LET'S PRAY TOGETHER Lord, let our souls rise up to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Father, we lift up Austria, Eritrea, Micronesia, Senegal, Panama and our brothers and sisters in Christ in these countries. Lord, comfort for the sick, lonely and helpless. Guide the policy makers and administrators trying to make decisions. Lift up the healthcare workers around the world. May the peace of the Lord Christ go with us: wherever He may send us; may You guide us through the wilderness: protect us through the storm; may You bring us home rejoicing: at the wonders You have shown us; may You bring us home rejoicing once again into our doors. Amen
MEDITATION “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) Let’s continue to marinate on the images that we saw in the Bible Project video on justice (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A14THPoc4-4). In Matthew 11, at the beginning of His ministry Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah and proclaims that this prophecy is being fulfilled. Isaiah 42:1-7 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.” 5 This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. Jesus identifies how he will bring justice and it continues to illuminate the image of “restorative justice”. He identifies the weak and disenfranchised as His target for freedom and healing; the blind, prisoners, and those in bondage. His message is for the whole world not just God’s people and He is compassionate towards those who are barely hanging on (bruised reeds and smoldering wicks). Does reading or re-reading this passage bring any surprises? -nicole * from the Bible Project video on Justice
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING Our daily scripture reading comes from the following link… http://listenersbible.com/devotionals/biy/ If you have any insights into our daily readings, please feel free to share them with me. I would encourage you to visit https://bibleproject.com/explore/ecclesiastes/ for an overview of Ecclesiastes and https://bibleproject.com/explore/1-corinthians/ for an overview of Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. These videos will help with the “big picture” and the main themes. Ecclesiastes 9:13-12:14 Are you someone who enjoyed reading Ecclesiastes? Once we have waded through the entire book, here at the end we find everything summed up… “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” What does this mean to you? 1 Corinthians 9:1-18 Paul is talking about his “rights” as one who preaches the gospel. What rights does he list and has he claimed those rights? Why or why not? (verse 3) Psalm 96:1-13 How does the psalmist talk about God’s coming judgment? Why does he feel the way he feels?