21 Days of Prayer | September 2026
In God: Embodied Love… Hope in our world
Living in loving union with God cultivates our growing relationship with Him, and empowers loving union with others in the body of Christ and world at large
Days 1-3: Holy, Powerful, Merciful Loving God.
Day 1 | Holy God | Exodus 3:1-6 NLT
One day, Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”
When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
“Here I am!” Moses replied. “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.
For Reflection:
Our Holy God can find us anywhere.
God found Moses tending sheep at the base of a mountain after he had been hiding from God for 20 years. In fact, he was hiding from everyone. In the middle of his everyday work, tending this flock, God shows up—in an indirect, yet spectacular way.
Moses notices this bush that is somehow not consumed by the fire. He allows himself to become curious and moves closer to this surprising sight. It is at this point—not before—that God breaks the silence and calls his name. Moses answers without hesitating.
I imagine Moses, in reverence, eyes-averted but alert, obediently unlacing his sandals as God declares the ground under his feet to be holy. I imagine his pressed, indented skin breaking free and revived by fresh air as the leather straps release…feeling the cool dry ground under his feet, barely noticing the prickly remnants of brush and protruding rock within this holy space. As he comes to understand who is speaking, Moses’s reverence deepens into fear and awe.
Holy. As Moses demonstrates, the word itself conjures up something untouchable, elevated, far away… We know God is all powerful, all knowing, sovereign, righteous, perfect in goodness, and holy. Yet somehow in God’s Kingdom, Holiness comes near. Holiness speaks our name; calls and invites us…and patiently waits for our response.
I remember a hard season when we had been away from churches for most of a year. Every time I drove by a particular church, I felt a draw toward God there. I wonder whether Moses felt something like that, and if maybe that’s why he brought the flock to this place: the mountain of God. I wonder how many times he had gone there before this day. Do you feel God inviting you to come a little closer?
For me, a morning finally came when I felt compelled to actually go to where I knew I had experienced God’s presence before. I didn’t realize that in this small first step toward Him, I was opening myself to His holy compassion, mercy, healing love, and redirection.
So let’s come near. Open our Bibles. Notice the burning bush. Or the dove landing and cooing nearby as you get into your car or walk along a trail, reminding you of His presence and peace. Or the eagle circling above. Or the resilient flower blooming in the cracks of concrete or brick…or the butterfly that appears from out of nowhere. Or the Scripture verse that pops into your head or jumps off the page… or the nudge in your heart or pit in your stomach… and wonder…
Wonder with God. What is it that You, God, are saying to me through this passage? This word. This lyric. This piece of your creation that just caught my attention. And watch what God will do in and through you these 21 days and beyond.
Take notice. Take notes. And watch, listen. Let’s be curious. Open. Allow ourselves to be guided. Humbled. To experience reverence. Of our Holy, loving, powerful God. Who later tells Moses – and us too – that He is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger; abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:5-6). He still makes Himself known in new ways every day. Let us not be too busy - or numb - to notice. And let us not hide our faces, but rather in reverence and gratitude, lean in to experience His holy, transforming love, and cultivate a growing relationship with Him, together.
Let Us Pray:
Holy God, thank you for loving us. I’ll admit, it is hard to believe that you still intersect our lives and show up one-on-one in surprising ways as you did in that burning bush with Moses. We are grateful that you do and ask you to do it again in our lives. As I go about my day and week, would you help me to seek you. To notice. To resist rationalizing away or cynically dismissing your presence, and let curiosity and wonder bubble up so that I might fully see and experience your mercy, goodness, and love. Your apostle Peter tells me, Father, that you know me and chose me long ago, and Your Spirit has made me holy (1 Peter 1:2). I’m not sure I understand how, but would you, Lord? Would you know me and help me to know you, encounter your holiness and love and grow to follow you and trust you step by step. In Jesus’s holy name, I pray. Amen.
Questions:
I wonder why God waited for Moses to notice and come closer before He spoke his name?
I wonder whether Moses’ initiative and obedience mattered to God? And why?
I wonder how I might watch for God today?
Day 2 | Holy God | Psalm 8:1-4 NIV
Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
For Reflection:
This passage is from one of the Psalms of David. Something that set David’s Psalms apart from others was his ability to combine deep personal emotion with universal worship, offering a rare glimpse into the heart of a biblical leader, while expressing truths that resonate across time. As I read through this passage, I can just imagine David expressing these praises. His lens may have been different from ours in this modern world, but I still think there are parallels we can draw to understand what he was feeling and expressing.
David was king over Judah and ultimately Israel. He was anointed by Samuel and was witness to many of the ways that God had established strongholds against His enemies. David was a first-hand witness to God’s might when he defeated the giant, Goliath, as a young shepherd boy. As an adult, David was again witness to God’s ability to establish strongholds when he and his army took the stronghold of Zion (Jerusalem) from the Jebusites as recounted in 2 Samuel. Though the city was considered undefeatable, David’s faith in God’s promise led him to ultimate victory. This victory was not just military—it was a declaration that God’s might could overcome even the most fortified places. The stronghold became the “City of David,” a symbol of God’s provision, safety, and covenantal presence.
As we can see, David had many firsthand experiences representative of God’s love and desire to protect us while viewing us as his beloved. Perhaps we haven’t slain giants or conquered powerful cities, but are there specific instances in our own lives where God has shown his love for us and helped to slay theoretical giants or conquer in various battles we are fighting in our lives?
God expressed his love by protecting David and all his people (including us!) by providing strongholds, but what’s really amazing is how God doesn’t just express His love with shows of strength. He shows his love in the form of His creation each and every day. David said it beautifully as he expounded on the intricacy of God’s creation, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” God created a world of perfection. Gorgeous sunsets, moons that create tides, creatures of all kinds to fill the earth and seas, flowers and trees. And then he created human beings, as imperfect as we have become, and yet still valued and loved and protected by God.
Like David, we can praise God for His immaculate creation, recognizing his promise both through his words and his actions that we are his beloved children, created and looked upon in love. Let’s join David in expressing gratitude for his love, mercy and protection today.
Let Us Pray:
Dear God, you are indeed mighty and powerful. Your creation truly proclaims your grandeur. Thank you for showing your love for us in ways, both big and small. We love you. Amen.
Questions:
When was a time that you felt God’s protection around you?
Think of a time when you were able to recognize God’s love for you. What was it that made this evident to you?
Day 3 | Holy God | Psalm 63:1-8 NIV
You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
For Reflection:
In my study Bible, Psalm 63 is attributed to David when he was hiding in the desert. Think of what that would have meant. I can picture intense physical hunger and thirst, danger from wild animals and probably human enemies. The psalmist is quite honest about this place of desperate need, and then at the same time confesses complete trust and dependence on God. He acknowledges his complete neediness and then proceeds to remind himself of God’s provision in the past and looks forward to future safety and protection. This Psalm approaches God with humility, and beautiful, pure worship.
Verses 6-8 paint a vivid picture of trusting God in the darkness of night, when the desert would have been even more dangerous. The psalm continues to portray trust in God so beautifully, “singing in the shadow of His wings”, and being “held in God’s hand”. The gift of trusting in God’s love that is “better than life”.
