JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Psalm 119, verse 130.

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

The Bible is a light that leads us to a greater understanding of Jesus. The eyes of our heart become open to the truth in Scripture and help us to gain insight into the Kingdom of heaven.  The Bible addresses the basic soul-searching questions of life. Where did I come from? Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? What is God’s plan for my life in the future?

These basic questions are clarified in the light of who Jesus is and what He has done for us at the cross and empty grave.

This Light Reflection inspires us to read the Bible for greater understanding of who Jesus is 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 pursuing our God-given purpose.

In Jeremiah 1:5, the LORD said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah responded by pointing out the ways he was inadequate for the task. He said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

We might raise objections too, but God’s wisdom is greater than ours, and we can trust His wisdom. Eventually, Jeremiah accepted His call.

Our specific calling might not be like Jeremiah’s calling, but our God-given purpose is to follow Jesus and to be a light that reflects His goodness and glory. In the course of time, God will show us His plan and prepare the way for us to shine for Him.

Pursuing our God-given purpose 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 John 17:17.

Jesus prayed for His disciples this way, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

Lies deceive us and take us away from the joy of following Jesus. Truth, however, is like a reliable compass, pointing out God’s standards, and giving us direction in the light of God’s will. The words of Jesus accurately reflect the will of God. If we are guided by the words of truth, we will be sanctified. That means we will be set apart by God for a useful purpose that brings glory to His name. We will grow in God’s grace and in godly character, so that our lives yield the fruitful qualities of love, joy, peace, and patience.

Jesus said in John 18:37, “The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

This Light Reflection inspires us to be sanctified by the truth of God’s Word in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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