August 19, 2022 8:00 pm
Under the night sky in the spring of 2020, surfers rode bioluminescent waves along the coast of San Diego. These lightshows were caused by microscopic organisms called phytoplankton, a name derived from a Greek word meaning “wanderer” or “drifter.” During the day, the living organisms create red tides and capture sunlight that converts into chemical energy. When disturbed in the darkness, they produce an electric blue light.
Believers in Jesus are citizens of heaven who, much like the red-tide algae, live like wanderers or drifters on earth. When difficult circumstances disturb our well-laid plans, the Holy Spirit empowers us to respond like Jesus—the Light of the world—so we can reflect His radiant character in the darkness. According to Paul, nothing is more valuable than our intimacy with Christ and the righteousness that comes through our faith in Him (Philippians 3:8–9). His life proved that knowing Jesus and the power of His resurrection changes us, impacting the way we live and the way we respond when trials disrupt our lives (vv. 10–16).
When we spend time with God’s Son daily, the Holy Spirit equips us with the truth we need—enabling us to face every challenge on this earth in ways that reflect Christ’s character (vv. 17–21). We can be beacons of God’s love and hope, cutting through the darkness until the day He calls us home or comes again.
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Hello, my name is Xochitl Dixon. In today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread, I share a story that surprised and inspired me in Radiant Drifters. Under the night sky in the spring of 2020, surfers rode bioluminescent waves along the coast of San Diego. These light shows were caused by microscopic organisms called phytoplankton, a name derived from a Greek word meaning wanderer or drifter. During the day, the living organisms create red tides and capture sunlight that converts into chemical energy.
When disturbed in the darkness, they produce an electric blue light. Believers in Jesus are citizens of heaven who, much like the red tide algae, live like wanderers or drifters on earth. When difficult circumstances disturb our well-laid plans, the Holy Spirit empowers us to respond like Jesus, the light of the world, so we can reflect His radiant character in the darkness. According to Paul the Apostle, nothing is more valuable than our intimacy with Christ and the righteousness that comes through our faith in Him. His life proved that knowing Jesus and the power of His resurrection changes us, impacting the way we live and the way we respond when trials disrupt our lives. When we spend time with God's Son daily, the Holy Spirit equips us with the truth we need, enabling us to face every challenge on this earth in ways that reflect Christ's character. We can be beacons of God's love and hope, cutting through the darkness until the day He calls us home or comes again.
Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Philippians chapter 3 verses 10 to 21. I want to know Christ, yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death and so somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it, but one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
All of us then who are mature should take such a view of things and if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For as I have often told you before and now tell you again, even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction. Their God is their stomach and their glory is in their shame.
Their mind is set on earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Let's pray. Mighty and merciful Jesus, when difficult circumstances threaten to disturb our lives, please shine through us as we point others to the hope we've secured in you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-03-08 07:51:56 / 2023-03-08 07:53:47 / 2