Before you begin today’s reading and reflection, take a few minutes to create or find a “sacred space”. If you’re in your room, make yourself a small space with as few distractions as possible. Put aside any books, music, magazines; turn off your phone; get away from your email/facebook; turn off your music; etc.

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

 

¹ Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. ³ For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. ⁴ For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. ⁵ Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

⁶ This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. ⁷ For there are three that testify: ⁸ the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. ⁹ If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. ¹⁰ Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. ¹¹ And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.¹² Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

 

Reflection

1. Chapter at a Glance: John writes of faith in Christ, loving God, and overcoming the world.  He then reviews God’s witness that gives us certainty regarding eternal life in Christ, and concludes with teaching on prayer and the sure knowledge found in the Son of God.
2. It’s easy to say “I love God,” but genuine love reflects God’s love. If we belong to God, then we will love each other regardless of how hard love is. And because our love for God, we will obey His commandments.
3. Children cannot see what their parents ask them to obey comes out of their love for them.  They need to exercise their love for and trust in their parents in order to obey.  Ideally, as children obey, they will come to see the goodness and rightness in what parents ask.  And their love for their parents and their willingness to obey will both grow. The same is true for us with God.  God’s commandments are actually the way to freedom for us rather than a restriction of freedom. Therefore obedience is not oppressive, but is the very way to victory over all that is dark and crushing in the world.
4. What spiritual battles are you facing? What evidence of victory over the world do you see in your life? Take time to thank God for his son, and for the victory and eternal life you have in Him.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the  “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

Proverbs for Today 29:21-24

21 Whoever pampers his servant from childhood
    will in the end find him his heir.
22 A man of wrath stirs up strife,
    and one given to anger causes much transgression.
23 One’s pride will bring him low,
    but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
24 The partner of a thief hates his own life;
    he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.