When I was in the navy, one of my watch stations was to search for ships on the horizon. On a clear and calm day, this was a difficult task, because the reflection of the sun off the water made it very difficult to see. The same problem occurs when the sun reflects off snow. We usually call this snow blindness, because our vision is impaired by the intensity of the reflection. In both cases, neither the sea nor the snow is a light source. They are merely materials which reflect light.

In today's Matthew passage, Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world, but we are also told in John 1:9 that Jesus is "the true light that gives light to every man" (NIV). We are not innately the light of the world because we are sinners. All we can do, because of the washing away of our sins by Jesus' sacrifice, is to reflect the true light in this world. The reflection of this light should be so strong that others around us can do nothing else but notice it.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we pray that You would help us and guide us so that we may be blazing reflections of Your light in this world. Amen.

One sport that I enjoy playing a great deal is tennis. I have been playing for about fourteen years now, and I enjoy the game more and more with each passing year. As the years go by, I would like to think that my game has improved. While I am not as fast as I once was, I believe that my hitting has gotten better, because I have learned that you must keep your eye on the ball. You cannot watch your opponent or the court. You must watch the ball all the way, if you want to hit well. There are still times when I do not watch the ball, but then, one of a few things usually happens: (1) I hit the ball into the net; (2) I hit the ball out of bounds; or (3) I hit the ball out of the court area.

The scripture for today has always been one of those verses that has been thought-provoking to me. I have struggled somewhat with the phrase "deny himself". What does this mean for us? I have come to learn that one perspective on this phrase means "focus". We are to be focused on Christ and not on ourselves, our desires, or wants. By not focusing on those desires, we do deny ourselves. Our focus is to remain on what Christ has done for us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we give you thanks and praise for what your Son has done for us. May we never lose our focus on that sacrifice and what it means to us. May you give us strength and guidance to deny ourselves and live our lives for you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

One thing that really gets me going is to buy something, get it home, and find out that it does not work. After spending money on something, I want it to work. I want to be able to pull it out of its box, plug it in, and operate it. We do have some protection, because many items today have warranties with them. The manufacturers are saying that this item will work, or else they will repair it or replace it. We especially see this with high-priced items, like cars. We do not want to spend a lot of money and find out that the vehicle does not work, so we have warranties in place to guarantee to us that the product will work.

Do we have any guarantees from God? Reading today's scripture, we see that the Holy Spirit is God's guarantee or promise of eternal life for those who believe. We know this because of the empty tomb. God raised Christ. He accepted his sacrifice for our sins, and, with the same Spirit that raised Christ, we will have eternal life.

Romans 8:11 – And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (NIV)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we give thanks and praise to you that you do not leave us in doubt. With the empty tomb, we know that you are faithful to those who believe in you. The same Spirit that raised Christ will also be in us and will give us eternal life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

I hate waiting in line. Get me in a long line and I am not a happy camper. You can bet that whatever line I am in will go slowly. I am one of those people who can always choose the slowest moving line anywhere, or so it seems. If you see me at a store, do not get in line behind me because you can bet that line will not move very quickly. So, not only will you be stuck in a line, you will be there with me, a person who cannot stand to wait.

Jesus tells us to wait. His return is at an unknown time. Now this is not a trick of God's, nor is it to get at me by making me wait. God's return is delayed so more people will have an opportunity to know Christ. Also, before his return, we as Christians have an opportunity to live out our lives for his glory.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we pray that you would give us comfort in our lives, that we may have a patient heart, and that we may live our lives for your glory today. In Jesus' name. Amen.

I have always been a neat person. I like things to be put in their place. If you want to spin me up, then mess up a room. When I get home from work, I like to sit down and just relax, but usually the living room looks like a tornado has gone through it. The first thing I usually do is to lose my temper and become upset that things are not put away. I look around for the one who made the mess, and I see a two-foot little girl who has been playing. Then I realize that instead of becoming angry, I should just be thankful that I have a healthy, beautiful girl.

It is sometimes easier to be angry with God than it is to give him thanks. We can always give God thanks that he gave his only Son to die in our place. He did not see it as too high a price to pay for us. He loves us and always watches over us. It is because of his gift of salvation that we should always give thanks to him, no matter what may be going on in our lives. We can always look to God and be thankful.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we pray that you would give us a heart of thanksgiving, so that no matter what our situation is, we may not forget what you have done for us. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Last summer I decided to clean out my workshed. As I was going through the shed, I found a big box of old phonograph records. I thought that, since I do not have a record player, these records were not doing me much good. The next day I took the box of records to the dump. I left them in an area that if someone wanted them they could take them. The next day my wife and I went to a yard sale, and, lo and behold, there for sale was the box of records I had thrown out.

What I regarded as junk, someone else saw as materials they could use. As I think about Luke 16:19-31, I ask myself if I am using the gifts and blessings God has given to me for his glory, or if I am throwing them away. Do I ignore my neighbour and live only for myself, or do I use what has been given to me? Our salvation is the most precious gift we can ever receive. How we live our lives reflects how precious it is.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we pray that we will not throw aside the gifts you give us, but that you will empower us to use these gifts to further your kingdom. In Jesus' name. Amen.

One of the scariest things I have ever done is to buy a house. The reason I say it was scary is on account of the cost that was incurred. When I signed the loan, I felt a very heavy burden placed upon my shoulders. It was a loan in an amount that will take some time to pay off. One hopes nothing will happen, but one never knows what may come down the road. So as long as this loan is hanging over my head, I do worry some about it.

The debt of sin will crush us. Unlike my mortgage, which I hope to pay off, there is nothing I can do to pay off my debt of sin. It is only through the work of God's grace that I can be relieved of this debt. When the words, "You are forgiven", come, a debt, which we could never repay, is lifted from us. With this debt lifted, there is a sense of peace and comfort, which can only come from the love of God.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we give thanks and praise to you for loving us so much that you gave your only Son to pay our debt of sin. With our debt forgiven may we live lives worthy of your glory. In Jesus' name. Amen.