“I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great.” Daniel 8:4

Lord God, So often in my daily life I get caught up in the pursuit of power, the struggle to get power, the struggle to keep power. I like to be in control. I like things to go my way. And I get angry and upset and even aggressive when things do not go the way in which I would really like them to go. Forgive me for this sinful and selfish pursue and struggle. Lead me to submit myself to you and to your ways. You are my King and I am your servant. Help me to be a faithful servant and steward of all that you have given me. Help me to remember that I am only a servant here to do the things you have given me to do. Amen.

The world is not our oyster; we are God’s pearl. We live in this world that God has given to us so that we might cultivate it and care for it. We live in this world in which God has made us stewards over different portions of it. Moreover, we are God’s pearl and he is shaping us by his Spirit, through his Word, and through the experiences of our lives to refine us as his masterpiece.