Wouldn’t this passage be wonderful to have committed to memory? Its poetic, peaceful cadence is calming, reassuring, and so worshipful. What a blessing to be able to recite it to oneself, especially during “the watches of the night”. Don’t we all have those occasional times in life when we lie awake, our brain too busy with cares and burdens to be able to sleep? The power of the living Word is a gift. It invites us to remind ourselves of His faithful care, love and protection.
Let Us Pray:
Lord, Thank you for your Word, that feeds our souls, calms our fears, and transforms our minds. Help us to remind ourselves through these verses that You are forever our Holy, Powerful, Merciful, Loving God. Amen.
Questions:
Can you think of times when scriptures have come to mind, particularly ministering to you, even if you hadn’t consciously tried to memorize them?
Might you want to try putting some or all of this passage to memory, perhaps learning one line per week (or whatever pace works for you)?
Days 4-10 | In God: Beloved of God. In Relationship with Him. In our bodies, with us, in us. (Up to 7 of the In God passages below, including the Loved/1John passage as the anchor for beloved.)
Day 4 | Loved | 1 John 4:9-12, 16-19 NIV
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us.
For Reflection:
“Jesus loves me this I know.” Many of us have heard these lyrics, even sung them ourselves. Yet do we truly know in our hearts that we are deeply known and loved by God? Do you know He loves you, that you might live through Him?
There are different ways of knowing things. We can know facts. 1+1= 2. I know it; I use the information. Yet this knowledge doesn’t change the way I live and interact in the world. John says that God showed his love by sending Jesus into the world that we might live through him.
When I think about living in God’s love, do I know deep in my soul that God loves me completely? When I mess up, do I remember that God is there, still loving me. When my friend or family member is mad at me, disappointed and accuses or judges me? Even as I reflect on their words, I can know God still loves me. While I am certain He doesn’t love or approve of every single word, decision, and action, He loves me.
John challenges us to love one another, rooted in God’s love. He loves us perfectly; we love imperfectly. Rooted in ourselves, sometimes we snap and say things we wish we could take back: words that wound. We take actions we’d like to undo. Sometimes we stay silent, when love would speak up. Or move in to “fix things” that aren’t ours to fix. Rather than lean toward another in love, we sometimes withdraw and scroll on our phones – or play games or work – avoiding the conversation and the person in the room with us. Love empowers love.
John empowers us to love because God first loved us, reminding us His perfect love is made complete in us. But do we know it, really? What does it mean to KNOW deep in my soul that I am truly and fully loved by God?
A scene in the movie Good Will Hunting vividly illustrates a transition in knowing something as a fact and then finally knowing something deeply true within. A therapist (played by Robin Williams) is talking with a young man who had been deeply wounded throughout his childhood by someone close to him. Williams connects eyes with this young man and says to him, “This is not your fault.”
“I know,” the man replies, shrugging.
Moving closer, he gently, calmly, lovingly continues to repeat slowly, firmly:
“This is not your fault.”
“I know.” The exchange continues, the same words over and again; but gradually, visibly, we see the young man move from his walled-off knowing and dismissing to fully knowing deep within his being. In his final, “I know,” his protective walls fall and he breaks down and sobs into arms of safety and love that comfort and hold without judgement or punishment.
We read and hear the words, “God loves you.” And we may even say, “I know.” Lord, help me to know, and live.
What would it look like if we simply breathed in the depth and truth of His love each morning – maybe even before we’ve opened our eyes - and to live from that place?
I breathe in and allow myself to settle in, firmly standing in the love of God, in the peace of knowing and being loved. Yes, I am loved by God. I am His beloved. This I know.
Let Us Pray:
Father God, thank you for loving me more than I know (and sometimes more than I feel like I deserve). Would you help me know and rely on your perfect love for me, even as you know me deeply. Thank you for your Word that assures me of this truth. Lord, I place my hands in my lap and open them up to you. Would you help me to receive your love fully and to release to you anything I am holding onto that gets in the way. Breathing in and out, I repeat this breath prayer and slowly breathe Your Spirit in deeply, knowing more and more with each breath that this, that You, are true:
[breathe in] God, you love me completely.
[breathe out] Your presence goes with me.
God, you love me completely.
Your presence goes with me.
God, you love me completely.
Your presence goes with me.
Thank you for your perfect love, for making your love in me complete. In your holy name, I pray. Amen.
Questions:
How deeply do I know that God knows and fully loves me?
Have I put up any walls of self-protection that keep me from receiving or sharing God’s love?
I wonder how God’s love will guide me today to live through Him and to love someone else from His well of love within me.
Day 5 | Adopted, God’s Child | Romans 8:15 NIV
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
For Reflection:
That’s it!
It’s decided.
God didn’t have to…AND yet He did! God invited us into a relationship with Him, not as servants but as precious children. Father and child. What does this mean? It means when we cry out, God/Father/Abba/Papa listens and cares for us because we are His beloved. He welcomes us into His family well before we can even manage to find the ducks we wish were already in rows. We are not slaves, strangers or orphans. We are loved. We belong. We are His.
I was first drawn to God at a young age, about 5 years old, when I learned that God wanted to be my heavenly Father. It was explained to me that God so loved all the people in the world and He wanted to be everyone’s Father so He could take good, good care of them. I was told God’s love for me was perfect and that He would never leave me. With my parents' recent divorce and being the middle kiddo of sisters all close in age, I was no stranger to being left out or feeling abandoned. Deuteronomy 31:8 states, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” I was ALL IN on the idea of this SUPER DAD.
The Message version of Romans 8:15-16 speaks of the Spirit that God gives us as adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” with a clear connection between God and us, Father and child. We get to spend every single day aware of God's presence WITH us because God has adopted us into his family. We are loved. We belong. We are His.
This concept of adoption into God’s family continued to grow as I grew. I knew in my head I didn’t have to earn God’s love or somehow be worthy of this gift of adoption… but golly, did I try. I learned that God taking good, good care of me also didn’t mean that I wouldn’t experience life’s inevitable hard things like failure, disappointment, rejection, and loss. And most importantly, I learned that belonging to God meant I didn’t have to walk through these things alone. (Psalm 23:4) God would remain with me no matter what..when I yelled, cried, and even let a well-placed expletive slip through my lips.
God loves us because he made us. He can’t love us more than he already does, even if ducks are in rows. His perfect love invites us into life WITH Him. We get to hold the posture the Spirit gave us, and lean forward and ask, “What’s next, Papa?”
Let us pray:
God, thank you for the gift of adoption into your forever family. May we feel this welcome with every fiber of our being. May we continue to experience the depths of your perfect love. May we find our home in you and let you fill our deepest longing to belong. May we know, not only in our minds that we are yours but in the depths of our souls as well. We are loved. We belong. We are Yours. ALL because you chose us and keep choosing us each day. Hallelujah! Amen.
Questions:
What is God drawing your attention to now? Can you make some time today to listen and talk with God about this?
I wonder what we would notice if we kept asking “God, What’s next?”
Day 6 | Seen | Psalm 40:1-5 NIV
I waited patiently for the Lord;
He turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.
Blessed is the one
who trusts in the Lord,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, Lord my God,
are the wonders you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many to declare.
