The Third Week of July
We Read…
When we have a passion for Jesus, a natural response is wanting to get near to God. We see this in how David responds to the Lord, in the crowd following Jesus, and even in our Ephesians passage. We can grow nearer to God in many different ways, like reading our Bibles, going to church, talking about God with our friends, and more. God wants us to be close!
And when we grow close to God, God guides us, maybe even to places we never would have expected! In our 2 Samuel passage, it’s interesting how God guides David away from his plan to build a house for God. David loved God and wanted to honor God! That is a beautiful thing. But as he listened to the voice of God, he realized that this wasn’t his job. It wasn’t a bad job at all, and his heart was definitely in the right place. But God wanted David to wait so that someone else could do it. Sometimes, when we follow God, we get really excited about new ideas. Be willing to let God slow you down! Be willing to listen as God guides you. Have the spirit of David, saying yes to where God leads, even if it isn’t what you have been expecting.
2 Samuel 7:1-14a
1 When the king was settled in his palace, and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Look! I’m living in a cedar palace, but God’s chest is housed in a tent!” 3 Nathan said to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you are thinking, because the Lord is with you.” 4 But that very night the Lord’s word came to Nathan: 5 Go to my servant David and tell him: This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build the temple for me to live in. 6 In fact, I haven’t lived in a temple from the day I brought Israel out of Egypt until now. Instead, I have been traveling around in a tent and in a dwelling. 7 Throughout my traveling around with the Israelites, did I ever ask any of Israel’s tribal leaders I appointed to shepherd my people: Why haven’t you built me a cedar temple? 8 So then, say this to my servant David: This is what the Lord of heavenly forces says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be leader over my people Israel. 9 I’ve been with you wherever you’ve gone, and I’ve eliminated all your enemies before you. Now I will make your name great—like the name of the greatest people on earth. 10 I’m going to provide a place for my people Israel, and plant them so that they may live there and no longer be disturbed. Cruel people will no longer trouble them, as they had been earlier, 11 when I appointed leaders over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. And the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make a dynasty for you. 12 When the time comes for you to die and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your descendant—one of your very own children—to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a temple for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. Whenever he does wrong, I will discipline him with a human rod, with blows from human beings.
Psalm 89:20-37
20 I discovered my servant David. I anointed him with my holy oil. 21 My hand will sustain him— yes, my arm will strengthen him! 22 No enemy will oppress him; no wicked person will make him suffer. 23 I will crush all his foes in front of him. I will strike down all those who hate him. 24 My faithfulness and my loyal love will be with him. He will be strengthened by my name. 25 I will set his hand on the sea. I will set his strong hand on the rivers. 26 He will cry out to me: “You are my father, my God, the rock of my salvation.” 27 Yes, I’ll make him the one born first— I’ll make him the high king of all earth’s kings. 28 I will always guard my loyal love toward him. My covenant with him will last forever. 29 I will establish his dynasty for all time. His throne will last as long as heaven does. 30 But if his children ever abandon my Instruction, stop following my rules— 31 if they treat my statutes like dirt, stop keeping my commandments— 32 then I will punish their sin with a stick, and I will punish their wrongdoing with a severe beating. 33 But even then I won’t withdraw my loyal love from him. I won’t betray my faithfulness. 34 I won’t break my covenant. I won’t renege on what crossed my lips. 35 By my own holiness I’ve sworn one thing: I will not lie to David. 36 His dynasty will last forever. His throne will be like the sun, always before me. 37 It will be securely established forever; like the moon, a faithful witness in the sky. Selah
Ephesians 2:11-22
11 So remember that once you were Gentiles by physical descent, who were called “uncircumcised” by Jews who are physically circumcised. 12 At that time you were without Christ. You were aliens rather than citizens of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of God’s promise. In this world you had no hope and no God. 13 But now, thanks to Christ Jesus, you who once were so far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us. 15 He canceled the detailed rules of the Law so that he could create one new person out of the two groups, making peace. 16 He reconciled them both as one body to God by the cross, which ended the hostility to God. 17 When he came, he announced the good news of peace to you who were far away from God and to those who were near. 18 We both have access to the Father through Christ by the one Spirit. 19 So now you are no longer strangers and aliens. Rather, you are fellow citizens with God’s people, and you belong to God’s household. 20 As God’s household, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building is joined together in him, and it grows up into a temple that is dedicated to the Lord. 22 Christ is building you into a place where God lives through the Spirit.
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught. 31 Many people were coming and going, so there was no time to eat. He said to the apostles, “Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.” 32 They departed in a boat by themselves for a deserted place. 33 Many people saw them leaving and recognized them, so they ran ahead from all the cities and arrived before them. 34 When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then he began to teach them many things.
53 When Jesus and his disciples had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret, anchored the boat, 54 and came ashore. People immediately recognized Jesus 55 and ran around that whole region bringing sick people on their mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 Wherever he went—villages, cities, or farming communities—they would place the sick in the marketplaces and beg him to allow them to touch even the hem of his clothing. Everyone who touched him was healed.
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?
Why did the crowds constantly swarm Jesus? What draws you to Jesus?
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?
What walls do you see that need to be broken down (opposing groups or enemies, people that just can’t get along)?
We Believe…
Can I be a Christian and disagree with other Christians? Can someone else be a Christian if they don’t think the same way I think about a political issue, about something happening in the world, about a hot topic? The world has a lot of division, but this isn’t new. In our Ephesians passage, we read about divided groups. However, amid our divisions, we affirm that we believe in ONE God who unites us all. We don’t have to look or act the same to be united. We don’t even need to believe the same things about politics, policies, or details that divide denominations. We don’t need to be unanimous to be united. But God does call us to love one another, to see each other as one body, and to be together in the important parts of our faith.
As Christians, we believe that God created us, that Jesus came to the earth, died, and rose again, and that the Holy Spirit is with us now.
We Practice…
In Mark, Jesus invites his disciples to come and rest with him before they return to the crowds. Rest is a really important part of life. If Jesus can’t work 24/7, we shouldn’t expect to do that either. If you are in a busy season of life, how are you letting Jesus draw you to rest? When are you giving yourself the chance to truly pause and take a breath? This week, find a few minutes each day to rest (not watching TV, not stressing about the week, true rest!). Maybe this means taking a walk outside without your phone; maybe it means stretching while you listen to calming music, maybe it means sitting down and closing your eyes and clearing your mind. Take a few minutes to go away and rest.
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