The First Week of February
We Read…
A theme found in these first two passages is God’s presence with his people. Whether it be Jeremiah or David, we see that these people of God believe in the presence of God. After reading of God’s presence, we turn to 1 Corinthians 13 and Luke 4 and are told about the call on our lives to love. When read together like this, I can’t help but see a relationship between abiding in God’s presence and growing in love. As we spend time in God’s presence, we are empowered to love in a more Christlike way.
Even Jeremiah, who thought he was too young to be used by God, found that a relationship with God empowered him to live out the call on his life. Jesus, who was rejected by the very people in his hometown, considered loving God and others to be the greatest command and was, without failure, perfect love.
Jeremiah 1:4-10
4 The Lord’s word came to me:
5 “Before I created you in the womb
I knew you;
before you were born I set you apart;
I made you a prophet to the nations.”
6 “Ah, Lord God,” I said,
“I don’t know how to speak
because I’m only a child.”
7 The Lord responded,
“Don’t say, ‘I’m only a child.’
Where I send you, you must go;
what I tell you, you must say.
8 Don’t be afraid of them,
because I’m with you to rescue you,”
declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord stretched out his hand,
touched my mouth, and said to me,
“I’m putting my words in your mouth.
10 This very day I appoint you
over nations and empires,
to dig up and pull down,
to destroy and demolish,
to build and plant.”
Psalm 71:1-6
1 I’ve taken refuge in you, Lord.
Don’t let me ever be put to shame!
2 Deliver me and rescue me
by your righteousness!
Bend your ear toward me
and save me!
3 Be my rock of refuge
where I can always escape.
You commanded that my life be saved
because you are my rock
and my fortress.
4 My God, rescue me
from the power of the wicked;
rescue me from the grip of the
wrongdoer and the oppressor
5 because you are my hope, Lord.
You, Lord, are the one I’ve trusted
since childhood.
6 I’ve depended on you from birth—
you cut the cord when I came
from my mother’s womb.
My praise is always about you.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
If I speak in tongues of human beings and of angels but I don’t have love, I’m a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and I know all the mysteries and everything else, and if I have such complete faith that I can move mountains but I don’t have love, I’m nothing. 3 If I give away everything that I have and hand over my own body to feel good about what I’ve done but I don’t have love, I receive no benefit whatsoever.
4 Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant, 5 it isn’t rude, it doesn’t seek its own advantage, it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints, 6 it isn’t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth. 7 Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. As for prophecies, they will be brought to an end. As for tongues, they will stop. As for knowledge, it will be brought to an end. 9 We know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, what is partial will be brought to an end. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, reason like a child, think like a child. But now that I have become a man, I’ve put an end to childish things. 12 Now we see a reflection in a mirror; then we will see face-to-face. Now I know partially, but then I will know completely in the same way that I have been completely known. 13 Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love.
Luke 4:21-30
21 He began to explain to them, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it.”
22 Everyone was raving about Jesus, so impressed were they by the gracious words flowing from his lips. They said, “This is Joseph’s son, isn’t it?”
23 Then Jesus said to them, “Undoubtedly, you will quote this saying to me: ‘Doctor, heal yourself. Do here in your hometown what we’ve heard you did in Capernaum.’ ” 24 He said, “I assure you that no prophet is welcome in the prophet’s hometown. 25 And I can assure you that there were many widows in Israel during Elijah’s time, when it didn’t rain for three and a half years and there was a great food shortage in the land. 26 Yet Elijah was sent to none of them but only to a widow in the city of Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 There were also many persons with skin diseases in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha, but none of them were cleansed. Instead, Naaman the Syrian was cleansed.”
28 When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue was filled with anger. 29 They rose up and ran him out of town. They led him to the crest of the hill on which their town had been built so that they could throw him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the crowd and went on his way.
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?
Have you ever felt too young to be used by God?
What does it look like to take refuge in God? Like Jesus, have you ever felt rejected by your community of people?
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?
If you’ve ever felt too young to be used by God, how did you respond?
We Believe…
1 John 4 says that “God is love.” That means abiding in God’s presence shows us exactly what love is. And having a relationship with God is having a relationship with love itself. Maybe you’re not sure what you’re supposed to do with your life. Perhaps you know what you’re supposed to do, but you don’t know how to do it. Either way, there is a call on our lives to live out our giftings with love. And abiding in God’s presence empowers us to do that.
We Practice…
This week, find time to focus on abiding in God’s presence. That might look like having extended prayer time. It could also look like spending time in God’s creation. Maybe you need to look at scripture to understand who God is better. Regardless of how you spend time in God’s presence, think about these truths: God loves you, wants to spend time with you, and wants to help you grow.
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