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 Wisdom from the Red Letters is found in Luke 5:10.
Jesus
said to Simon Peter, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.”
Peter
was a fisherman by trade, but one night he was coming up empty until Jesus told
him to put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch. The net was
so full of fish that it began to break.
Peter
was humbled by this event. He said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”
Whatever was happening in Peter’s spirit, he was seeing a big difference
between his own unworthiness and the holiness of Jesus. But the words of Jesus
were reassuring to Peter. Jesus was not there to condemn him, but rather, to
love him and give him a purpose that would bring many people to faith. At
Pentecost, after hearing Peter preaching, 3,000 people were added to the church
through conversion to Christ.
The words of Jesus inspire us to trust in His plan for our lives and to follow Him in the Year of Redemption.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Wisdom from the Red Letters in the Bible is found in Matthew 11:18 and 19.
Jesus made a comparison between Himself and John the Baptist in this way: “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and ‘sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”
You are
probably familiar with caricatures. They are pictures of people that exaggerate
distinct features of someone’s face. In a spiritual sense, critics exaggerated
the positive qualities of Jesus and John to try to make them look extreme and
ridiculous. But as Jesus pointed out, “Wisdom is proved right by her
actions.”
Jesus
and John did not carry out their ministries in the same way, but they were
definitely on the same team. John came to prepare the way for Jesus, and Jesus is
the way for us to have eternal life with Him.
The words of Jesus inspire us to embrace the wisdom of God’s plan to save us from sin in the Year of Redemption.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com