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“The joy from the Lord is your strength!”
Wednesday, 2 August 2017
Nehemiah 8:8 They read clearly from the scroll, in the Torah of God, translated it, and enabled them to understand the sense of what was being read.
9 Nechemyah the Tirshata, ‘Ezra the cohen and Torah-teacher and the L’vi’im who taught the people said to all the people, “Today is consecrated to Adonai your God; don’t be mournful, don’t weep.” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the Torah. 10 Then he said to them, “Go, eat rich food, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who can’t provide for themselves; for today is consecrated to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of Adonai is your strength.”
9:5 Then the L’vi’im Yeshua, Kadmi’el, Bani, Hashavn’yah, Sherevyah, Hodiyah, Sh’vanyah and P’tachyah said, “Stand up, and bless Adonai your God from everlasting to everlasting; let them say:
“‘Blessed be your glorious name,
exalted above all blessing and praise!
6 “‘You are Adonai, you alone.
You made heaven,
the heaven of heavens, with all their array,
the earth and all the things that are in it,
the seas and all that is in them;
and you preserve them all.
The army of heaven worships you.
-------
Since Israel had been in exile in Babylon for a generation or two, Ezra and Nehemiah believed a public reading of God’s law (possibly the book of Deuteronomy) would help get everybody “on the same page.” At the reading, though, some people wept, seeing just rules and work. But Nehemiah told them that the path to being God’s deeply committed followers ran through what he called “the joy of the Lord.”
• When Persia first let Israel’s exiles return to Jerusalem, it brought dizzying joy (cf. Psalm 126:1-3). But for too many Israelites the joy was apparently just about their physical circumstances, not about God’s role in their lives. That kind of joy faded in the face of the challenges of rebuilding their ruined land and capital city. What has helped you to see following God not as a joyless burden, but as a privilege pointing the way to true joy in life?
• The Babylonians, like most Middle Eastern peoples of that day, worshipped numerous deities. Nehemiah 9:6 in Hebrew was worded to teach that Yahweh, Israel’s God, was in a class by himself. In what ways have you found that God is more worthy of loyalty and worship in your life than any of the “gods” (e.g. materialism, success, personal pleasure) that our culture tends to serve?
Prayer: Lord God, I want to experience your deep joy in whatever life brings my way, because you are in the center of my life. Help me grow in my comprehension that you are truly in a class by yourself. Amen.
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Jennifer Creagar
Jennifer Creagar is the Financial Care Program Director in Congregational Care at Resurrection Leawood. She is married and loves spending time with her family, and she enjoys writing and photography.Recently, one of my favorite writers, Joe Posnanski, published a list of 50 Things That Make Me Happy. You can find it by clicking here. It’s a fun, random, list of things that make him smile. It prompted some entertaining conversation in my family about the random things that make us happy. Mine included (in no particular order) Buck O’Neill singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” on the Royals' commercial, my new kitten, and having my whole family under one roof for any length of time. The silliest thing on my list was probably a baseball superstition involving the position of a bobblehead on my mantle, and the most serious was my delight in seeing the words “cancer” and “survivor” together next to anyone’s name, including my own.
In today’s GPS, we read about something more than the smiles we get from the random good things in our lives. Those delights, large and small, are wonderful and God wants us to enjoy them all. Scripture tells us there is a deeper joy that only comes from being truly connected and committed to being one of God’s followers. Jesus called it “Living Water” (John 4:10). In today’s reading, Nehemiah reminds Israel that God is unique, not just one more of the “Things that Make Us Happy”:
You alone are the LORD.
You alone made heaven, even the heaven of heavens, with all their forces.
You made the earth and all that is on it, and the seas and all that is in them.
You preserve them all, and the heavenly forces worship you. (Nehemiah 9:6)
In Psalm 16:11, the psalmist tells us:You make known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in your presence,
With eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Everything on our lists of “50 Things” can disappear in an instant. The disappearance of some of them would only be a momentary frustration or disappointment. The loss of some would be a tragedy of life-changing proportions. We take joy and comfort in the fact that we can reach out to the God who made the heaven of heavens, the earth and the seas, the God whom heavenly forces worship--the God who sent Jesus to provide living water and forever connect our lives to eternity. The joy we can find in that connection goes beyond our present circumstances, happy or not.
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“The joy from the Lord is your strength!”
Wednesday, 2 August 2017
Nehemiah 8:8 They read clearly from the scroll, in the Torah of God, translated it, and enabled them to understand the sense of what was being read.
9 Nechemyah the Tirshata, ‘Ezra the cohen and Torah-teacher and the L’vi’im who taught the people said to all the people, “Today is consecrated to Adonai your God; don’t be mournful, don’t weep.” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the Torah. 10 Then he said to them, “Go, eat rich food, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who can’t provide for themselves; for today is consecrated to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of Adonai is your strength.”
9:5 Then the L’vi’im Yeshua, Kadmi’el, Bani, Hashavn’yah, Sherevyah, Hodiyah, Sh’vanyah and P’tachyah said, “Stand up, and bless Adonai your God from everlasting to everlasting; let them say:
“‘Blessed be your glorious name,
exalted above all blessing and praise!
6 “‘You are Adonai, you alone.
You made heaven,
the heaven of heavens, with all their array,
the earth and all the things that are in it,
the seas and all that is in them;
and you preserve them all.
The army of heaven worships you.
-------
Since Israel had been in exile in Babylon for a generation or two, Ezra and Nehemiah believed a public reading of God’s law (possibly the book of Deuteronomy) would help get everybody “on the same page.” At the reading, though, some people wept, seeing just rules and work. But Nehemiah told them that the path to being God’s deeply committed followers ran through what he called “the joy of the Lord.”
• When Persia first let Israel’s exiles return to Jerusalem, it brought dizzying joy (cf. Psalm 126:1-3). But for too many Israelites the joy was apparently just about their physical circumstances, not about God’s role in their lives. That kind of joy faded in the face of the challenges of rebuilding their ruined land and capital city. What has helped you to see following God not as a joyless burden, but as a privilege pointing the way to true joy in life?
• The Babylonians, like most Middle Eastern peoples of that day, worshipped numerous deities. Nehemiah 9:6 in Hebrew was worded to teach that Yahweh, Israel’s God, was in a class by himself. In what ways have you found that God is more worthy of loyalty and worship in your life than any of the “gods” (e.g. materialism, success, personal pleasure) that our culture tends to serve?
Prayer: Lord God, I want to experience your deep joy in whatever life brings my way, because you are in the center of my life. Help me grow in my comprehension that you are truly in a class by yourself. Amen.
-------
Jennifer CreagarJennifer Creagar is the Financial Care Program Director in Congregational Care at Resurrection Leawood. She is married and loves spending time with her family, and she enjoys writing and photography.Recently, one of my favorite writers, Joe Posnanski, published a list of 50 Things That Make Me Happy. You can find it by clicking here. It’s a fun, random, list of things that make him smile. It prompted some entertaining conversation in my family about the random things that make us happy. Mine included (in no particular order) Buck O’Neill singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” on the Royals' commercial, my new kitten, and having my whole family under one roof for any length of time. The silliest thing on my list was probably a baseball superstition involving the position of a bobblehead on my mantle, and the most serious was my delight in seeing the words “cancer” and “survivor” together next to anyone’s name, including my own.
In today’s GPS, we read about something more than the smiles we get from the random good things in our lives. Those delights, large and small, are wonderful and God wants us to enjoy them all. Scripture tells us there is a deeper joy that only comes from being truly connected and committed to being one of God’s followers. Jesus called it “Living Water” (John 4:10). In today’s reading, Nehemiah reminds Israel that God is unique, not just one more of the “Things that Make Us Happy”:
You alone are the LORD.
You alone made heaven, even the heaven of heavens, with all their forces.
You made the earth and all that is on it, and the seas and all that is in them.
You preserve them all, and the heavenly forces worship you. (Nehemiah 9:6)
In Psalm 16:11, the psalmist tells us:You make known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in your presence,
With eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Everything on our lists of “50 Things” can disappear in an instant. The disappearance of some of them would only be a momentary frustration or disappointment. The loss of some would be a tragedy of life-changing proportions. We take joy and comfort in the fact that we can reach out to the God who made the heaven of heavens, the earth and the seas, the God whom heavenly forces worship--the God who sent Jesus to provide living water and forever connect our lives to eternity. The joy we can find in that connection goes beyond our present circumstances, happy or not.
-------
“Let’s love each other, because love is from God”
Thursday, 3 August 2017
1 John 4:4-10
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Who (or what) we worship shapes the kind of person we become. That was why John’s letter located the source of our ability to love, not within us (no matter how temperamentally “nice” we may—or may not—be), but in God’s self-giving, sacrificial love for us. We do not worship to earn God’s love, but in response to the amazing, saving love that God has already shown to us.
• Most Romans (we still have some of their writings) ridiculed a thought like “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” But we have the record of over 2000 years of history. How did God’s love, which lived in those early Christians through the Holy Spirit, not only survive, but in the end outlast, the Roman Empire’s military and economic power? Can God’s love, dwelling in us, still “defeat the world” today?
• The Christian message is truly “counter-cultural.” It calls us to draw our motivations and values from a God who exists before and beyond our culture. What are some ways, if any, that you have overcome hurtful cultural habits or patterns because of your faith in Jesus? What culture-based fears and pressures make it hard for you to offer your best to God? How can the principles in this passage strengthen you to resist those pressures?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you showed the transforming power of love and faith. Dwell in me, Holy Spirit, shaping the kind of love and faith that can change my world for the better. Amen.
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“You have drawn near to Mount Zion…heavenly Jerusalem”
Friday,4 August 2017
Hebrews 12:18-24, 28-29
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The letter to the Hebrews originally spoke to Christians who faced severe persecution (cf. Hebrews 12:3-4). Under those conditions, they wondered if it was worth holding to their faith in Jesus. In answer, the writer contrasted the fearsome scene in Exodus 19:9-25 with their joy in worshipping Jesus. When the believers worshipped, they were a part of something truly awesome—a cosmic, world-changing reality worth any price they had to pay. • Verse 28 invited believers to worship God “with reverence and awe.” Which of the images in these verses speak most powerfully to your sense of awe? What are the moments in a worship service (if any) that most evoke in you a sense of respect and awe, an awareness of being in the presence of “the living God”?
• As you prepare to worship this weekend, ask God to lift your imagination beyond the earthly building, musicians and speaker. Pray for a spiritual glimpse of “countless angels in a festival gathering,” of offering worship and praise to the living God in “the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem.” Picture how God desires to transform you, and your surroundings, in Leawood, Olathe, downtown Kansas City or Blue Springs or elsewhere.
Prayer: Great God, in the awe-inspiring beauty of a baby’s face, of a grandparent’s wisdom, of a good friend’s care and concern—touch my heart. In the glory of worship and praise, increase my capacity for awe. Amen.
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“Let every living thing praise the Lord!”
Saturday, 5 August 2017
Psalm 150:1-6
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The collectors and compilers of Israel’s psalms chose this vibrant poem/song of praise to cap the collection. In Israel’s context, it took in both traditional ways of worshipping (“the blast of the ram’s horn”) and more “contemporary” expressions (“drum and dance,” “clashing cymbals”). In the light of God’s “incredible greatness,” it invited God’s people to use the full range of their creativity to celebrate God’s mighty acts, to bring their best energy and skill to the act of worship.
• Pastor-scholar Donald Williams wrote, “This psalm is a little introduction to and summary of what real worship is: expressing joyful delight in the presence of God. Commentators identify this psalm as a hymn. Its author and date are unknown; it is timeless. The thought moves from what to do before God and where to do it (v. 1) to why to do it (v. 2) and concludes with how to do it (vv. 3–6).” * In what ways do your attitude about, and participation in, worship reflect the spirit of this psalm? In what areas do you want to ask God to help your worship experience grow toward this ideal?
Prayer: God of wonders and might acts, by your love draw me ever more fully into your awe-inspiring presence. Guide me to worship you more deeply in spirit and in truth. Amen.
* Donald Williams, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 14: Psalms 73–150. Lloyd John Ogilvie, gen. ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989, p. 530.
Family Activity: Create a special worship box or chest for your home. (You can use a shoebox or other container or buy a plain one at a craft store.) Design the outside with words, pictures and symbols representing your family and faith. Inside, place objects that help your family worship together. You might include a Bible, a prayer cloth, a candle, items from nature, pictures, art supplies, and music. Each week spend some time worshipping together at home using the items in your box. You might also try going on a nature walk and praising God for creation, serving in a nursing home or soup kitchen, or even giving a worship box to another family to design and use. Give thanks to God for the blessing of worship!
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You might also like
Beast: You came back. Belle: Don't leave me. I love you.
Lumiere: What if she is ‘the one’ who will break the spell?
Mrs. Potts to the Beast: “Must help her to see past all that”
Belle: He's no monster Gaston. You are!
Mrs. Potts to Belle: The master's not as terrible as he appears!
Or download this week's printable GPS.-------
Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
•Pat Tackett and family on the death of her mother Betty Grayson, 7/25
• Jon Chamberlain and family on the death of his sister Roberta Landreth, 7/20
•Cran Cederlind and family on the death of his mother Alme “Jackie” Cederlind, 7/20
•Ryan Aldis and family on the death of his mother Sarah Gillman, 7/20
•Family and friends of Melissa Owen on her death, 7/20
• Jim Smith and family on the death of his sister Joyce Winters, 7/19
• Mary Shewmake and family on the death of her brother-in-law James “Jim” Hess, 7/5
•Steve Hechler and family on the death of his father George L. Hechler, 7/4
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Thursday, 3 August 2017
1 John 4:4-10
-------
Who (or what) we worship shapes the kind of person we become. That was why John’s letter located the source of our ability to love, not within us (no matter how temperamentally “nice” we may—or may not—be), but in God’s self-giving, sacrificial love for us. We do not worship to earn God’s love, but in response to the amazing, saving love that God has already shown to us.
• Most Romans (we still have some of their writings) ridiculed a thought like “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” But we have the record of over 2000 years of history. How did God’s love, which lived in those early Christians through the Holy Spirit, not only survive, but in the end outlast, the Roman Empire’s military and economic power? Can God’s love, dwelling in us, still “defeat the world” today?
