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Hope Springs Forth
Throughout the year, we have continued to celebrate the 90th anniversary of The Upper Room daily Read More
Erin Racine | Read Psalm 119:137-144
To what do you cling when you are struggling? Perhaps you grab a sweet treat or lose yourself in a good book or movie. Maybe you pray, exercise, or practice mindfulness as a way to lower your stress level. Or maybe you call upon trusted friends, family members, or a...
Faithful God, we give you thanks that we can cling to your word in seasons of struggle. Help us to root our hope in your promises, that, with the psalmist, we may affirm your enduring faithfulness and find joy. Amen.
Habakkuk stands aghast at the destruction and violence all around and wonders why justice never seems to conquer. At the end of the reading, God contrasts the proud with the righteous who live by faith. The psalmist delights in God’s righteousness and in the commandments of God; however, he acknowledges his small place. Adversity appears in Second Thessalonians also, but here the struggles endured by the faithful serve a particular end: They stand as signs of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. In the Gospel reading, Jesus tells Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house,” which reminds us that the righteous who live by faith are not necessarily socially or religiously acceptable.
• Read Habakkuk 1:1-4 and 2:1-4. How can you wait actively for God’s response to your prayers and complaints? How will you enact God’s response when it comes?
• Read Psalm 119:137-144. How do you follow God’s commandments in the face of injustice and corruption?
• Read 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12. The work of the church has never been easy. How does your faith community work to exude God’s love in a time when many reject or feel rejected by church institutions?
• Read Luke 19:1-10. When have you run to Jesus? How can you share your experience so others pursue Jesus as well?
Respond by posting a prayer.
