Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

John was a fascinating man. His influence in the early church and today is undeniable. He was very close to Jesus, after all, he was the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” He wrote the Book of John, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, and Revelation. His insight into our Savior is specific and thorough. I love how he begins 1 John 1. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched. This we proclaim to you, the eternal life which was with the Father and has appeared to us.”

Many people struggle to believe something without first seeing it. John wants to make the point that Jesus is not a rumor or fable. He is real. And John himself saw him and had a relationship with Him. He goes on in verse 9 to explain that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins…” I love that about John. He immediately starts with the truth of our faith. Jesus is real, and He alone can forgive your sins. I am thankful for John and his faithfulness to Jesus. He refused to sit in silence and not spread the truth of God’s love, regardless of the consequences.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Who in your life needs to know the Good News about Jesus Christ? Pray that God will give you the faithfulness and wisdom of John to speak God’s word with confidence in a broken world.

Family Devo: 1 John 1

By: Tina Bryant

Today’s passage was a short read, yet it is full of so much goodness! In verse 5, we read: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you; God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him.”  

Think about a time when it was so dark you couldn’t see in front of you. How did you feel? When I was a little girl I was very, very and did I say VERY scared of the dark. If I woke up and I couldn’t see anything, I would cry out for my mom or dad. I was so scared; I needed a nightlight to light up the darkness.  

This verse we read today says that there is no darkness in God. Absolutely zero darkness. That’s a pretty awesome promise for a scaredy-cat like me. God is like a spiritual light, always there, shining bright, and never any darkness in Him. He will light up the darkness for us when we can’t make sense of the world around us. When the world seems big and scary and dark, God will be our light helping us to see clearly.  

Pray: God, there is absolutely no darkness in You. Thank you that even when I can’t see you and I am scared, You are there lighting the way for me. Use me to be a light for others too. Amen!