FROM TODAY'S READING...
"...as believers who are indwelt by Christ we have the inner potential to shine for him. In fact, Christ calls us to do so. However, as we go through life, the sheen gets dulled by the road film we accumulate from our self-centeredness, unconfessed sin, and worldly accretions. And chief among God’s ways of bringing out the shine is the buffing function of trials, which cause us to see ourselves for what we are and then cause us to confess our sins and turn to him. The result, of course, is a renewed, buffed-out luster that shines with the character of Christ. The abiding truth is that for every believer, the frictions of adversity are used to polish the soul."
R. Kent Hughes
Pastor and author
Psalms 119:67, 71 (NLT) I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word...My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.
Matthew 5:15-16 (NLT) No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
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