For Reflection:
I don’t know about you, but I have never been stuck in a slimy pit. The closest I have come is walking into cold, rocky caves with filmy walls that squeeze in a little too close for comfort. Or hiking in the mountains and wondering if I can scramble the next section of the slippery, rocky trail in the rain. I think about a mud flat at low tide, and the smell that it brings, the stain it leaves on everything it touches, the inability to trust any step to not suck me under; or maybe the murky bottom of a pond where the mud and seaweed eerily squelch around my feet and feel as if I’ll never stop sinking down to find the true bottom. I imagine a deep pit that I can’t begin to climb out of, every attempt met with sliding down the slippery sides, scrapes covering my body with attempt after attempt to get myself out of the stinky, oozy, filth. I have maybe never physically been there, but I can think of times when life has felt like this. Is there a slimy pit in your life right now or one you can think of from the past?
I have, however, been standing firm on a rock. I think about a mountain summit above the tree line. Feet planted firmly, looking out for miles, feeling literally on top of the world. I think about the rocky seashore, watching the ocean waves crash and roll, but not fearing their destructive power because I am steady on the rock looking down. Breathing deep, fresh air, looking out to the horizon as if I can see forever. There is a sense of the ancient in rock that strikes awe in me, the millennia that it took them to form and be in the place they are; the sureness that they will be there long after me. What are the solid rocks that you have stood on in your life?
The contrast between these two places is vast. The images they conjure, the way they feel in my body, the life they portray. But according to David in this Psalm the thing they have in common is God’s presence. It’s easy to say that God is on the mountaintop, standing on the rock, but first he was in the slimy pit right there with David. He “turned to me and heard my cry” right there in the stinky, stuck place. Sometimes, we try to pull ourselves out of our own pit to go find God on the mountaintop or we want to get out of the muck and clean up before we feel acceptable to him. Sometimes, we are only willing to seek God if we are promised a rock first. But this Psalm shows a God that sat right in the messy mud and turned to him as he cried. God led him out of the pit, and on to the rock and gave him a song. God meets us in the muck, but he doesn’t leave us there.
The Psalm continues with praise, with how good it is to trust in God and the wonders and deeds he has done. What wonders have you seen God do recently? What song has he put in your heart? Are we paying attention to the wondrous God that is all around us? I wonder if David would have been so sure of his trust in God, so full of praise, so aware of his wonders, and in awe of his good plans and deeds if he had only encountered God already standing firm on the rock. Where are you right now? Maybe in a slimy pit, or a mountaintop, maybe just walking along on the flat boring grass, maybe life feels like all of these at once. No matter where we are currently, when we wait patiently, God is near, God hears us, God redeems, God can be trusted, God gives us songs as we pay attention and bear witness to his wonderful deeds.
Let Us Pray:
God, I’d rather not be in a slimy pit. If I’m honest, I don’t really want you or anyone else to see me like this. But I know you are good, and I can feel your loving presence here with me, sustaining me, even as I cry. I can trust you to be here with me and to not turn away from me. I praise you for who you are, for the ways I have seen your faithfulness in the past and the ways that you will continue to bring redemption. Keep my eyes on you because you are here. I trust you to lead me nearer and nearer to you, my rock. Amen.
Questions:
What are my current life circumstances feeling like?
What am I praising God for today?
Can I remember a time I have felt God with me and known I can trust him?
Day 7 | Named, Known | Luke 19:1-6 NIV
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
For Reflection:
Zacchaeus was a tax collector, employed by Rome and an oppressor of the poor. He (and other tax collectors) were hated and viewed as traitors by the people of Israel as they used their position to take more than was necessary and kept the excess money for themselves in order to live in luxury. Reading this story, I’m struck with curiosity as I wonder what possessed Zacchaeus to want to see who Jesus was. Jesus came specifically “to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Isaiah 61:1-2 and Luke 4:18. To set the oppressed free… and yet Zacchaeus, the oppressor, was curious about who Jesus was?
Just as incredible is where the story goes from here. Jesus was entering Jericho and there was a huge crowd, so congested that Zacchaeus, who was short, had to climb a tree in order to try to see Jesus. The crowd was full of people that Jesus specifically came for. The poor, the sick, the oppressed. And yet, in this instance, Jesus doesn’t speak to them. Instead, “When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately.”” If I were a bystander, I would initially wonder why Jesus was calling to him but then assume that Zacchaeus was about to get what was coming to him. I’d be silently rubbing my hands waiting in anticipation to witness Zaccheaus receiving his just deserts… witness Jesus setting the oppressed free. Perhaps Jesus would shame Zacchaeus in front of the crowd. Point out all of his flaws and sins. But then Jesus’ utterance is shocking. He doesn’t tear Zacchaeus apart. He doesn’t teach him a lesson or condemn him. Jesus looks at Zacchaeus, calls him by name, orders him to come down and demands to go to Zacchaeus’ house.
Who is this Jesus who claims to come to free the oppressed yet eats with tax collectors (oppressors) and sinners; who speaks their names and knows them intimately? I’m perturbed by this story, and yet somehow also comforted by it at the same time. Jesus was willing to look up and see not Zacchaeus the sinner and tax collector, but instead, Zacchaeus the lost sheep in need of a shepherd. If Jesus could recognize and value this in Zacchaeus, perhaps he would do the same with me.
Let Us Pray:
Dear God, thank you for being our Good Shepherd. You came to heal the sick and free the oppressed. Help us to recognize that oppression can look different through various lenses and that sometimes, the oppressor is also actively being oppressed by their own actions. Allow us to be curious enough about Jesus to be willing to be like Zacchaeus and climb our own trees and give us ears to hear when Jesus calls us by name. Thank you for your love. Amen.
Questions:
Think of a time when you have been in need of a shepherd. Now picture Jesus looking at you, calling you by name and offering to be your shepherd. How might this change the situation?
Day 8 | Transforming | 2 Corinthians 3:18 MSG
Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.
For Reflection:
Transformation sounds exciting! We get to receive and reflect the light of God. And yet, in our instant-gratification world, the reality of transformation doesn’t always fit neatly into our lives. We G-R-A-D-U-A-L-L-Y become brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives.
Let’s think about what it looks like for God to enter our lives.
It begins with turning toward God. Just as Moses turned to face God, we turn our attention toward him. We make space to notice His presence throughout our day. We listen. We pray. We read and meditate on Scripture. We worship. We become willing to let God speak into the places of our lives that we might normally keep hidden.
And as we make a habit of turning toward God, God begins to change the way we see. As we notice more, we can make adjustments to our thinking and our living. The love of God can lead us as we slowly let go of old habits that no longer make sense and form new ones that do.
It’s in this love that we can begin to notice God’s gentle nudges…to pay attention to another person’s needs or even to notice when there is something within us that needs to change. Sometimes that nudge feels uncomfortable, like conviction, and yet we know the end goal is always restoration.
And speaking of new habits… I have found that God’s nudges in my own life feel gentle only at first. For me, it starts with a totally ignorable nagging feeling and then moves into unignorable discomfort. Eventually, I give in. I make space to be still and honest, and I wait for the Lord.
In that quiet moment, I picture Jesus tenderly cupping my face with his hands, looking me in the eye with the utmost love and reminding me of how deeply loved I am…
I am safe. I am known. I am held.
And in this place of being fully loved, He helps me see how old habits or patterns of acting or reacting work against me and others. He gently shows me another way.
I am reminded that I have chosen a life with Jesus which steps into each day with the burden and privilege of reflecting the light and love of God.
As my heart posture leans forward, I hear the truth. You are passionate about Christ-followers demonstrating love and you my beloved have sidestepped that responsibility in your thoughts about another. You have let your flesh respond and found comfort in your human justification of your actions. You, my sweet child, are so very very loved and have constant access to this love. Ask me and I will show you how I love this person and… how you can too.
Do you see it? This is conviction held within love.
I repent (turning once again back to God) and ask God to help me notice before I make this mistake again.
Romans 12:2 doesn’t say, “Change your behavior on your own.” It says for us to “renew our minds.” In relationship with God, He helps us learn to see the world as He sees it. To focus on behavior alone can cause us to miss the deeper issues at work in the heart.
As God renews our minds, we begin to see differently and what we see begins to change the way we live.
This is transformation.
G-R-A-D-U-A-L-L-Y we become like Christ.
AND, good news, God promises to be with us and love us all of our days.
So let’s stay connected to God and let His love meet us in the places that need transformation. As He renews our minds and hearts, may our lives gradually become brighter and more beautiful, reflecting our loving God.
Let Us Pray:
Dear God,
Thank You for Your steadfast love that meets us where we are. Thank You for Your nudges that help us keep in step with You. Thank You for promising to be with us as we are transformed with Your help through the renewing of our minds. Thank You for Your promise that our lives can gradually become brighter and more beautiful as You, God, enter our lives and we become like You! Amen.
Questions:
Where might God be gently nudging you right now?
How might God be inviting you to see differently?
What does it look like for you to reflect God’s light and love to someone else this week?
Day 9 | Forgiven, Redeemed: John 21:15-17 NIV
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
For Reflection:
Let’s set the scene for this passage. This is after Jesus’ death and resurrection. The disciples have already seen Jesus since his death. Today, they are fishing (for many, their previous occupation) and haven’t caught a thing. Jesus appears on the beach, tells them to put down their nets and they catch a bunch of fish. Then, they realize it is him and come to meet him on the beach where he has a fire going with fish ready to eat for their breakfast. After he has met them where they are at and taken care of their physical needs (warmth, food, community), then he takes Peter on a walk and we pick up in their one-on-one conversation.
On the night of Jesus’ death, Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times, a denial that Jesus had predicted and told Peter about ahead of time. I wonder how Peter felt in Jesus’ presence in this beach scene. It says that when he recognized Jesus he jumped out of the boat to go to him on the beach, so he was clearly excited to see him. Still, I wonder how his previous betrayals at Jesus’ death were playing out in his mind. Was he fidgety during breakfast? Maybe he hoped Jesus had just moved on and forgotten the whole thing; maybe he hoped Jesus was too busy that day or never knew about it in the first place. Maybe he is running to Jesus, stuck to his side, trying to make up for his wrongs and prove to himself that he didn’t mean it. Maybe he is trying to just stuff down the shame and failure and resolve to do better the next time.
But Jesus knows what he needs. He refuses to let this fester, to keep Peter bogged down in shame. Jesus is willing to have the hard conversation, to expose the wound, so that it can be healed. The conversation itself is not a lecture about what he did wrong, it’s not a tongue lashing of “how could you do this?”, it’s not a punishment. It’s forgiveness, affirmation, an invitation, it’s instruction, it’s Jesus showing confidence in Peter’s ability to carry on Jesus’ message. His transgression did not disqualify him. This is still Peter, beloved, the rock (Matthew 16:18). Jesus’ message is, love, feed, take care of. His message is just like his warm campfire on the beach. “Take care of my sheep.” If you find them fishing - help them fish, if you find them hungry - feed them, if you find them cold - warm them, if you find them alone - be with them, if you find them ashamed - free them. Jesus sees us, cares for us, frees us, and invites us to do the same for others.
I imagine Jesus walking next to me on a beach and calling me by name. “__________, do you love me?” I think of all of the ways I have acted that might suggest otherwise, the reasons that justify his questioning, the shame that bubbles to the surface, the doubts that I’m afraid to expose. “Yes”, I say from somewhere deep within my soul, despite the evidence to the contrary that Jesus knows as well as I do. He doesn’t doubt my yes or point out the faults in my reasoning. Instead, he forgives. He listens to my heart; he knows me and he frees me. He sees it all and still, he invites me to join His movement of love, “Take care of my sheep” and “Feed my sheep”. That is amazing love. That is good news.
I invite you to take some time to imagine yourself walking on a beach with Jesus (or maybe your conversation takes place somewhere else). Imagine him speaking your name, asking, “Do you love me?” What comes up for you? What is your response? What is his response?
Let Us Pray:
Dear God, you are a God who comes to us, meets us, provides for our needs, you are so good. You are also a God who sees us, all of us, and forgives so readily, redeems us, and invites us to You. I pray for the boldness to come to you with all of me including my shame, and I take some time to name it with you now. I thank you for the way you forgive me and continue to have confidence in me. I pray for eyes open to the opportunities to love others in this incredible way that you love. Amen.
Questions:
Where do I see God’s comfort and provision in my life?
What is something in me that needs to come out of the shadows and into the light with God?
What comes up when I imagine Jesus calling my name, “__________, do you love me?”
Day 10 | Guided | Psalm 16:8-11 NIV
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
For Reflection:
Summer has brought an onslaught of visitors and in my case, a plethora of young nieces and nephews. Many days have found us out and about exploring lighthouses, old forts and beaches; often walking trails off the beaten path, meandering from discovery to discovery. Being the “Aunt from Maine” it naturally fell to me to lead the way, and my nieces and nephews followed along, trusting that I would guide them safely on new adventures and never doubting whether I knew where I was going.
Children are generally trusting to follow those that they know, but life (and the world), as we get older, tends to teach us that we can truly trust no one but ourselves. We push through life repeating mantras to get through challenges. “My choices in life are within my control” or “I am both the traveler and the trailblazer in my story.” Inspirational, strong and confidence inducing, perhaps, yet missing something God promises to be for us.
Our passage lays out a beautiful picture of God revealing to us the path of life. His desire is to be our guide; for us to follow trusting along the way. When we push forward trusting only ourselves, we are both making our job harder and missing what God’s desire for us is. He longs for us to relinquish control and ask him to be the trailblazer of our lives. He shows us this path in order to “fill us with joy in His presence.” Will we allow God to show us our path in life; to guide and provide?
Let Us Pray:
Dear God, thank you for offering to be my guide. Help me unlearn any habits that are hindering me from trusting you and others. To reframe my mindset; to check my ego at the door and to remember that I don’t have to go it alone. Please give me the strength to relinquish control and trust that you will and more importantly, want to show me where to go. Give me the ability to be ok with just being the traveler on my journey while allowing you to be the trailblazer. Amen.
Question:
What might it look like to embrace our role as children of God and follow Him with childlike trust and faith?
Days 11-21
God’s Beloved: In Relationship with God.
In and For Community and the World.
Day 11 | Tenderhearted| Colossians 3:12-15 NIV
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion (tenderhearted mercy in the NLT version), kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
For Reflection:
Tenderhearted. When I consider this word in regard to my relationships with others, it causes me to think. Life can throw so many challenges our way, especially when it comes to relationships, whether with fellow believers, or those who aren't following Jesus. Sometimes there are difficulties that can cause hurt, often over and over again. We may try to resolve things, but the other person may not be a willing participant!
It can help to remember that two things can be true at the same time. First, we can acknowledge the sadness that comes with such a relationship. Looking at humanity’s fall, we remind ourselves that it’s not supposed to be this way. So of course, our God-given tenderheartedness rightly feels the pain. Theologian N.T. Wright says that since Jesus came with his in-breaking kingdom, we are living in a time when God’s kingdom is “now and not yet”.
