Page 20 - Living Light - A Message of Joy!

PRAYER FOR TODAY
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Wednesday December 20 - Worldly indifference The true light was coming... He was in the world, and though the world
was made through him, it did not recognise him... John 1:9-10
A musician stood in a busy New York subway and, for 45 minutes, played exquisite music by Bach. Thousands streamed by, but only 20 people dropped coins (amounting to £25) and six stopped to listen. Two days earlier, the world-renowned violinist Joshua Bell (who it was!) had performed on the same instrument, worth millions, before a packed-out audience paying £75 a ticket!
The Jews had waited expectantly for their Messiah for centuries. Salvation’s story was anticipated throughout Israel’s history, the Messiah’s coming foretold through the prophets. But many Jews failed to recognise him. The tragedy is that, to this day, so many people are so preoccupied or unbelieving that they fail to notice, or choose to ignore, the message of salvation – that Jesus came to save mankind. John’s words are filled with sorrow at how the human beings whom God had so lovingly created ‘did not recognise him’.
The heavenly music of Jesus, the ‘true light that gives light to everyone’, can so easily be unnoticed or rejected by any of us through our negligence, sinfulness and perhaps the pain and disappointment that cause us to disregard the God who longs to meet with us. We are drawn to other ‘lights’ that may dazzle but cannot satisfy. But the Father is always there waiting, despite the busyness of our lives, to welcome us back; to heal and bless us.
Holy Spirit, please enable us to recognise the wonder of your love and look to Jesus, who is our one true eternal light of hope. Amen.
Thursday December 21 - Children of God!
Yet to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God... John 1:12
My husband and I sponsor a four year old girl who lives in a desperately poor part of Haiti. We have her photo, give money each month and occasionally exchange basic correspondence – but our relationship, although helpful, is almost non-existent. Compare this to friends who travelled to a war-torn African country to adopt an abandoned baby. This little boy has a new life, as if he was born again – and something similar happens to anyone who confesses their sin, trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus to rescue them. That is an altogether different relationship from vaguely believing in God, knowing something about him but not knowing him as Father. Romans 8:15-17 (NLT) says ‘You received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father”... and since we are his children, we are his heirs together with Christ of God’s glory.’
The late Timothy Keller listed the following ‘seven breathtaking privileges of being a child of God’. Security: this parent-child relationship is unbreakable; Authority - we have the honour of the family name and all that goes with it; Intimacy - we may approach the Creator of the universe as our Father; Assurance - the Spirit gives us confidence that we belong; Inheritance - we are ‘joint-heirs’ with Christ; Discipline - he cares enough to correct and train us; and Family likeness - we actually come to resemble Jesus!
Father, thank you for adopting me into your family because Jesus has died for me. Help me to understand all the privileges this brings. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY