June 30 - Getting to Jesus

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Mark 2:1-12
2 Peter 2:17-22
Old Testament -
Job 5
Ezekiel 16
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Mark 2:2-4
2 So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.

Insight:
The gospels describe a wide variety of encounters people had with Jesus. It wasn’t always easy to get to Jesus. People shouted, climbed trees, pushed, and strained just to get a glimpse of him. Time after time we see people in the gospel stories overcoming social, physical, political, ethnic, and religious barriers in their struggle to get close to Jesus. So motivated were they by the hope and possibility Jesus offered, they refused to give up.

Response and Action:
I am struck by the persistence of the paralytic and his friends. Though they were hindered, they were undeterred in their efforts to get close to Jesus. The four men were willing to do whatever it took to get their friend next to Jesus.

That's the way I want to pursue Jesus. That's the way I want to help my friends get next to Jesus. Because I believe Jesus offers hope, healing, purpose, and understanding for life, I will be tenacious and unwavering in my efforts to get myself and my friends as close to him as possible.

O God, thank you for all you have given through Jesus. My hope and faith and purpose are in him. Help me to get closer to him every day in any way I can. Help me to press on in order to take hold of that for which he has taken hold of me. Help me to know him through the pages of Scripture, through the witness of the church, and through the indwelling of his Spirit. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Resources:
Following Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship
by N. T. Wright

June 29 - Prayer, Place, and Pattern

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Mark 1:35-45
2 Peter 2:10-16
Old Testament -
Job 4
Ezekiel 13-15
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Mark 1:35-37
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"

Insight:
The demands and distractions of life make it hard to have consistent and uninterrupted prayer times. Jesus made it his practice to pray early in the morning before most people were up. He also found a quiet and private place to pray.

Response and Action:
I will set aside time for prayer and find a place where I can be alone with God. If Jesus needed to commit himself to prayer, how much more do I! Faithfulness to make prayer a mainstay in my life will require intention and routine.

O Lord, thank you for hearing my prayers. Thank you for the ways Jesus teaches me to pray and models commitment to prayer. Help me to make daily prayer a priority. Help me to be consistent and wholehearted in my prayers. Help me to find the right times and the right places for prayer. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Psalm 5:1-3
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. 2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. 3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

Resources:
Praying: Finding Our Way Through Duty to Delight
by J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom

June 28 - Questioning What Is True

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Mark 1:21-34
2 Peter 2:1-9
Old Testament -
Job 3
Ezekiel 9-12
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: 2 Peter 2:1-3
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

Insight:
In the first chapter of this short letter, Peter says the testimony of the prophets and the apostles is trustworthy and inspired by God. In the second chapter he warns of false teachers who invent their stories and teachings. He says that false teachers are marked by: 1) their denial of God's sovereignty; 2) their shameful ways; and 3) their greed and exploitation of others.

Peter urged Christians to exercise discernment. Not everyone who claims to be teaching the truth of God is doing so. Followers of Jesus must be careful that they are not lead astray by so-called prophets and teachers. Truth stands up to questioning. Having faith does not mean being gullible. Well-placed faith looks for reasons to believe.

Response and Action:
I need to be careful about whom I listen to and whom I follow. I want to follow Jesus, so I will study the Scriptures carefully everyday. I will hold every teaching and story I hear up to the light of Christ's teaching and example. I will be on guard against every teaching that diminishes God or questions the lordship of Jesus. I will evaluate teachers and leaders with a critical mindset and watch out for any indicators of greed, exploitation, or other selfish motives.

