John Shirk

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Psalm 63:6 and 7.

“On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.”

In the stillness of the night, our soul can be encouraged by the thought of God’s love and faithfulness. Someone has said that if we are having trouble sleeping, don’t count sheep. Rather, talk to the Good Shepherd.

His name is Jesus, and He can use the quiet moments of our lives to draw us to prayer, fill us with peace, and stir us to praise.

Psalm 149 tells us that the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.

This Light Reflection inspires us to rest in God’s love for us through the watches of the night 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 guard our heart.

There is much wisdom in protecting our heart from influences that corrupt our character and compromise our faith in the LORD.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Then, it gets more specific. “Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”

If we have failed to guard our heart, there is good news. Through Jesus, the corrupted heart can be made clean again as we step into the light of confession. Then, apply the shield of faith for our current and future spiritual battles.

Guarding our heart 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 compassion.

One of the familiar stories that Jesus told is about the Good Samaritan, who saw someone in a desperate situation, and was moved by compassion to help him.

The man was attacked by robbers and was wounded. Other religious leaders saw the same thing as the Samaritan but did nothing about it. When the Samaritan came to the scene, he bandaged the wounds of the injured man, put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he would take care of his needs. He paid for the man’s expenses.

It is not uncommon for the expression of compassion to come at a personal cost to the giver, but it also comes to a great benefit to the person who receives the care. Compassion is the way of love that meets vital needs and reflects the heart of Jesus.

Compassion 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, verse 59.

“I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes.”

When we consider our ways and compare them to God’s statutes, we have the opportunity to assess more thoroughly whether we are going forward in the will of God. The statutes of God are rules for living found in the Bible. They are given to us to guide us in His will.

If we think that God’s laws are designed to ruin our fun and make us miserable, we are not trusting in God’s plan to be good for us.

But God’s Word declares that His plan for our lives is good. In Isaiah 48:17, the LORD declares that He teaches what is best for you, and directs you in the way you should go.

This Light Reflection inspires us to consider our ways and turn our steps to God’s statutes in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Luke 18:9 to 14.

Jesus told this story to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else.

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

Jesus said, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

This Light Reflection inspires us to confess our need for God’s mercy 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 God’s Word.

Psalm 119 is considered the longest chapter of the Bible. It is filled with references to God’s Word in almost every one of the 176 verses.

In verses 127 and 128, the writer says, “Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.”

Our attitude toward God’s Word has a strong impact on the direction of our lives. If God’s Word is a treasure to our heart that outweighs the value of gold, then we are going to heed God’s Word carefully to live it out. God’s Word has value for guiding us in the pathway that leads to a thriving faith and true freedom.

Jesus said that if we hold to the teachings of Jesus, we are really His disciples. Then we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free.

Delighting in God’s Word 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 – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is to acknowledge God’s gracious hand.

In Deuteronomy 8, Moses told the Israelites to remember God’s blessings with a grateful heart when they entered the Promised Land.

Verse 10 says, “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands.”

Moses went on to say that if they did not praise the LORD for His blessings, their heart would become proud and they would forget God.

James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from God. In the ways that we have been blessed by God, those are opportunities to thank Him and praise Him.

Acknowledging God’s gracious hand 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 Chronicles 16:9.

“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

God sees the condition of our heart, whether or not we are loyal to Him and living for His glory. He does not probe our heart to accuse us or condemn us. He will sometimes show us things about ourselves that are not aligned properly to Him. He will convict us of our sin so that we change course and walk in obedience to His Word.

He seeks to strengthen our faith in Him with words of truth and grace. Those words lead us to Jesus for the forgiveness that we need and the hope to endure day after day.

This Light Reflection inspires us to be fully committed to 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 to embrace the teachings of Jesus.

Jesus said in John 8:31, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

One definition of freedom is “the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.”

Jesus said that “everyone who sins is a slave to sin, so if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Jesus brings true and lasting freedom by His grace and truth. There is freedom from the guilt of the past, freedom from the control of sin in the present, and freedom from condemnation in the future.  We are set free by Jesus to live, thrive, and love others as He loves us.

Embracing the teachings of Jesus is a Vital Step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com