Opening Prayer: Lord, I am yours; I do yield myself up
entirely to you, and I believe that you do take me. I leave myself with you. Work in me all the good pleasure of your
will, and I will only lie still in your hands and trust you. Amen. (The Christian’s Secret of a
Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith)
Scripture: John 1:9-13
Journal: What is the relationship between recognizing,
receiving, believing, and becoming?
Which one of those best describes where you are right now? Which one is most difficult for you? Why?
Reflection:
Belief is such a huge factor in the process of
transformation. That’s why the word is
used so often in the scriptures—particularly in the gospel of John. John knew that until there was a significant
change of heart and mind, there would never be a significant change in
behavior. Belief, to him, was not
something that could be separated from life.
Unfortunately that doesn’t appear to be the case in our current culture. Through the years, we have cheapened the word
belief to the point where we can say we believe something, yet it has
absolutely no impact on the way we live our lives. Merely acknowledging something verbally,
however, is not belief at all. True
belief goes much deeper than that. (Becoming by Jim Branch)
Prayer
Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, Light of the world, help us to see
you and to recognize you in the midst of this day; that we might receive the
gifts of life and presence and love that you have to give us, and that we might
become the people you long for us to be—sons and daughter of the Lord Most
High. Amen.
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