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God is Doing a New Thing
It’s a new year, a new beginning. And we at The Upper Room feel the excitement Read More
Gwendolynn Purushotham | Read Luke 13:31-35
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Sign Up TodayHow often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” What a tender and helpless image! What a soulful lament. God understands the depth of our yearning and sorrow.
Jesus’ heart is broken. It has been...
O God, who came as love in Jesus, continue to pursue us with your unstoppable love and mercy until we finally allow you to enfold us beneath your wings. Amen.
This week’s readings give witness to the ways of God and provide confidence and hope in our faith. In Genesis we read of God’s promise to Abram, a promise that seems very unlikely to a man with no children. But God seals the covenant, and the story later shows that God never breaks God’s promises. The psalmist even while mired in conflict praises God for being his light, his salvation, his stronghold. The psalmist longs to be in God’s presence forever, a desire that can inspire all of us as believers. Paul says that in the future reality, we will no longer experience resistance from those who oppose God. One day Christ will fully transform us to our citizenship in heaven. Jesus himself experienced resistance even in Jerusalem, yet he ultimately triumphs, as will all those who trust in God.
Read Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18. How can you take a step forward in the dark toward God’s seemingly impossible promises for the future?
Read Psalm 27. Recall a time when you waited in the shadows of your life. What did you learn about God’s provision during this time?
Read Philippians 3:17–4:1. How do you live in the paradox of standing firm in faith by being vulnerable?
Read Luke 13:31-35. When have you been unwilling to accept love? How can you comprehend the depth and yearning of God’s love for you?
Respond by posting a prayer.
"God doesn’t just save us for heaven in the future. God saves our hearts and souls and bodies in the here and now. God cares about our whole person, just as we are." Read more.
