When Jesus spoke to them again. “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”  (John 8:12)
 
Have you ever tried to find a black cat in the dark or try and not step on a black cat in the dark. It can be difficult since the cat blends into the surrounding. You must be careful with every step not to accidentally step on the cat. The best way to ensure the cat’s safety is turn on a little light. You could use a bell to hear where the cat is at however, if the cat is sneaky the bell might not ring and instead you might still step on the cat. To avoid stepping on the cat using some light in the darkness helps you find the cat.

Light is the best way to see the cat in the darkness. There are two types of light we perceive physical light such as light that used in a flashlight, lamp, or even lights that we use in a building. Another type of light is the Light of Truth. The Light of Truth is the light of God’s word. Jesus promises us a transformative light to each of us. This light does not only dispel darkness but, is the light of life that changes our existence. Jesus can shine light of truth into hearts and the consciences of everyone who believes in him. Jesus is the exclusive source of spiritual light. There is no other source of spiritual truth available. 

Physical light is necessary for the world. The world would change if there was no physical light. Plants would have a hard time growing if there were no light sunflowers throughout the day turn to face the light. Spiritual light is necessary for transformative change from stopping doing what is harmful to doing what is virtuous from leaving a life of addiction to a life of connection which first starts with Jesus. Following Jesus means not living in darkness and reflecting the light of Jesus to others. The light is evident by the good deeds that people do in the world taking care of the sick, taking care of the environment, and caring for friends.
 
Heavenly Father, help us to shine the light of Jesus throughout my day.
 
Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins

“And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple assuredly I say to you he shall by no means lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:42)
 
Water is one essential item we cannot live without. Our bodies are made up of water. On a hot day we might even say “that we might die if we do not get any water.” It quenches the thirst and satisfies us. Some people prefer flavored water with a lemon or even mint. Online you can find several different videos on how to make water. It is necessary to drink water even if we do not like the taste of water since it nourishes us and gives us exactly what we need.

There is scene of a movie that after the main character tastes certain water he states, “that is some high-quality H2O.” He even had special water that was from a glacier in Alaska that was blessed by an Eskimo medicine man. The water was cold and always remained cold. It never got warm it stayed cold no matter what. There is water that is even better than this, but it only comes from Jesus.

Water quenches our thirst for a moment, but Jesus gives us something even better he gives us living water. This water not only nourishes us for our bodily needs but also for our spiritual needs it never runs out but continues to fulfill us. We obtain living water by believing in Jesus. Jesus can meet our physical needs when we pray to him our spiritual needs are also meet. Our spiritual needs can be different at various points of our lives this could include the need for reconciliation, forgiveness, healing, and even division within the family. God cares not only about your physical needs but your spiritual needs.

​Not only does Jesus give us spiritual water he has empowered us to share the news of Jesus with those who have not heard of Jesus. When we share the gospel of Jesus to others we give others a cup of living water. We share the love and hope of Jesus. There are several ways we can share the gospel with others we can invite them to church, pray for one another, and even spend time with them.
 
Lord, we thank you for living water may you continue to refresh us.
 
Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins

“Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8)
 
Many people go to college and get thousands of dollars in student loans to pay for their education. Having to take years to pay off the loan from borrowing money for their education. People end up owing money from the people they borrowed money from for decades. This debt can feel daunting since it can take a long time to pay down. There are other debts other people get personal loans, mortgages, credit cards, and even car loans. Owing people for many years. At some point these debts will be paid and we will not owe them anymore one debt that always remains is love.

Love should be our only ongoing debt. Love never ends it is as Buzz Lightyear says “To infinity and beyond” our love should go to infinity and beyond. There is no stopping love. It is not a one-time event but rather continuous. It does not depend on time, person, or even condition. This debt is continual and universal for we owe love to everyone it is not to a specific person, for a certain amount of time it applies to everyone. We are to love all. We can love all because God loved us first and his love knows no bounds. He loves no matter where we are in life. We know he loves us for he sent his son Jesus to pay the ultimate sacrifice for us so we can have a right relationship with God. This love has let us love God and love others.

Love is intentional it seeks others out. There are several ways we can show love to people, we can spend time with them, help them, compliment them, give a thoughtful gift, or even a hug or high five. Love is sacrificial we must give something up to love others, our time, resources, and space but others are worth it.
 
Heavenly Father, show us people we can love during our week.
 
Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins

“When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)

Introductions in group setting are boring the host usually makes everyone state their name and where they are from. Sometimes the host try and get a little more and want people to say their occupation this allows people to get a general understanding of the person whether they are a professional, skilled labor, or management. We tend to use these descriptors to get a general idea about the person what kind of training they had in life or even who trained them. We use these descriptors to define the person what they are capable of or where they will be successful.

Who trains us plays a factor in our character formation we might start picking up their habits without even knowing we are coping them. The people we spend time with help shape our character and understanding of values such as “the Golden Rule” treat others how we want to be treated we learn who fits into the other category (everyone) and the how to treat them with love, kindness, patience, dignity, respect. No amount of training can determine a person to be loving or showing kindness to a stranger but, a changed heart which comes only from spending time with God.

These two men were ordinary men but spent time with Jesus. Spending time with Jesus made them who they were Jesus makes us bold, loving, and kind. Jesus makes us ready for His purpose and to encounter the world for Him. We might doubt ourselves because we think we are not qualified, not educated, our position, or even wealth. God can always do more than what is expected through us we do not need to worry about our qualifications. Just spend time with him and allow him to change you and become bold for his purpose.
 
Heavenly Father, may we find time to spend time with you and let your presence change us from the inside out.
 
Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins