The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "The Bruised Reed" for Wednesday, 28 December 2016 with Scripture: Isaiah 42:1 “Here is my servant, whom I support,
my chosen one, in whom I take pleasure.
I have put my Spirit on him;
he will bring justice to the Goyim.
2 He will not cry or shout;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
3 He will not snap off a broken reed
or snuff out a smoldering wick.
He will bring forth justice according to truth;
4 he will not weaken or be crushed
until he has established justice on the earth,
and the coastlands wait for his Torah.”
5 Thus says God, Adonai,
who created the heavens and spread them out,
who stretched out the earth and all that grows from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk on it:
6 “I, Adonai, called you righteously,
I took hold of you by the hand,
I shaped you and made you a covenant for the people,
to be a light for the Goyim,
7 so that you can open blind eyes,
free the prisoners from confinement,
those living in darkness from the dungeon.
8 I am Adonai; that is my name.
I yield my glory to no one else,
nor my praise to any idol.
9 See how the former predictions come true;
and now new things do I declare —
before they sprout I tell you about them.”
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A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice.[Isaiah 42:3 (NIV)]
Early civilizations developed methods to transform reeds into paper, papyrus, and also to weave them into baskets, mats, and rope. Reeds were functional and beautiful. In contrast, a bruised reed was not beautiful and appeared to be useless.
Similarly, a bruise on our skin is a visible sign of injury. We can see the bruise, but the damage is deeper. I am bruised because I bear the mark of sexual abuse. But the words from Isaiah quoted above brought me peace and understanding; Jesus is a gentle and compassionate savior. Jesus understands loneliness and physical pain. He has felt the sting of injustice. With empathy and understanding, Jesus bends down to us and tends to the bruised reed. He will not snuff out our faith even when it flickers. He promises also that in time, he will faithfully bring forth justice.
Jesus noticed me and recognized that I was fragile. Because of Jesus, I may be bruised, but I am not broken.
The Author: Jennifer Dudding (New South Wales, Australia)
Thought for the Day: Jesus is the suffering servant who has experienced our pain.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for understanding our pain and for healing and transforming us. Amen.
Prayer focus: SURVIVORS OF ABUSE
Early civilizations developed methods to transform reeds into paper, papyrus, and also to weave them into baskets, mats, and rope. Reeds were functional and beautiful. In contrast, a bruised reed was not beautiful and appeared to be useless.
Similarly, a bruise on our skin is a visible sign of injury. We can see the bruise, but the damage is deeper. I am bruised because I bear the mark of sexual abuse. But the words from Isaiah quoted above brought me peace and understanding; Jesus is a gentle and compassionate savior. Jesus understands loneliness and physical pain. He has felt the sting of injustice. With empathy and understanding, Jesus bends down to us and tends to the bruised reed. He will not snuff out our faith even when it flickers. He promises also that in time, he will faithfully bring forth justice.
Jesus noticed me and recognized that I was fragile. Because of Jesus, I may be bruised, but I am not broken.
The Author: Jennifer Dudding (New South Wales, Australia)
Thought for the Day: Jesus is the suffering servant who has experienced our pain.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for understanding our pain and for healing and transforming us. Amen.
Prayer focus: SURVIVORS OF ABUSE
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The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Seek and Call" for Tuesday, 27 December 2016 with Scripture: Psalm 139:(0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai, you have probed me, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I stand up,
you discern my inclinations from afar,
3 you scrutinize my daily activities.
You are so familiar with all my ways
4 that before I speak even a word, Adonai,
you know all about it already.
5 You have hemmed me in both behind and in front
and laid your hand on me.
6 Such wonderful knowledge is beyond me,
far too high for me to reach.
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I climb up to heaven, you are there;
if I lie down in Sh’ol, you are there.
9 If I fly away with the wings of the dawn
and land beyond the sea,
10 even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Let darkness surround me,
let the light around me be night,”
12 even darkness like this
is not too dark for you;
rather, night is as clear as day,
darkness and light are the same.
13 For you fashioned my inmost being,
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I thank you because I am awesomely made,
wonderfully; your works are wonders —
I know this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes could see me as an embryo,
but in your book all my days were already written;
my days had been shaped
before any of them existed.
17 God, how I prize your thoughts!
How many of them there are!
18 If I count them, there are more than grains of sand;
if I finish the count, I am still with you.
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The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Seek and Call" for Tuesday, 27 December 2016 with Scripture: Psalm 139:(0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai, you have probed me, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I stand up,
you discern my inclinations from afar,
3 you scrutinize my daily activities.
You are so familiar with all my ways
4 that before I speak even a word, Adonai,
you know all about it already.
5 You have hemmed me in both behind and in front
and laid your hand on me.
6 Such wonderful knowledge is beyond me,
far too high for me to reach.
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I climb up to heaven, you are there;
if I lie down in Sh’ol, you are there.
9 If I fly away with the wings of the dawn
and land beyond the sea,
10 even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Let darkness surround me,
let the light around me be night,”
12 even darkness like this
is not too dark for you;
rather, night is as clear as day,
darkness and light are the same.
13 For you fashioned my inmost being,
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I thank you because I am awesomely made,
wonderfully; your works are wonders —
I know this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes could see me as an embryo,
but in your book all my days were already written;
my days had been shaped
before any of them existed.
17 God, how I prize your thoughts!
How many of them there are!
18 If I count them, there are more than grains of sand;
if I finish the count, I am still with you.
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The LORD says, “When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me”[Jeremiah 29:13 (NRSV)]
I remember a time when I was seeking the Lord for guidance regarding a job opportunity. Every aspect of the position seemed right except for one: my wife and I would have to move to Southeast Asia — away from our family, friends, church, and country. I prayed, fasted, studied the Bible, and sought advice from trusted friends. For months I diligently sought the Lord’s direction. I truly wanted to know God’s will, but in the course of my seeking I also found myself asking, “Do I truly want to know God?”
I realized that God wants to be sought not only for answers but for a deeper relationship. For me, this type of seeking extends beyond my normal daily prayers. It requires an immersion into God’s word at a level that allows inspiration to overwhelm me with truth and awe.
God is always present. Even so, scripture still encourages us to seek God. Reading Psalm 139 and Isaiah 55 can help us to ponder the majesty, glory, and goodness of God and to realize that the God who formed us is great and always present. Such meditation and reflection can help us to go beyond seeking answers to our questions or solutions to our problems to finding true relationship with God.
The Author: Gary A. Miller (California, USA)
Thought for the Day: Today I will seek God for more than just answers.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to seek you with our whole heart so that we may honor you all of our days. Amen.
Prayer focus: SOMEONE SEEKING DISCERNMENT ABOUT A JOB
I remember a time when I was seeking the Lord for guidance regarding a job opportunity. Every aspect of the position seemed right except for one: my wife and I would have to move to Southeast Asia — away from our family, friends, church, and country. I prayed, fasted, studied the Bible, and sought advice from trusted friends. For months I diligently sought the Lord’s direction. I truly wanted to know God’s will, but in the course of my seeking I also found myself asking, “Do I truly want to know God?”
I realized that God wants to be sought not only for answers but for a deeper relationship. For me, this type of seeking extends beyond my normal daily prayers. It requires an immersion into God’s word at a level that allows inspiration to overwhelm me with truth and awe.
God is always present. Even so, scripture still encourages us to seek God. Reading Psalm 139 and Isaiah 55 can help us to ponder the majesty, glory, and goodness of God and to realize that the God who formed us is great and always present. Such meditation and reflection can help us to go beyond seeking answers to our questions or solutions to our problems to finding true relationship with God.
The Author: Gary A. Miller (California, USA)
Thought for the Day: Today I will seek God for more than just answers.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to seek you with our whole heart so that we may honor you all of our days. Amen.
Prayer focus: SOMEONE SEEKING DISCERNMENT ABOUT A JOB
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The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "One More Thing" for Monday, 26 December 2016 with Scripture: Matthew 19:16 A man approached Yeshua and said, “Rabbi, what good thing should I do in order to have eternal life?” He said to him, 17 “Why are you asking me about good? There is One who is good! But if you want to obtain eternal life, observe the mitzvot.” 18 The man asked him, “Which ones?” and Yeshua said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony [Matthew 19:18 Exodus 20:13(13–16); Deuteronomy 5:17(17–20)] 19 honor father and mother [Matthew 19:19 Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16] and love your neighbor as yourself.”[Matthew 19:19 Leviticus 19:18] 20 The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; where do I still fall short?” 21 Yeshua said to him, “If you are serious about reaching the goal, go and sell your possessions, give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me!” 22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he was wealthy.
