The First Week of August

Printable Guide

We Read…

Love is written on every single page of scripture. It is the driving force in every story, commandment, prophecy, correction, and encouragement. Psalm 107 begins with these words: “Give thanks to the Lord because he is good, because his faithful love lasts forever.” Sometimes when we think about forever, we just think about a very long period of time. We can rightly say that God’s love goes on and on for a very, very, very long time. But as we see in our readings for today, God’s love does not just endure through the passage of time. It also endures through human rebellion. In Hosea, God talks about how He brought the Israelites out of Egypt, teaching them how to walk and providing for all of their needs like a parent does for their child. Unfortunately, the Israelites turned away from God and gave themselves over to other gods. While the sins of the Israelites hurt God, even in their rebellion, God’s love for them remained strong. Even in our rebellion, God’s love remains strong, not just as a feeling that God feels for us, but as a force that moves God to action on our behalf and calls us into new life.

Hosea 11:1-11

11 When Israel was a child, I loved him, 

and out of Egypt I called my son. 

2 The more I called them, 

the further they went from me; 

they kept sacrificing to the Baals, 

and they burned incense to idols. 

3 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; 

I took them up in my arms, 

but they did not know 

that I healed them. 

4 I led them 

with bands of human kindness, 

with cords of love. 

I treated them like those 

who lift infants to their cheeks; 

I bent down to them and fed them. 

Divine frustration

5 They will return to the land of Egypt, 

and Assyria will be their king, 

because they have refused 

to return to me. 

6 The sword will strike wildly 

in their cities; 

it will consume the bars of their gates 

and will take everything 

because of their schemes. 

7 My people are bent on turning 

away from me; 

and though they cry out 

to the Most High,

he will not raise them up. 

Divine compassion

8 How can I give you up, Ephraim? 

How can I hand you over, Israel? 

How can I make you like Admah? 

How can I treat you like Zeboiim? 

My heart winces within me; 

my compassion 

grows warm and tender. 

Israel’s and Judah’s responses

9 I won’t act on the heat of my anger; 

I won’t return to destroy Ephraim; 

for I am God and not a human being, 

the holy one in your midst; 

I won’t come in harsh judgment. 

10 They will walk after the Lord, 

who roars like a lion. 

When he roars, 

his children will come trembling 

from the west. 

11 They will come trembling like a bird, 

and like a dove 

from the land of Assyria; 

and I will return them to their homes, 

says the Lord.

Psalm 107:1-9, 43

1 “Give thanks to the Lord 

because he is good, 

because his faithful love 

lasts forever!” 

2 That’s what those who are redeemed 

by the Lord say, 

the ones God redeemed 

from the power of their enemies, 

3 the ones God gathered 

from various countries, 

from east and west, north and south. 

4 Some of the redeemed had wandered 

into the desert, into the wasteland. 

They couldn’t find their way 

to a city or town. 

5 They were hungry and thirsty; 

their lives were slipping away. 

6 So they cried out to the Lord 

in their distress, 

and God delivered them 

from their desperate circumstances. 

7 God led them straight 

to human habitation. 

8 Let them thank the Lord 

for his faithful love 

and his wondrous works for all people 

9 because God satisfied the one 

who was parched with thirst, 

and he filled up the hungry 

with good things!

Psalm 107:43

43 Whoever is wise will pay attention 

to these things, 

carefully considering 

the Lord’s faithful love.

Colossians 3:1-11

3 Therefore, if you were raised with Christ, look for the things that are above where Christ is sitting at God’s right side. 2 Think about the things above and not things on earth. 3 You died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. 

5 So put to death the parts of your life that belong to the earth, such as sexual immorality, moral corruption, lust, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6 The wrath of God is coming upon disobedient people because of these things. 7 You used to live this way, when you were alive to these things. 8 But now set aside these things, such as anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene language. 9 Don’t lie to each other. Take off the old human nature with its practices 10 and put on the new nature, which is renewed in knowledge by conforming to the image of the one who created it. 11 In this image there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all things and in all people.

Luke 12:13-21

13 Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 

14 Jesus said to him, “Man, who appointed me as judge or referee between you and your brother?” 

15 Then Jesus said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourself against all kinds of greed. After all, one’s life isn’t determined by one’s possessions, even when someone is very wealthy.” 16 Then he told them a parable: “A certain rich man’s land produced a bountiful crop. 17 He said to himself, What will I do? I have no place to store my harvest! 18 Then he thought, Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. That’s where I’ll store all my grain and goods. 19 I’ll say to myself, You have stored up plenty of goods, enough for several years. Take it easy! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself. 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool, tonight you will die. Now who will get the things you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 This is the way it will be for those who hoard things for themselves and aren’t rich toward God.” 

We Think…

• What stands out to you in these verses? Does anything confuse you or not make sense? How do these verses compare to your own experience in life or the church?

• What are you considering? What questions come to mind?

• What do these verses teach us about God’s feelings about sin?

We Feel…

• What emotions are you experiencing today? How are you making space for these feelings?

• Where have you seen God today or this week? What is pointing you to God (maybe it is something in creation, a friend or adult that cares for you)?

• What has God made new in your life? In your heart? 

• Where/how do you find yourself right now (in a wasteland, hungry, thirsty, desperate)?

• How has God satisfied your hunger or thirst recently? What can you give thanks for?

We Believe…

In Hosea 11, we see that God calls his people out of Egypt–out of a life of slavery and into a new life of freedom with Him. God is so radically in love with us that He did everything necessary for us to leave slavery behind and live this new life with Him. However, as we see in verses 5-7, we have a tendency to turn away from God and go in a different direction. Because God is a God of love, He will never force us to obey Him. If He calls us to go to the left, but we decide to go to the right, He will let us. Our disobedience hurts God’s heart because God knows and wants what is best for us, and when we go a different way, it harms us and the people around us. God is pained by our disobedience and he is angered by the effects that sin has on us and the world, but God’s anger toward our sin never outshines His love for us. When we make a mess of our lives through our disobedience, and when we find that we have wandered into a wasteland and we cry out to God, He proves that his faithful love lasts forever by meeting us there and leading us safely home.

We Practice…

As we follow Jesus, it is important for us to consistently examine our hearts and our lives, looking for ways where we aren’t being faithful to Him. Are there certain aspects of our lives that we should’ve left in Egypt when God called us into new life? Have we or are we beginning to drift away, taking our eyes off of Jesus and placing them on the things of the world? Honestly and prayerfully working through these questions and others like them is a great practice that can help us as we take off our old human nature and put on the new nature through the power of the Holy Spirit. Take some time this week to journal or talk with a trusted friend or mentor about your journey of faith and some things that you might be struggling with. Remember that God’s love for you does not diminish because you struggle with things, but remains faithful through all of time.