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Listening is the Heart of Our Ministry
Listening is the heart of our ministry here at The Upper Room. In July, I traveled Read More
Judy Skeen | Read Psalm 147:1-11, 20
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Sign Up TodayAt work in the world is a force of wholeness. It can be unseen and misunderstood, overlooked and discounted. At the heart of the created order resides the heart of the Creator who remains unimpressed by displays of power, unmoved by haste.
Over time human culture has created a split...
Praise to you, O God, for creating us to walk together and to care for one another. Show us yourself; quicken us to see our partnership with you in bringing wholeness to all life. Amen.
What is the ultimate source of our strength? All the authors for this week come to the same conclusion: True strength comes from the Lord. Isaiah asks his audience: Who is like God? God never grows weary and provides unfailing strength to those who wait for God. The psalmist praises God as the one who lifts up those who are beaten down. It is not those with human strength who are truly mighty but those empowered by God. In Corinthians, Paul states that he has laid down any form of his own strength so that the gospel may advance. Jesus heals many in Mark as a demonstration of his power over the physical world. Thus, God’s power is not just a metaphor but a reality.
• Read Isaiah 40:21-31. When has your focus on past events or ones yet to come caused an inability to perceive God’s work in the present?
• Read Psalm 147:1-11, 20c. What part of your life bears witness to humanity’s desire for winners and losers? How can you help others see God’s desire for wholeness?
• Read 1 Corinthians 9:16-23. What behaviors are you willing to take on or give up “for the sake of the gospel”?
• Read Mark 1:29-39. What intrigues you about the pattern of concealment and revelation in Jesus’ life that Mark’s Gospel portrays?
Respond by posting a prayer.
"Often we pray expecting God to take away our problems. Prayer usually doesn't change our circumstances, but it can change our reaction to them. If we can relinquish control and give everything to God, we may find greater clarity. Whatever we are going through, God is with us. And God is bigger than any problem we might face."
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