O God, your word is sharper than a two edged sword -- able to cut through the attitudes and motives of the heart. Give me a growing love for your written word and the discipline to study and meditate upon it each day. Thank you for Jesus, the Living Word. Help me to follow him closely and to become so familiar with his words, his actions, and his life that I am able to clearly recognize and reject anything that runs contrary to his way. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 John 4:1
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Resources:
God Talk: Cautions for Those Who Hear God's Voice
by Ruth Tucker

Reading Schedule for June 28 - July 3

2 Peter 1:19-21
19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Schedule and Tips:
2009-10 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

June 28 -
Mark 1:21-34 / 2 Peter 2:1-9
Job 3 / Ezekiel 9-12

June 29 -
Mark 1:35-45 / 2 Peter 2:10-16
Job 4 / Ezekiel 13-15

June 30 -
Mark 2:1-12 / 2 Peter 2:17-22
Job 5 / Ezekiel 16

July 1 -
Mark 2:13-17 / 2 Peter 3:1-9
Job 6 / Ezekiel 17-19

July 2 -
Mark 2:18-28 / 2 Peter 3:10-18
Job 7 / Ezekiel 20-21

July 3 -
Mark 3:1-19 / 1 John1:1-4
Job 8 / Ezekiel 22-23

June 26 - Here and Now

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Mark 1:9-20
2 Peter 1:12-21
Old Testament -
Job 2
Ezekiel 4-8
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Mark 1:14-15
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Insight:
Jesus proclaimed the good news of God. He declared that the kingdom of God was near. His authority and message were demonstrated and confirmed through the amazing miracles he performed. He cast out evil spirits and healed the sick. God's power to save and redeem and transform had come close by in the person of Jesus. The Christian hope of an eventual reconciliation and renewal of all things is rooted in the message and ministry of Jesus—the promise that one day the kingdom will come in all its fullness.

Response and Action:
The nearness of the kingdom of God is good news. I want to receive and experience the good news of God. I also want to bless others and change my world by living out the good news. I will recognize Jesus' authority and follow him. I will come to Jesus for healing and hope, and I will point others to Jesus. I will cultivate an awareness of God's presence and work in the world. I will commit myself to God, that he might use me to bring his kingdom to earth.

Our Father who fills the heavens, holy is your name. I long to see your kingdom come—your will lived out on earth as in heaven. Give me the wisdom to recognize Jesus' authority. Help me to follow him and to make every effort to advance his kingdom agenda. Help me to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Through Christ, Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Matthew 6:9-13
9 "This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' "

Resources:
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church
by N. T. Wright

June 25 - Suffering and Blessing

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Mark 1:1-8
2 Peter 1:1-11
Old Testament -
Job 1
Ezekiel 1-3
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Job 1:9-11
9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."

Insight:
The writer of Job begins Job's story with Satan making an accusation against God. It's a wonderful dramatic literary device that sets the stage for an epic contemplation on the meaning of suffering and the problem of pain. Where is God and why does he allow suffering? Satan charges God with bribery. "The only reason people serve and worship God," he said, "is because God pays them off with blessing and comfort."

Response and Action:
Why do I honor and praise God? Is it because he is God—my maker, the giver of life, and only wise almighty sovereign? Or is it because I am looking to him for health, success, prosperity, and comfort? Does God have to buy my praise? Would I honor him and acknowledge him if there were no obvious benefit in it for me?

The Scriptures, my life experience, and the testimony of others show me that God does, indeed, bless those who trust in him. They also teach me, however, that a person who truly trusts God will give honor and praise even in times of suffering. The Lord God is God regardless of my circumstances. The truest praise and deepest reverence I can offer God is the worship, faith, and loyalty I give when there is no apparent benefit for myself.

O God, you give and take away. Blessed be your name in times of plenty. Blessed be your name in times of need. My lips will praise you in times of prosperity, and in times of trial and loss. I want to exalt you whether by life, or by death. Teach me the secret of being content in any and every situation. I pray this through Christ Jesus, my Lord, who in faith looked past his trials and hardship to the eternal joy set before him, and endured the cross, scorning its shame. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Philippians 4:12-13
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Resources:
The Problem of Pain
by C. S. Lewis

June 24 - Worship and Doubt

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Matthew 28:11-20
1 Peter 5:8-14
Old Testament -
Song of Songs 8:8-14
Lamentations 4-5
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Matthew 28:16-20
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Insight:
Faith and doubt live closer together than most people think. In fact, they actually depend on each other. You cannot wrestle with doubts unless you are considering what to believe. You cannot have faith unless you wrestle through the doubts and questions that surround it.

