As I was driving to prayer breakfast this morning, I came over a hill, and there before me was one of the most gorgeous pre-sunrises ever! It was a saturated orange-red at the horizon and faded into a pastel orange and blue in the sky with a little pink and yellow mixed in. I thought it was really cool when I read this verse after seeing that:
Prov. 4:18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
So, where else do you see "shin[ing] ever brighter until the full light of day" in Scripture? I'm glad you asked.
James 1:2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
Another pair of verses from Proverbs and James that I find interestingly coupled are:
Prov. 4:25 Look straight ahead,and fix your eyes on what lies before you.26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;stay on the safe path.27 Don't get sidetracked;keep your feet from following evil.
and
James 1:25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. ... 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
How do I practically apply this today in my life? First, I must be faithful to continue reading God's Word on a daily basis and meditating on it to allow Him to speak truth to me through the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit. Second, I must immediately implement/practice what I heard to make it truly learned. In principle, this is very simple; in practice, it is trench warfare in the mind. I need to be more conscious of what I am thinking and actively try to think about God more. I need to be careful to control what I look at - careful against sexual and material lust. In Luke 21, Jesus is describing the events preceding the end of the world, and He instructs us not to be "filled with the worries of this life." It is so easy to think about our immediate and present circumstance, but we must force ourselves to think about Christ and His Kingdom.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for this beautiful day, and thank you for your Word that guides and guides and guides. Lord, please give me wisdom because I really need it - I am ignorant and worn out. I need you to save me from my self. Lord, I want to do you will; I want you to accomplish your plan of salvation and renovation in my life. Lord, make me like the "gleam of the dawn" brightening to the "full light of day." I want to be like the sun - reflecting the Light of the Son. Lord, help me remember and practice these things today. I pray this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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