Secondly, even when we feel life’s hurts, we can look to our future hope, knowing that God is at work and the story isn’t finished yet. Our part in the story may be to not grow weary in doing well, in never giving up praying, in forgiving others, and believing in that future hope. Our part can certainly be active, as we “clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience”.
Then this passage assures us that God’s love will ultimately win and bring unity. It encourages us to let the peace of Jesus rule in our hearts, and to be thankful.
Let Us Pray:
Thank You Lord, that we don’t have to play God in any of our relationships, but we can put our trust in You. I am so thankful that you are writing the stories of my life and of all the people in my life. Show me how to clothe myself with the beautiful things in this passage, relinquishing the outcomes to You. Let Your love flow freely through me to everyone in my life. Amen.
Questions:
If there is a challenging relationship in your life right now, what might be some creative ways you could actively show the love of Jesus to that person?
Could verse 15 become a breath prayer for you today? (Breathe in: Peace of Christ, breathe out: Rule in my heart.)
Day 12 | Empowered| Romans 8:11 NIV
The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
For Reflection:
Have you ever been “hangry” (hungry-angry) or around someone who was?
As a child I recall we would make urgent detours on road trips or take shopping breaks to find something to eat when hangry overtook a parent. In my teens and twenties, I discovered that my mood shifted when it was past mealtime and I hadn’t eaten. (Ah, so this is what it felt like.) I’d be unusually grumpy, way less patient in this hungry/angry state. Because it was uncharacteristic, I thought it was kind of funny and for some reason, for a while, I embraced it. It became an excuse of sorts for less gentleness, patience and kindness. A mini free pass to speak or act without a filter and indirectly (or even aggressively) push my needs to the top of the collective list. A little more power?
Our passage tells us that the Spirit of God in all His power lives within us and gives life. That’s a lot of power. What can that mean for our lives?
In Galatians, Paul tells us that fruit produced by God’s Spirit in us–evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in us and through us–is this: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23), flowing from our lives. There is a big difference between the qualities in this list and my self-focused, hangry response along with those other times when I let my body, feelings, wants and needs control the shots and how I think, speak or act toward others.
Here’s the reality of this promise. God’s Spirit in us is available 24/7 to empower us in our everyday moments as we move through our tasks and engage with others. In busyness, loneliness, hunger and celebration, work and play, He can empower our words and choices to be life-giving and filled with kindness and love. He can empower patience and peace when we are feeling anxious and impatient. This also means He can give us self-control to resist temptations to take, say, have, or do or react or respond in ways we might be inclined to in a moment, yet may diminish others or move us out of line with His will. He gives life as we join with Him and intentionally choose His guidance over our way. Am I willing?
His Spirit is always in us. Yet, He will not force us to yield to it. The choice always before us is: who will I let drive? His Spirit or mine? My emotions, wants, and will, or His? In any given moment, any decision, the choice is the same. Whose power will we rely on?
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control bring life to our bodies and others in our families, schools and world. His spirit in us empowers us. Living like Jesus doesn’t require a behavior modification program to produce the right actions separate from a heart posture relying on God. Our part requires intentionality and choice, surrender and openness. God, through His spirit in us works, reframes, empowers, and guides us, transforming us with each step.
Do I still feel hangry from time to time? You bet. Whether hangry or anxious, or indulgent, or simply angry, I pray we all grow to learn day by day as we connect in relationship with Him, letting His Spirit guide toward life-giving ways of living and relating to others.
Let Us Pray:
Gracious, powerful, living God, thank you that you know us and love us and you call us your own. As you call us to follow you, to live and love like Jesus in the world around us, you don't expect - or even intend - for us to do so in our own power. You come and dwell in us through your Holy Spirit. You give us life. As we connect with you and grow in relationship with you, help open our eyes to our own wants and patterns that take us astray and lead us, spirit empower us to live and love like you.
Lord, would you help me to love others, to bring and make peace, to be kind in my interactions, to experience joy beyond my circumstances, as I learn to trust you, and turn my mind and heart to you, to your influence, way, goodness and love. What a relief to know that self-control is strengthened through your spirit, not my strength or my own will. Thank you for the awareness that you bring through your word. Your loving kindness leads me to turn from my ways to yours. Help me to trust and believe. Thank you for your love. In Jesus’ holy name, I pray. Amen.
Question:
I wonder if there are ways I’m letting my desires call the shots in ways that may be self-centered or unkind toward another?
I wonder if this is part of what Jesus means when He challenges His disciples to deny themselves (ourselves) and follow Him?
How will I join with the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, alive and working in me today?
Day 13 | Gathering | Hebrews 10:23-25 NIV
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
For Reflection:
I’ve just come home from North Harbor’s annual outdoor service and baptism. And although no one took the step to be baptized, it was a beautiful morning, worshiping by the water, surrounded by community, being urged through Romans to live with love in all that we do. Sometimes I wonder what makes this specific group of people (and many other groups around the town, state, country and world) leave the comforts of home to worship God week after week. God is all around us and many folks have different ways of connecting with Him… through silence and solitude, prayer, devotions, hiking or surfing in His sanctuary; and I wonder why we continue to do this thing called church. But this morning, I was struck with the realization that we all go to church so that we may gather. Whether at the chapel, by the water, in a home… Christians continue to gather… and North Harbor continues to gather, in order to do life together as a Christian community.
We gather to pray, sing, commune and be together as one body. Spurring one another on towards love and good deeds… encouraging each other… continuing to meet together. Sitting by the water, hearing the words of Paul in Romans 12 urging us to live in peace; to practice hospitality and to be devoted to one another in love, I look around me and see people who grasp what this means. People who, like me, fail every single day, and still in their hearts desire to live from a place of love.
Transitioning after service to the pool side where we all shared a meal together whilst various conversations took place amongst groups, I watched, experienced and participated with a group of people doing life together. Listening to pain and loss, celebrating joys and new experiences, encouraging one another in love. So, next time I wonder, why church? I hope I remember the richness and sweetness of this morning; of gathering as God’s people to do life together with the common goal of living and encouraging from a place of love.
Let Us Pray:
Dear God, thank you for showing us what it means to live in love. For creating us to do life together. Even though sometimes it’s more comfortable to be on an island, I’m grateful for the community that you surround me with. Help us to be Christ to each other. To continue to gather and encourage each other in YOUR love. Amen.
Questions:
What does gathering mean to you?
Is there a habit or gathering you once enjoyed that you’d like to make space for again?
Day 14 | Forbearing/Forgiving | Colossians 3:12-14 NIV
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
For Reflection:
You know that really difficult person in your life who just makes you want to scream and pull your hair out every time you interact with them? That family member who somehow manages to say a negative or degrading comment every time you see them? That co-worker who needs to overshadow your efforts and take credit for all your hard work? The neighbor who never listens and always speaks over you? Ya, me too.
At a glance, it’s easy to read this passage from Colossians and feel like as Christians, our response needs to be to overlook these transgressions and hurts. A tall order, but that’s what being a Christian means, right? Putting others first? Overlooking hurts and choosing not to allow resentment to lay hold? Clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and love? Choosing forbearance?