Here at the conclusion of Matthew's gospel, the disciples worship Jesus, but some have doubts. Who can blame them? They had seen Jesus beaten and crucified and his lifeless body buried in a tomb. It must have been absolutely mind boggling--almost unbelievable--to now look into his face and hear his voice.

I'm glad Matthew included this important detail and didn't hide their doubt from us. As the disciples accepted Jesus' authority, obeyed his command, and experienced his ongoing presence in their lives, their doubts seem to have faded and their faith increased.

Response and Action:
I will be honest about my doubts. It is possible to be with Jesus and worship him and still have doubts. Like the disciples, I can wrestle through my doubts and grow in my faith as I worship Jesus, accept his authority, live in obedience to him, and cultivate my awareness of his presence in my life.

O Lord, increase my faith. Thank you for your mercy to those who doubt. Show yourself to me in new ways everyday. Confirm the truth of your word as I live by it. Guide me and give me a growing awareness of your abiding presence. Help me to discover the solid ground of faith as I put your words into practice. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Colossians 2:6-8
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Resources:
Faith AND Doubt
by John Ortberg

June 23 - I Will Wait for Him

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Matthew 28:1-10
1 Peter 5:1-7
Old Testament -
Song of Songs 8:1-7
Lamentations 3
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Lamentations 3:19-26
19 I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. 21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." 25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; 26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Insight:
Remembering sins and failures can be a bitter experience. Looking back and realizing the time wasted pursuing the wrong things down the wrong paths can be depressing. In those moments of recognition and evaluation, Jeremiah called to mind God's love.

Even though he was facing a terrible situation, he realized that things could be worse. He brought to mind God's compassion and mercy. He was able to hope in the Lord and his great faithfulness. He recognized his need for God's salvation, and trusted in God’s goodness to those who seek and wait on him. He believed that by God's grace there was a promising future beyond the painful present.

Response & Action:
Remembering sins and failures can be a bitter. Looking back and realizing the time wasted pursuing the wrong things down the wrong paths can be depressing. In those moments of recognition and evaluation, Jeremiah called to mind God's love.

Even though he was facing a terrible situation, he realized that things could be worse. He brought to mind God's compassion and mercy. He was able to hope in the Lord and his great faithfulness. He recognized his need for God's salvation, and trusted in God’s goodness to those who seek and wait on him.

Response and Action:
When I am depressed or overwhelmed, I will hope in the Lord. I will acknowledge my sin and my need for God's salvation. I will wait on God, believing that he is good and able to save and renew me. I trust that God can use sad and bitter times to refine me, strengthen me, and lead me to maturity. Every day is a new day with new possibilities and new mercies from God's hand.

O God, your faithfulness to your people is so great!

Every morning mercies new fall as fresh as morning dew.
Every morning I will pay tribute with the early day.
For your promises are sure; your compassions still endure.

Still the greatness of your love daily does my sins remove.
Daily, far as east from west, lifts the burden from the breast.
Gives unbought to those who pray, strength to stand in every day.

As the morning light returns, as the sun with splendor burns,
I will turn my eyes to Thee, Everblessed Trinity,
With my heart and hands to raise in unfailing prayer and praise.

Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Resources:
Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent
by Ben Patterson

June 22 - Come Away with Me

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Matthew 27:57-66
1 Peter 4:12-19
Old Testament -
Song of Songs 7
Lamentations 2
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Song of Songs 7:10-12
10 I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me. 11 Come, my lover, let us go to the countryside, let us spend the night in the villages. 12 Let us go early to the vineyards to see if the vines have budded, if their blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates are in bloom— there I will give you my love.

Insight:
Jesus teaches us that in marriage "A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. What God has joined together, let no one separate" (Mark 10:7-8). In Song of Songs, this oneness is described by the voice of the beloved as "I belong to my love, and his desire is for me."

