January 23
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“May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in your faith, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, your whole life and outlook may be radiant with hope.” (Romans 15:13, Phillips New Testament)

Is your whole life and outlook radiant with hope?
Our Lord, through Paul, sets forth this worthy goal for us with full confidence that it is, with the help of the Holy Spirit, eminently achievable.  Yes, we can shine for Him — everywhere, and in every circumstance.  As followers of Christ, dare we deny our Lord the opportunity to illuminate every dark corner of this world through us?  – Luther

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January 22
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“But Moses said, ‘Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.’” (Exodus 4:13, NIV)

If we react to a divine invitation as Moses did (delaying, deferring and demurring), we are telling God that we know better than He what is needed for the job at hand.

We could argue that Moses was the best choice: He knew both the ways of the wilderness and the ways of the Pharoahs.  We could argue that Moses was not the best choice: He lacked confidence and could be thin-skinned in the face of criticism. No matter.

What does matter is that when God invites you and me to come-along side in partnership, He has selected the best woman or the best man for the job! This does not mean that we are perfect. It does mean that if we are obedient, we will be perfectly aligned with the plan and the purposes of our Creator. That is an invitation we should always accept.  – Luther

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January 21
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“‘Why are you sleeping?’ he asked them. ’Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.’” (Luke 22: 46, NIV)
 
The most compelling temptation is not the urge to do something that is wrong, but it is the urge to do something that is good but falls far short of excellent.  It is the urge to settle for the near-term tactical advantage at the expense of the strategic victory.
Sleeping is not a bad thing.  It is while we sleep that our bodies repair, refresh and regenerate.  However, in today’s scripture verse, something was happening that called for a response from the disciples that sleeping could never deliver.
To choose to pray is to aspire to see the world as God sees the world.  In prayer, we avoid temptations to settle for anything less than God’s will in the challenges we confront each day.  – Luther
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