• The Christian message is truly “counter-cultural.” It calls us to draw our motivations and values from a God who exists before and beyond our culture. What are some ways, if any, that you have overcome hurtful cultural habits or patterns because of your faith in Jesus? What culture-based fears and pressures make it hard for you to offer your best to God? How can the principles in this passage strengthen you to resist those pressures?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you showed the transforming power of love and faith. Dwell in me, Holy Spirit, shaping the kind of love and faith that can change my world for the better. Amen.
-------
-------
“You have drawn near to Mount Zion…heavenly Jerusalem”
Friday,4 August 2017
Hebrews 12:18-24, 28-29
-------
The letter to the Hebrews originally spoke to Christians who faced severe persecution (cf. Hebrews 12:3-4). Under those conditions, they wondered if it was worth holding to their faith in Jesus. In answer, the writer contrasted the fearsome scene in Exodus 19:9-25 with their joy in worshipping Jesus. When the believers worshipped, they were a part of something truly awesome—a cosmic, world-changing reality worth any price they had to pay. • Verse 28 invited believers to worship God “with reverence and awe.” Which of the images in these verses speak most powerfully to your sense of awe? What are the moments in a worship service (if any) that most evoke in you a sense of respect and awe, an awareness of being in the presence of “the living God”?
• As you prepare to worship this weekend, ask God to lift your imagination beyond the earthly building, musicians and speaker. Pray for a spiritual glimpse of “countless angels in a festival gathering,” of offering worship and praise to the living God in “the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem.” Picture how God desires to transform you, and your surroundings, in Leawood, Olathe, downtown Kansas City or Blue Springs or elsewhere.
Prayer: Great God, in the awe-inspiring beauty of a baby’s face, of a grandparent’s wisdom, of a good friend’s care and concern—touch my heart. In the glory of worship and praise, increase my capacity for awe. Amen.
-------
-------
“Let every living thing praise the Lord!”
Saturday, 5 August 2017
Psalm 150:1-6
-------
The collectors and compilers of Israel’s psalms chose this vibrant poem/song of praise to cap the collection. In Israel’s context, it took in both traditional ways of worshipping (“the blast of the ram’s horn”) and more “contemporary” expressions (“drum and dance,” “clashing cymbals”). In the light of God’s “incredible greatness,” it invited God’s people to use the full range of their creativity to celebrate God’s mighty acts, to bring their best energy and skill to the act of worship.
• Pastor-scholar Donald Williams wrote, “This psalm is a little introduction to and summary of what real worship is: expressing joyful delight in the presence of God. Commentators identify this psalm as a hymn. Its author and date are unknown; it is timeless. The thought moves from what to do before God and where to do it (v. 1) to why to do it (v. 2) and concludes with how to do it (vv. 3–6).” * In what ways do your attitude about, and participation in, worship reflect the spirit of this psalm? In what areas do you want to ask God to help your worship experience grow toward this ideal?
Prayer: God of wonders and might acts, by your love draw me ever more fully into your awe-inspiring presence. Guide me to worship you more deeply in spirit and in truth. Amen.
* Donald Williams, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 14: Psalms 73–150. Lloyd John Ogilvie, gen. ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989, p. 530.
Family Activity: Create a special worship box or chest for your home. (You can use a shoebox or other container or buy a plain one at a craft store.) Design the outside with words, pictures and symbols representing your family and faith. Inside, place objects that help your family worship together. You might include a Bible, a prayer cloth, a candle, items from nature, pictures, art supplies, and music. Each week spend some time worshipping together at home using the items in your box. You might also try going on a nature walk and praising God for creation, serving in a nursing home or soup kitchen, or even giving a worship box to another family to design and use. Give thanks to God for the blessing of worship!
-------
-------
You might also like
Beast: You came back. Belle: Don't leave me. I love you.
Lumiere: What if she is ‘the one’ who will break the spell?
Mrs. Potts to the Beast: “Must help her to see past all that”
Belle: He's no monster Gaston. You are!
Mrs. Potts to Belle: The master's not as terrible as he appears!
Or download this week's printable GPS.-------
Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
•Pat Tackett and family on the death of her mother Betty Grayson, 7/25
• Jon Chamberlain and family on the death of his sister Roberta Landreth, 7/20
•Cran Cederlind and family on the death of his mother Alme “Jackie” Cederlind, 7/20
•Ryan Aldis and family on the death of his mother Sarah Gillman, 7/20
•Family and friends of Melissa Owen on her death, 7/20
• Jim Smith and family on the death of his sister Joyce Winters, 7/19
• Mary Shewmake and family on the death of her brother-in-law James “Jim” Hess, 7/5
•Steve Hechler and family on the death of his father George L. Hechler, 7/4
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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