Getting away for some time alone together is an important way couples can nurture this oneness. A weekend in the countryside, a walk in the park, a few days away at a bed and breakfast, or a day trip and picnic can do a lot to rekindle intimacy. Time alone celebrates the friendship and fans the flames of desire.

Husbands and wives need to make sure the demands of work and the daily grind of ongoing responsibilities (family, parenting, work, and home) do not reduce their relationship to a task sharing arrangement. They need to be more than committed partners in life, they need to be lovers who enjoy and desire one another.

Response & Action:
Time alone with my wife is a priority I must keep. A short time together each morning for conversation, coffee, and prayer has proven to be a real benefit to our relationship. Planning days and evenings to get away and just enjoy each other is critical to our friendship and marriage. These things don't just happen, so I will be intentional about getting ideas on the calendar. We will also be careful to choose to do things that give us the most opportunity to talk and interact with each other.

O God, thank you for my wife. Give us the wisdom to take time for each other. Thanks for days every now and then that afford us the opportunity to put the rest of life on hold. Give us hearts for each other, and give us the contentment and satisfaction that come from knowing we belong to each other, and that together we belong to you. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 13:4
4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Resources:
Your Time-Starved Marriage: How to Stay Connected at the Speed of Life
by Dr. Les Parrott III

June 21 - I Have Been Rebellious

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Matthew 27:45-56
1 Peter 4:1-11
Old Testament -
Song of Songs 6
Lamentations 1
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Lamentations 1:18-20
18 "The LORD is righteous, yet I rebelled against his command. Listen, all you peoples; look upon my suffering. My young men and maidens have gone into exile. 19 "I called to my allies but they betrayed me. My priests and my elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive. 20 "See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death."

Insight:
Lamentations is the song of mourning and repentance the prophet Jeremiah offers up to God in the wake of the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people into captivity. The prophets didn't just point a finger and deliver words of judgment, they identified with the sin of their people—the very sin they spoke against. Notice how Jeremiah says, "I have rebelled. I am distressed. I am in torment within. I have been most rebellious."

No person, even the person who is declaring God's righteousness and warning of God's judgment, has the right to judge or condemn. Jeremiah was wise enough and humble enough to see that even he was guilty before God. Even though he was in the position of preaching against sin, he was able to identify with his people and recognize the sin in himself.

Response & Action:
I want to recognize sin, take it seriously, and turn away from it. I want to speak out against sin and encourage others to turn away from it. I must be careful to always see my own sin. I must never speak out against sin or condemn others as though I am without sin or above them.

I will always give my attention to the plank in my own eye before I worry about the speck in someone else's eye. I will identify with other sinners and come alongside them in their struggles to overcome sin. In every thought and conversation about sin, I will examine my own life first and then consider how I and others can turn toward God for forgiveness and redemption.

Have mercy on me, O God. I am a sinner. Help me to turn away from what is wrong and to do what is right. Lead me away from temptation. Deliver me from evil. Create in me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit within me. Restore and redeem me. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Proverbs: 20:9
"Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin"?

Resources:
Never Beyond Hope: How God Touches & Uses Imperfect People
by J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom

Reading Schedule for June 21 - 26

Mark 4:13-20
13 Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."

Schedule and Tips:
2009-10 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

June 21 - Matthew 27:45-56 / 1 Peter 4:1-11
Song of Songs 6 / Lamentations 1

June 22 -
Matthew 27:57-66 / 1 Peter 4:12-19
Song of Songs 7 / Lamentations 2

June 23 -
Matthew 28:1-10 / 1 Peter 5:1-7
Song of Songs 8:1-7 / Lamentations 3

June 24 -
Matthew 28:11-20 / 1 Peter 5:8-14
Song of Songs 8:8-14 / Lamentations 4-5

June 25 -
Mark 1:1-8 / 2 Peter 1:1-11
Job 1 / Ezekiel 1-3

June 26 -
Mark 1:9-20 / 2 Peter 1:12-21
Job 2 / Ezekiel 4-8

June 19 - He Saves Others

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Matthew 27:27-44
1 Peter 3:13-22
Old Testament -
Song of Songs 5
Jeremiah 52
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Matthew 27:39-42
39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.