Forbearance according to the Miriam-Webster Dictionary is defined as a refraining from the enforcement of something (such as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due. A rather rigid word and definition which leaves me feeling that the act of forbearance is burdensome, exhausting and difficult to follow through on.
Yet, let’s pause and look at this word from a different perspective… the reframing of the word from the perspective of Christ. The Bible alludes to forbearance many times throughout both the Old and New Testaments, first from the lens of God’s attitude towards us, then secondarily through us as new creations, called to be like him, by in turn bearing with one another in love.
Some of the characteristics associated with God’s forbearance in the Bible are reflected in Psalm 103:8 which reads, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love”, and again in Romans 2:4 which promises God’s kindness, forbearance and patience to lead us to repentance. Unlike the worldly, binding definition of the word, God chooses the characteristics of patience, compassion, grace, and kindness to set the perfect example for how we are to treat each other with forbearance: bearing with one another in love.
Let’s pause for a moment, reflect back to the situations posed at the beginning of this reflection, and understand together that glossing over those hurts and grievances and choosing love is NOT what being a Christian means. Forbearing or bearing with each other in love is what we are called to do; however, it starts from a place of forgiveness.
Forgiveness isn't pretending the wound didn't happen. Forgiveness is the act of bringing the wound to God and being honest in His presence. Allowing Him, over time, to transform what has been done to us so that it no longer has the power to define what happens within us. Through this turning to God, allowing transformation to happen with us, we, like Christ, can have a heart of love towards others. A heart of forbearance… of patience, compassion, grace and kindness.
Let Us Pray:
Lord thank you for your example of how to forgive and live from a place of love. Give us hearts that truly want to serve. Hearts that are patient, compassionate, gracious and kind… not because it’s forced, but because we experience all of those things from you as well. Help us to bear with one another in love… live from a place of compassion, forbearance and love. We love you. Amen.
Questions:
Think of a situation where we felt like you had to forgive someone even though you weren’t ready. What might you ask or say to God about that situation?
Is there a relationship that God might be inviting you to take one small step towards forgiveness in?
What might it look like to bear with someone in love from a place of patience instead of necessity.
Day 15 | Supporting One Another| Exodus 17:12 NIV
When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
For Reflection:
The clouds that roll in before a thunderstorm. The theater lights dimming before a movie starts. The countdown before a rocket launch. All these things tell us, "Something is about to happen!" So it is with Israel and "the outstretched arm". Without exception, the outstretched arm or staff signifies the manifestation of God's power in the world through direct action. It is always the symbol, and often the conduit, of God's power and provenance. It appears more than twenty times in the first sixteen chapters of Exodus alone. It is the means by which plagues are brought upon Egypt, the Red Sea is parted, and water is drawn from a rock. Everyone in Israel knows: when the arms go up, something is about to happen!
Only three weeks after Israel crosses the Red Sea, they are attacked by the Amalekites. Moses has received no direct instruction from God regarding this offensive, but he asserts to Joshua that victory must somehow involve his outstretched arms. That is not a far leap; we have seen the pattern for sixteen chapters. But surely it will be a feat for Moses to hold his arms up for the entire battle...
In the morning, Moses takes along two additional men to the top of the hill overlooking the battlefield. Something is about to happen, and Moses intends that "something" to be an Israelite victory. Here the depth of his obedience becomes clear. "Obedience?" you say. "Moses concocted this plan himself!" Well, not really. The first level of obedience is doing what you are told. The next level of obedience is doing, without being told. Notice also his preparation. Moses took Aaron and Hur with him from the start. He didn't go up alone in the morning, and return for help only once he was tired. The Israelite army would not have survived! No, he considered the specific challenge he would face and addressed it head-on.
Through even this small example we see how God designed us for community and cooperation. What would it look like for us to actively participate in the faith walk of those around us? How can we celebrate with them on their journey?
Let Us Pray:
God, we sometimes forget that we are made for community. Too often we strive in solitude, never considering the many people around us who would gladly come alongside to assist during the journey, and rejoice with us at its conclusion. We see a spirit of cooperation and communion plainly displayed in the Trinity. Give us that same spirit, that with it we may honor you. Amen.
Questions:
Do you view obedience strictly as an individual concern, or one of community?
What opportunities do you have to bring others alongside in your journey?
Day 16 | Loving Neighbors | Luke 10:25-37 NIV
Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?”
He answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?”
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
For Reflection:
I read this familiar passage and wonder what it still has to show me. I’ve heard about the scholar testing Jesus, the Rabbi and Levite who walk right by, and of course, our hero, the Good Samaritan. But today, I am drawn to the man who was robbed, and I wonder - What was it like to be the recipient of such unexpected love and care?
Head pounding, knee throbbing, blood trickling into my eye, body bent in the wrong direction, naked - my eyes flutter open for a minute. I see someone in the distance, robes waving in the wind. It has been a while since I’ve been to temple, but surely I’m saved. I try to call out, but my voice fails me. My eyes close again; I can’t hold onto consciousness. Next thing I know, I feel a bandage tight around my leg, a cloth wiping my head. A moan escapes my lips, and I hear a voice, “Shh, shh, shh.” Feeling relieved that the Rabbi stopped, I silently promise to give a sacrifice at temple… if I have anything left after this. My eyes slowly open and the man in front of me is not a Rabbi, but my foggy brain doesn’t care, whoever this man is he is obviously friendly, he is saving my life and I feel grateful.
I don’t know how long I have been out, but it has been a while, the sun is much lower in the sky. He has clearly been here a while. Everything hurts, but my main wounds are bandaged, I don’t appear to be bleeding anymore, and he has given me the dignity of covering me with his travel robe. As I become a little clearer, my gaze focuses on a face that has a look of relief on it, glad that I am finally conscious. We make eye contact and he locks on deeply with an unspoken reassurance that I will be ok and for some reason I believe him. “Hi there, you’re okay, I’m here,” he says. That voice, that accent, maybe I'm still a little disoriented, he doesn’t sound like me, he doesn’t belong here. My brow furrows trying to make sense of what I hear, I know I saw Rabbi robes, I know I’m in Judea (I took the longer road specifically to avoid the dangers of Samaria). But he doesn’t seem to notice, he just continues caring for me like his own. He puts a drink to my lips, sharing from his precious provisions in this desert place and quenching a thirst I didn’t even realize I had.
“Do you think you can stand? I have my donkey here, let me help you.” There is excruciating pain as I start to move, but it is lessened by the support of this man. The one with the definite Samaritan accent. He loads me on his donkey and starts the long walk to the next town. I can tell he is rushing a bit to get off the road before it gets dark. He has endangered his own life to save mine, but still he is careful and checking that he doesn’t jostle me too much.
As we walk on the road, the details of the day come back to me. My journey, I knew it was a bad idea to go this road alone, but I had no one to go with me. I just wanted to get to Jericho, to blend in, to enjoy some of the riches I’ve heard about there, to forget. But then those robbers, I hardly saw them before they were on me, kicked me into the dirt, then a bash to the head is the last thing I remember.
I try to make sense of this man, who is surely headed in the wrong direction for wherever he was trying to go, just to get me some help. Who didn’t have any reason to help me (whatever happened to that Rabbi anyway?), who is supposed to be a mean corrupt person according to everything I have ever heard, whose eyes looked at me with such tender care. Who is this man? What kind of love does he have for a pathetic, wounded stranger? I don’t know what will become of me now that everything has been taken. It suddenly doesn’t seem so important to go and disappear into a party of people. Thanks to this man, I am alive, I am safe. Maybe I will help at this inn we are headed to and care for others along this treacherous path, maybe I will go home and apologize after all, maybe I’ll start to speak up for Samaritans. At the very least, I have a new friend, someone who saved my life, who has surely changed my life.
