John Shirk

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is to offer our heart to God.

When we talk of the heart in the spiritual sense, we are talking about the seat of our desire or ambition.

Isaiah 26:8 is a statement to the LORD, “Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.”

When this is our passion, God’s love is our greatest joy and God’s glory is our ultimate aim. The Gospel becomes our mission and worship becomes our way of life. Our faith in God and love for God find expression in our work, in our songs, in our words, and in the way we treat other people.

Offering our heart to God is a vital step to a radiant faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5SJyuNOvWj0yd6WnMHCRHZ?si=929272a925684dc7

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Psalm 30:11 and 12.

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever.”

We go through various seasons of our lives. There are seasons of brokenness, grief, pain, sickness, and sadness. That is part of the human experience. Believers in God and unbelievers face these kinds of challenges.

But God’s grace offers us light at the end of the tunnel. David wrote in Psalm 30, verse 5, “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”  That is similar to what Jesus told His disciples the night before He died. “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”  The disciples did rejoice when they saw the Lord after His resurrection.

This Light Reflection inspires us to praise God for the evidence of His grace 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 to offer our ears to God as an instrument of righteousness.

Having our ears open to God’s counsel is vital for building our faith, giving us direction, and gaining wisdom.

Offering our ears to God involves listening for God’s heartbeat-getting on board with what He loves and rejecting any activity that grieves His heart.

God wants us to listen for His voice, not just to edify ourselves, but also to share with others what we are learning from Him.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:27, “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.”  This is how we can be an influence for the Gospel today-by passing along what we have learned from the Lord.

Offering our ears to God 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 to offer our feet to God to share His good news.

Jesus told His disciples to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations.”

He has entrusted us with a message to share with the world. Through Jesus, the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

Some believers have traveled great distances to share this message overseas. Others have walked across the street to share this good news with their neighbors.

Isaiah 52:7 says, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” As we go in Jesus’ name, we get to proclaim Jesus as the good news of God’s peace plan.

Offering our feet to God for spreading the Gospel 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 First Timothy 1:13 and 14.

Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Do you ever feel insecure about being near a person because you think they are not safe? Christians had a good reason for not feeling safe with Paul before he came to Christ. When his name was Saul, he was a violent man who persecuted Christians for their faith. However, he became a follower of Christ when he saw the light of God’s mercy shining on him.

Paul’s testimony changed people’s perceptions about him. Instead of causing fear, his testimony was stirring praise for God. Through Jesus Christ, change is possible. When we follow Him, change is inevitable.

This Light Reflection inspires us to celebrate changed hearts by the grace of God in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Titus 3, verses 3 through 5.

“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

The love of God is a life-saver and life-changer for those who are receptive. His kindness leads us to make U-turns when we are going the wrong direction or need an attitude adjustment. This will make a difference in the quality of our relationships. In God’s grace, we come home to His peace and forgiveness. In God’s grace, we come home to godly contentment. That is where we learn that His plan for our lives is better than any plan we could have ever charted for ourselves.

This Light Reflection inspires us to respond favorably to the kindness and love of God 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 for guidance.

God has a plan for our lives, and that plan is good. Billy Graham once said that “the will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us”. God accomplishes His purposes through willing servants who say “yes” to His plan for their lives.

Proverbs 3:5 shows us how trust is the foundation that leads us into the path of God’s ways.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will direct your paths.”

Trusting God for guidance 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 18:27 and 28.

You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

David wrote this Psalm. He was full of faith and love for the Lord. He was writing this Psalm in a time of deliverance from his enemies. He was full of joy when he said about God, “He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.”

This is what we can learn from David’s experience.  If God is for me, who can be against me? Just as God worked in David’s bleak situation, so God brings light into our dark times. He may be the light of comfort in our distress, or the light of assurance in our fear. He may bring the light of wisdom in our confusion. His light is a force to help us face the giants in our lives.

This Light Reflection inspires us to cling to Jesus for the deliverance we need 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 to delight in the LORD.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

This is the starting place to a productive faith that is filled with meaning and purpose. As God plants His desires in our heart, we will be motivated to glorify Him with our ambitions, and serve people at their points of need.

Verse 5 says, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.”

Taking Delight in the LORD is a vital step to a radiant faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com