstration of mercy is a powerful way to represent Christ and to refresh others with hope and encouragement.

Mercy is a vital step to a radiant faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Second Timothy 3:16 and 17.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

God’s Word is a light to build our character and prepare us to live out God’s calling. In the Kingdom of God, character matters. God’s Word is reliable for describing what God is like and what He treasures. As we see our lives in light of God’s will, we have opportunity to make changes in our lives so that we might more accurately reflect His image.

God’s Word also points us to the example of Jesus as the ultimate standard. He did not commit any sin, never compromised the truth, and always lived a life of love and purity. The closer we move toward Him, the more likely that we will reflect His character.

This Light Reflection inspires us to turn to God’s Word for spiritual training and growth in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com