Let Us Pray:
Dear God,
What does it look like to love my neighbor with your kind of love? How could I possibly come close to loving like you? But by giving this picture, this command to have mercy, you are showing that you have faith in me to do this. You are with me. Give me the desire and ability to notice you, to experience your tenderness and care, and to extend that love to others. I thank you for all of the people who have shown me what your love looks like. Show me where I can be loving others who are not in my close circle. Help me pay attention, help me be willing to respond to those who are different from me, help me love my neighbors like you love. Amen.
Questions:
When have I experienced the love and care of an unexpected person?
When have I extended love to a person outside of my family and social circle?
I wonder where God is guiding me to extend mercy next.
Day 17 | Loving Neighbors | Matthew 25:34-40 NIV
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
For Reflection:
Yesterday, we reflected on the story of the Good Samaritan and the experience of the man who was robbed, beaten and then rescued in his time of need by the least suspecting of neighbors. Today, I want to tie that experience to the words of Jesus in this passage talking about caring for our neighbors.
Reflecting back to the man who was robbed and beaten on the road, I think about how close to death he was; unable to help himself, still in imminent danger when the Good Samaritan stopped to show him compassion. I think about how the poor man felt as I put myself in the story yesterday. The utter despair and fear and pain he must have had. The feeling of overwhelming relief flooding over him when rescue came. How being robbed of his worldly possessions no longer mattered, because his life was given back to him. The confusion and I can only imagine, wonder and disbelief, at being saved; tenderly cared for; looked after… by someone who was formerly looked at as an enemy. The Good Samaritan was being a friend. He was looking after the least of those, and in doing so, was caring for the Savior.
Now I wonder, when have I been in need or sick or hungry and been cared for? What did that feel like? For me, I know it was humbling to accept help… but when I take a step back and recognize that when people help, they are fulfilling Jesus’ call to us as his disciples, I feel more than humbled; I feel honored.
I haven’t always been on the receiving end. Sometimes, I’m the one caring for others. I pause and think about my motivations for why I do this. Is it because I want to? Feel like I have to? Because it’s the right thing to do? How often does it feel like helping is just the expectation? The “Christian” way to act. “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Jesus tells us that we do these things for others because the people around us: our friends, family, acquaintances, even our enemies… are our neighbors. They are our neighbors because Jesus views each and every one of them as his own, his beloved… and because we all belong to him, the way that we treat others matters, and is ultimately how we are treating Jesus.
What a strange thought! And yet, perhaps eye opening in the way we approach others and live our lives. I think about people I’ve cared for and then about instances where I’ve been less than kind to others. How might my attitude in treating others perhaps change if I used the lens of seeing Jesus in each person I interact with? Is it possible for me to be the Good Samaritan to others? The righteous man from this passage?
Let Us Pray:
God, thank you for your parables that teach us how to look past what feels confusing or hard and learn to see your heart. It’s easy to get held up by our own feelings, justifications or thoughts. Thank you for this reminder that ALL people are your creation. That you exist in each one of us. Please help us to see you in those around us and to remember as we go about our day to be the Samaritan to others. We love you. Amen.
Questions:
Think of a time you were cared for by others. What did it feel like? Did it make you want to repay the favor?
Is there a person or group of people that you need to ask God’s help in seeing as neighbors instead of enemies?
What might change if we learned to view others from this lens?
Day 18 | Making Peace | James 3:17-18 NLT
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
For Reflection:
Peace. What comes to mind when you think about peace? Maybe it is the whole world holding hands and singing kumbaya (world peace does sound pretty good right now). Maybe it’s a calm spot in nature. Maybe it’s everyone getting along, or a quiet house, the absence of conflict. What does peace feel like?
For me, a product of trying to be the “good Christian girl” and a fair amount of innate introversion, peace used to mean the absence of conflict by just agreeing even when I didn’t, it meant being “nice” over being sincere, it meant avoiding areas where there might be tension, it meant seeking out quiet and solitude, and I thought this is where I would find peace. You are probably not surprised to hear, I never quite found that illusive brand of “peace”. Maybe your relationship with peace is different. What is or has your relationship with peace been?
This verse brings a completely different understanding of peace. In this verse peace is not just for the meek and passive, it is not out there somewhere to be found, it is not a wish for a different reality. We are assured here that when we live within the wisdom of God we become the agents of peace in the middle of our current reality. I notice the word peacemaker. I think about a gardener toiling in the garden, and it is so active. I think about the tiny tomato seed that I pushed into soil back when there was still snow on the ground, and I think about the tomato plants as tall as I am that have been giving us pounds of tomatoes these past few weeks. I think about all of the watering (lots of watering this year!), and transplanting, and soil mending, and weeding that went into growing. And I also think about how so much of the growth wasn’t up to me. Peacemakers are cultivating and growing peace. What does it look like to plant, nourish, cultivate, and bear witness to peace?
We can make peace in tension filled business meetings when we are willing to listen and yield to others. We can make peace when our child is screaming with rage when we are gentle in our presence and response. We can bring all of our fire, our loud selves to make peace standing up to injustice refusing to show favoritism. We can quietly, calmly make peace reflecting mercy with how we share hard truth. We can make peace with a gesture of a good deed that is big and grand or a simple smile to a stranger at the grocery store. We can make peace in our relationship with God when we are willing to be sincere and sit at his feet with our whole selves. We can make peace in our relationship with ourselves when we are gentle and full of mercy as we practice loving our own body and confronting our deepest shame. We can make peace in our relationships with others when we are yielding and yet sincere while we continue to engage in truth telling. We can make peace in our relationship with the world when we engage in good deeds that steward the earth and promote justice.
Peace making invites us into active participation, not of our own reserves, but planted deep within the wisdom of God with us. Making peace invites us, not to avoid hard work and complicated relationships, but to enter into them. Making peace invites us to witness a harvest of righteousness, a harvest of harmony of relationships. Where are you wishing for more peace in your life right now? What is your peacemaking seed today?
Let Us Pray:
Dear God, I want to hope for world peace, I want to escape chaos to find peace, I want to avoid the work of it. Forgive me my self-ambition to find my own comfort. Shine your light on my face, rain down your desire for making true peace, grow me in your wisdom. Help me to pay attention to your presence with me, guiding me in ways that will make peace. Thank you for giving me a role to play in seeing it grow. You are so good. Amen.
Questions:
What is my relationship with peace?
What attribute of God’s wisdom stands out to me today? I wonder what I am noticing…
Where is a place in my life that I could plant a peace seed?
Day 19 | Showing Mercy | Micah 6:8 NIV
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
For Reflection:
The Bible is vast and rich, appropriately reflecting the vastness and richness of God's character. Sometimes I am fascinated and encouraged by the Mary Poppins bag of wisdom and knowledge that it seems to be. But sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the Bible. An English translation contains roughly three-quarters of a million words. It's a lot to read even once through. Sometimes I argue, "I don't know where to start." What's the most important thing to know? How can I re-center and find a jumping-off point?