23 Then Yeshua said to his talmidim, “Yes. I tell you that it will be very hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 Furthermore, I tell you that it is easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” 25 When the talmidim heard this they were utterly amazed. “Then who,” they asked, “can be saved?” 26 Yeshua looked at them and said, “Humanly, this is impossible; but with God everything is possible.” 27 Kefa replied, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. So what will we have?” 28 Yeshua said to them, “Yes. I tell you that in the regenerated world, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Isra’el. 29 Everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times more, and he will obtain eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
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The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "One More Thing" for Monday, 26 December 2016 with Scripture: Matthew 19:16 A man approached Yeshua and said, “Rabbi, what good thing should I do in order to have eternal life?” He said to him, 17 “Why are you asking me about good? There is One who is good! But if you want to obtain eternal life, observe the mitzvot.” 18 The man asked him, “Which ones?” and Yeshua said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony [Matthew 19:18 Exodus 20:13(13–16); Deuteronomy 5:17(17–20)] 19 honor father and mother [Matthew 19:19 Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16] and love your neighbor as yourself.”[Matthew 19:19 Leviticus 19:18] 20 The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; where do I still fall short?” 21 Yeshua said to him, “If you are serious about reaching the goal, go and sell your possessions, give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me!” 22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he was wealthy.
23 Then Yeshua said to his talmidim, “Yes. I tell you that it will be very hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 Furthermore, I tell you that it is easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” 25 When the talmidim heard this they were utterly amazed. “Then who,” they asked, “can be saved?” 26 Yeshua looked at them and said, “Humanly, this is impossible; but with God everything is possible.” 27 Kefa replied, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. So what will we have?” 28 Yeshua said to them, “Yes. I tell you that in the regenerated world, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Isra’el. 29 Everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times more, and he will obtain eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
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Jesus said, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”[Matthew 19:21 (NRSV)]
Our church has had a long-standing relationship with the elementary school down the hill from us. Church members provide for students’ material needs — from school supplies to underwear. Recently church and school leaders have been designing a weekly mentoring program where church members would go to the school during lunch periods and visit with children in need of encouragement. While some in the church were excited about this new opportunity, others raised questions like, “We already provide supplies to the school — why should we do more?” Echoing the rich young ruler in today’s reading, I agreed, thinking, We already do a lot for the school. We’re doing our part. What do we still lack?
Like the rich young ruler, we may think we’ve got it all figured out. So we say to Jesus, “I’ve done everything you’ve asked! What do I still lack?” In my case, Jesus said to me, “If you wish to be perfect, go, give your time to the children of the school in your mission field; then come, follow me.”
Jesus still calls us to God’s perfection — to grow in our awareness of God’s grace and in our understanding of his call on our lives. And Jesus calls us to do one more thing: “If you wish to be perfect, go.”
The Author: Walt Garrett (Arkansas, USA)
Thought for the Day: In what way do I resemble the rich young ruler?
Prayer: As you look at us with love, Prince of Peace, challenge us to live more fully with you by your word of truth. Amen.
Prayer focus: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
Our church has had a long-standing relationship with the elementary school down the hill from us. Church members provide for students’ material needs — from school supplies to underwear. Recently church and school leaders have been designing a weekly mentoring program where church members would go to the school during lunch periods and visit with children in need of encouragement. While some in the church were excited about this new opportunity, others raised questions like, “We already provide supplies to the school — why should we do more?” Echoing the rich young ruler in today’s reading, I agreed, thinking, We already do a lot for the school. We’re doing our part. What do we still lack?
Like the rich young ruler, we may think we’ve got it all figured out. So we say to Jesus, “I’ve done everything you’ve asked! What do I still lack?” In my case, Jesus said to me, “If you wish to be perfect, go, give your time to the children of the school in your mission field; then come, follow me.”
Jesus still calls us to God’s perfection — to grow in our awareness of God’s grace and in our understanding of his call on our lives. And Jesus calls us to do one more thing: “If you wish to be perfect, go.”
The Author: Walt Garrett (Arkansas, USA)
Thought for the Day: In what way do I resemble the rich young ruler?
Prayer: As you look at us with love, Prince of Peace, challenge us to live more fully with you by your word of truth. Amen.
Prayer focus: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
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