"Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." -- 1 John 3:18

Who was the first person to conceive of the notion that "actions speak louder than words"?  We know that it's been around for thousands of years now, but I continue to be baffled how as a species, we humans have great difficulty learning from the generations that have come before.  We live as though we were the first and the last, and we're definitely not the former, and probably not the latter.  We do quite well building upon technological advancements, but why are we so slow to grow on the moral side of it?  We're still babies it seems.  Remember, they will know we are Christians by our love.

Readings:  Daniel 11:2-35; 1 John 3:7-24; Psalm 122:1-9; Proverbs 29:1

"I lift my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." -- Psalm 121:1-2

Great Psalm then, a great psalm now:

Worship and enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzJH4YeqfuQ

Readings:  Daniel 9:1-11:1; 1 John 2:18-3:6; Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 28:27-28

"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness." -- 1 John 2:9

We talk a good talk when it comes to right and wrong, God and spirituality, and other lofty topics.  But then when life is real and in our face, we have no problem it seems speaking poorly of our fellow man. Look at the "news" we watch... consider the way we drive on the roads... listen to the gossip we support, even if its through our silence.

If we are going to bear the emblem of Christ, we must do so through showing God's love and grace to others as it was shown through Christ himself.  Otherwise, it's all just for show.  Let's be real.

Readings:  Daniel 8:1-27; 1 John 2:1-17; Psalm 120:1-7; Proverbs 28:25-26

"God is light, in him there is no darkness at all." -- 1 John 1:5

Language is a tricky thing.  In First John, we will find God defined in terms of essence.  Here is our first: God is Light.  It's not saying that God is like light, but God is light itself.  In verses to come, we will find that God is Spirit and Love as well.

When we consider the nature of God, we are considering a spiritual reality more than a physical one.  The physical reality we encounter in our lives comes from the Creator who transcends physical reality as we know it.  But the spiritual quality of who and what God is cannot be fully conveyed or even known through our limited human construct of language.  When explaining the fullness of God, we must find peace in perhaps the wisest three words we have in the English language: "I don't know".  For we use the best words we can, but they always fall short.  God is light is a good start though.

Readings:  Daniel 7:1-28; 1 John 1:1-10; Psalm 119:153-176; Proverbs 28:23-24

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." -- 1 John 1:8

"Oh no, not me... I don't claim to be without sin... we all have sin and we're all sinners..."

This is the claim I hear so often when it's said as a prelude to the point the person wishes to make about the wrongs committed by someone else.  It goes like this, "I'm not perfect, and I'm a sinner too, but..." and then they proceed to tell me all about the other person in a way that suggests they've put a lot of thought and study into that person and their behavior.  What could their life be like if they'd put that much effort into examining their own self?

Take the log out of your own eye before worrying about the speck in another's.

Readings:  Daniel 6:1-28; 2 Peter 3:1-18; Psalm 119:129-152; Proverbs 28:21-22 

"He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty." -- Proverbs 28:19

So few of us have land to work these days.  Our food comes from the store we go to in order to trade our hard-earned paper money for the goods that fuel us.  What would happen if there were no grocery stores from which to buy your food?  What if there were no cars to transport us?  How would we live?

While most don't have the resources to grow their own food, the act of gardening and growing has a powerful effect on one's well-being.  Today, you don't need acreage, but only a window or a grow light in order to grow food in your space.  It's an endeavor worthy of anyone's time.  If you don't grow anything, try doing so this season.  Even if it's mint in a small pot by a window, when you taste the mint you grew from seed, you will taste and be connected to God's miracle of creation and its wonder.

Readings:  Daniel 5:1-31; 2 Peter 2:1-22; Psalm 119:113-128; Proverbs 6:1-28

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." -- Psalm 119:105

Everyone has standards they live by.  Each person has limits to their behavior where self-regulation kicks in when those limits are reached.  While some may claim morality is relative, I say it's not.  Every major religion has different laws it abides by, but one is consistent across them all: "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  It is a universal moral law, and it is taught to us in Scriputre. 

In our scriptures, we have presented to us the laws of our faith.  These are the laws that govern and guide us as we maneuver through space and time while we are here.  These are what light our paths along the way.  When you feel as though you're losing your center, and things seem dark or murky, return to God's word, and get your footing again.  It's a gift from God that is to be used.

Readings:  Daniel 4:1-37; 2 Peter 1:1-21; Psalm 119:97-112; Proverbs 28:17-18