Insight:
Ironically, those who mocked Jesus on the cross were inadvertently making a profound observation when they said, "He saved others, but he can't save himself." Jesus emptied himself and freely laid down his life in order to save others. If he had saved himself, he could not have saved others.

Christ's death opened the door for “reconciliation to God” (Romans 5:11). By his death he destroys the power of death and frees us from bondage and the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14,15). Instead of saving himself, he saves others.

Response & Action:
Jesus gave himself freely in order to save others. His death on the cross was the means to salvation for all who look to him in faith. I want to take hold of the new life Jesus died to give me. I want to follow Christ's example of faithfulness to God and personal sacrifice for the salvation and life of others.

O Lord, thank you that Jesus saves. Thank you for the great sacrifice he made in order to save me. Help me to be responsive to him, and to love him with all my heart. Teach me to follow his example, to give of myself, and to lay down my life for others. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 John 3:16
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

Resources:
The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways That Jesus Is the Way
by Eugene H. Peterson

June 18 - Deceitful Speech

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Matthew 27:11-26
1 Peter 3:8-12
Old Testament -
Song of Songs 4:8-16
Jeremiah 51
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: 1 Peter 3:8-10
8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

Insight:
Harmony, sympathy, brotherhood, compassion, and humility are hallmarks of faith. The way we interact and relate with others, whether friends or foes, is part of the calling and inheritance of those who follow Jesus. The words of our mouths give evidence of the depth and maturity of our spiritual formation. When our hearts are formed and motivated by the redemptive grace and peace of Christ, we will not return insult for insult or evil for evil.

Response & Action:
If I am truly following Christ, and allowing him to shape and guide my heart and mind, my attitudes and words should demonstrate it. I do not want bitter or unkind words to be my first response when I am offended, hurt, or insulted. I want my speech and attitudes to be driven and shaped by what Christ Jesus would have me say and think.

O God, by the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, transform my heart and mind. Unkind and mean words are too easily spoken when I face difficulties and offense in my own strength. I want you to shape and guide the attitudes of my heart, the thoughts of my mind, and the words of my mouth. Give me the wisdom and the will to surrender to you so fully that all my dealings with other people are rooted in the redemptive love of Jesus. It is in his gracious name that I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: James 3:9-12
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Resources:
The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others
by Scot McKnight

June 17 - Lost Sheep

Today's Readings:
New Testament -
Matthew 27:1-10
1 Peter 3:1-7
Old Testament -
Song of Songs 4:1-7
Jeremiah 50
Click on Text Links to Read Online

Focus Verses: Jeremiah 50:4-6
4 "In those days, at that time," declares the LORD, "the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the LORD their God. 5 They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten. 6 My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place."

Insight:
God's plan for redemption is the deeper theme that runs below and beyond all of Jeremiah's words of judgment. When reading the Old Testament prophets, it can be a little wearisome reading all the woes. It's important to find the silver thread of hope and redemption that winds its way through the prophetic tapestry. God's desire was (and is) to move people from straying to seeking, from rejection to relationship, from corruption to covenant, and from roaming to resting.

Response & Action:
God is the source of life and blessing. Those who wander away from Him are bound to suffer loss and hardship. I need to be careful about who I follow, because some "shepherds" and "leaders" are going the wrong way. I must also be careful to not let pride or self-confidence cause me to lose sight of my need for God. I need to seek God with my whole heart, and turn my face toward Him.

O Great Shepherd, show me your ways and draw me to yourself. Don't let me stray from you, but instead, help me to find my path, my hope, my stability, and my rest in you. Lead me into truth and life through your Word, your Spirit, your people, your promises, and all that is beautiful and true. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: John 10:27-28
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

Resources:
Following After God
by Daniel Hill