MAY 28, 2025

  “If you're reading this...

Congratulations, you're alive.

If that's not something to smile about,

then I don't know what is.” 

― Chad Sugg

1 CHRONICLES 23-25

6All these men were under the supervision of their father for the music of the temple of the Lord, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God.

Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king. 7Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord—they numbered 288. (25:6-7)

JOHN 11:1-17

9Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

11After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

JOURNAL 

As David nears the end of his life, he doesn’t just fade quietly into the background. Instead, we see a leader finishing well—methodically affirming roles, responsibilities, and legacies for every person in his kingdom, right down to the musicians in the temple. (1 Chronicles 25:6–7). It’s such a compelling picture of God’s heart—how no detail, no person, no act of service is overlooked. David’s final acts reflect a deep awareness that every person has a part to play in God’s story.

Jesus echoes this same attentiveness in John 11 when he talks about walking in the light versus walking in darkness. On the surface, the metaphor seems simple—light helps you see where you're going; darkness causes you to stumble. But Jesus uses this idea to answer his disciples' fear about returning to Judea—a place where he had nearly been stoned. His reply wasn’t about safety; it was about obedience. He was walking in the light of the Father’s will, not in fear of man’s threats (John 11:9–10).

That’s what it means to walk in the light. Not simply to live morally, but to live obediently—trusting that God sees further than we do. And that kind of obedience, I believe, is grounded in gratitude.

If I can’t be thankful for this day—this breath, this moment—then I’ve already slipped into the shadows. Gratitude for life is what aligns us with the light of God’s presence (1 John 1:5–7). It orients us. It opens our eyes to what He’s doing, even when the path ahead looks confusing or risky. Because the light isn’t a strategy—it’s a Person. And walking with Him means trusting that He sees what we can’t.

So today, if you're reading this… you’re alive. And that alone is worth smiling about. It’s a reminder that there’s still light to walk in, still time to follow, and still a God who hasn’t overlooked a single detail—not even you.

5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all^bsin. 

1 JOHN 1:5-7