Micah prophesies in the midst of socio-economic injustice among the Israelites are brought on by dishonesty and corruption. At face value, this is a message to a specific people in a specific time and place. Micah 6:8 in particular stands out in the way that it rises above this specific context, retaining both its relevance and power in our minds despite the fact that we are not the original audience. It distills the entirety of the Mosaic law into something we can keep in our pocket, something so elegant in its simplicity there can be no confusion as to what exactly our responsibility must be as dearly loved children of God.
Micah identifies justice, mercy and humility as the core requirements for God's people. Why these three? Those are definitely qualities of God himself, and since we are created in the image of God, we ought also to take on those qualities. Crucially, mercy enables us to build relationships. It takes us from a place of rigid scorekeeping to a place of moving toward one another. Mercy says, "I value our personal connection more than legalism." Mercy lightens our load, by freeing us from holding grudges. When I am lost or overwhelmed, I can show mercy.
The prayer below is not mine; it is simply the lyrics of a song from my childhood. Nevertheless I find it appropriate and I hope you do too.
Let Us Pray:
It's our confession, Lord, that we are weak
So very weak, but you are strong.
And though we've nothing, Lord, to lay at your feet
We come to your feet and say, "Help us along."
A broken heart and a contrite spirit you have yet to deny.
Your heart of mercy beats with love's strong current.
Let the river flow, by your Spirit now, Lord we cry,
Let your mercies fall from heaven
Sweet mercies flow from heaven
New mercies for today
Shower them down Lord, as we pray.
Questions:
What makes mercy such a key part of God's character?
What's one way you can show mercy in your life today?
Day 20 | Sharing Hope | 1 Peter 3:15 NIV
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…
For Reflection:
If someone asked, “Hey, why did you do that kind thing?”
What would you say?
“Oh, I like to be kind.”
“I had the time and space.”
“It wasn’t actually that hard.”
“I believe in treating people the way I want to be treated.”
While all of these can be true, I wonder what it might look like to give them a glimpse of WHO we follow and WHY we live the way we do with both gentleness and respect? What could it look like to share the source of my hope? Is there a way to answer their curiosity and invite them to consider God’s love for them?
Sometimes we show up in kind and helpful ways that give us an opportunity to share our hope. And I also wonder if there’s a way to share this hope even when life gets all lifey and disappointment shows up.
When things are disappointing we can be honest, first with ourselves and then with others, inviting them to know that following Jesus doesn’t make life easier… It's just DIFFERENT when you don’t have to face it all alone. Sharing hope is letting others see what it looks like to walk through what isn't okay, with God right beside us.
Grief is real.
Uncertainty is real.
Hardships are real.
And yet we have hope. Since our hope is not circumstantial we can use whatever situation we find ourselves in to draw closer to God and be open to sharing this with others.
Over the last 19 days we have considered our Holy God who draws us, protects and feeds our souls. We have contemplated God’s steadfast love for us. We have been reminded of God’s presence with us in slimy pits and the way God sees, transforms, forgives, guides, empowers, loves, and offers both peace and mercy.
And how do we stay connected with this Hope?
Psalm 46:10 invites us to “Be still and know I am God.” Think about what happens in the stillness that does not happen in our go-go pace of life. What changes in us when we still not only our bodies but our minds too? Psalm 23 reminds us that the Lord is our Shepherd who wants to lead us beside quiet waters, or peaceful streams. This quiet space with Jesus becomes the foundation of our hope. Connection with God can replenish us and enable us to share the good news of Jesus’ transformative love!
Friends, let’s find these still waters, let’s sit in them until our fingers turn pruny - abiding with Jesus as He restores our souls and empowers us to live out this hope, in our families, in our community and in the world.
Let Us Pray:
Jesus, lover of our souls, we need you. We need you to draw us to these streams of living water where our souls can find satiation for our deep thirst. You are the only One that can satisfy us. May your grace and mercy be fresh on our hearts and lips as we speak of the hope we have in you. May we embody gentleness and respect as we articulate our hope in you. Amen.
Question:
“I wonder what it could look like for someone to encounter the hope of God through me?”
Day 21 | Sent | John 17:18-23 NLT
Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.
I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
For Reflection:
I am grateful for this glimpse into the heart of Jesus as He prays connecting with the heart of God the Father. Before laying down His life for us, Jesus prayed for us. I love knowing this! He prayed about sending us to others in the world, and that each of His followers would be one in Spirit, with Him in God and God in them.
His perspective opens ours, as we sometimes think about “being sent” narrowly, as evangelism and discipleship: proclaiming and doing. Some of us may be daunted by the command; others may pick up and run in our own power and GO! Some simply serve God tirelessly. We can wear ourselves out trying to do enough–holding the promise He is with us always as if it were a possession to carry rather than the source we continuously draw from. He doesn’t send us out on our own, but draws us close to send us in Him. Where do you find yourself on this continuum? As you re-read this excerpt from Jesus’s prayer and reflect, what stands out to you?
I notice what Jesus shares about the driving purpose, His desire. He says, “that the world will believe… know that you sent me and love them as much as you love me.” In other words, that the world – each person – would deeply know His perfect love. That we might be one with all who follow Him, one with Jesus the Son and God the Father, through the Holy Spirit. That from this union, we would respond and go into the world, to all people, drawing our strength and wisdom from Him to guide us.
And here’s the crux: the way we show up in the world matters. How we interact and engage with one another as we go matters: with the people we know and those we don't; those we understand and those we don't; those we agree with, and those we don't; those who look, think, pray, and act like us, and those who don't. Those who disappoint us or condemn us; and those who love, support and encourage us. Neighbors we are loving and those we ignore; those to whom we show mercy and those we refuse.
This challenges me. Am I driven by my agenda or His? Are my words and actions driven by personal human knowledge and wisdom or His? Are we deeply abiding in God as we go? Do our words and actions form through eyes of compassion, a heart that leans in with mercy and love, carrying peace? Seeking oneness in Him and all who follow Him?
Through these 21 days, we have reflected on God’s deep love for us and how living in relationship with Him empowers us to live as His beloved children, opening to His transforming presence in us. It is from this place, we can live, work, study, play and engage in and for the community of faith and the world. From a deep, abiding place of being in God, His image is revealed in the world—that the world might hear, discover, know and experience His love for them–the same love for us, for Jesus, for the world.
And through our going and engaging, might others who may not yet know Him experience His love, maybe even catch a glimpse of His image and come to believe and know God loves them?
Let Us Pray:
Gracious God, we thank you for the gift of life, for your love and the ability to live in faith and hope in our world. Lord, we seek your heart. With my heart tethered to yours as Jesus prayed, would you help me open myself to you more fully and notice areas of resistance and opportunities to grow in oneness in you. As you send me into the world – my world, school, workplace, family and friends, my unique circle of influence, would you give me wisdom and discernment, help me connect and engage in meaningful, life-giving ways. Help me let go of my agendas, lean in and simply engage whole heartedly as you guide, with the love you so generously give. Lord, I pray that the world would know you, your love and sacrifice, and that you love them; may we all be one with and in you and one another. Show us the way to go. We love you and trust you. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.
Questions:
I wonder if disciples in the early church experienced themselves as one? Do I see myself connected and unified with Him and others this way?
How do I feel about the idea of being sent?
Looking back, can I think of someone I engaged with this week who might have experienced God’s love through our interaction in some way? I reflect with God about this.