Psalms 19, 46, 50, 59, 60
Hebrews 4:1-10
John 3:16-21
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him, shall but perish but have eternal life. John
3:16
This is the verdict:
Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light
because their deeds were evil. John 3:19
John
3:16 is of course one of the most well known verses in the bible. What struck
me is that it is followed just a few verses later by John 3:19 that reminds us
that men loved darkness instead of light.
We
don't have to look far to see that men's deeds are indeed evil. Evil exists big
time in this world, and we can't prevent the awful consequences of it no matter
how armed or unarmed we are.
As
Christians we are called to spread the truth about Jesus Christ so that others
may know the truth and come into the light. But many of us prefer living by
example as we attempt to stay in the light more than in the darkness, and that
is good.
But
perhaps we are called to reach out more and say or do something when we see
family, friends or even strangers struggling with addictions and aggressive or
destructive behaviors. We can step in to help on our own or enlist the help of
the many organizations that are there to assist. And we can commit to daily
prayer for all those involved.
Let
us pray:
Lord,
show me how and when to reach out to those who are troubled. Let me be bold in
working to bring those in darkness into the light.
Amen.
Bernadette Ellis