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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
Garrett Jacob | Read Jeremiah 23:1-6
The Israelites journeyed through many cycles of intense oppression from neighboring nations. Israel’s enslavement in Egypt, which lasted almost four hundred years, was only one experience of exile and oppression. Yet throughout their history, God also promised to deliver them from such abuse. Jeremiah’s prophecy is but one instance of...
God, thank you for sending not a king with might and force but a Good Shepherd with love and peace. Help me to trust that you will provide what I need even if it does not look like what I thought or hoped it would. Amen.
There is irony in attributing the title of “King” to Jesus. All our passages paint a picture of the Savior’s reign, but they describe it in a way that does not exactly scream, “all-powerful king.” Jeremiah prophesies about a future king who will bring security for all the people; Luke records the song of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, which promises a child who will bring mercy; the Gospel reading tells the story of Jesus’ death as an act of mercy for our forgiveness; and in Colossians, Christ is placed above all earthly rulers and powers. Does this absence of physical might mean there has been a mistake somewhere along the way? Not necessarily. A large part of the work of Jesus was challenging the beliefs of his time, and kingly language regarding a man who practiced non-violence, participated in the forgiveness of sins, and preached the ultimate importance of love, is no exception.
• Read Jeremiah 23:1-6. What does hope for redemption look like in a world that can sometimes seem so far from it?
• Read Luke 1:68-79. How have you seen God fulfill promises in your life? What was the moment like when you realized God had a plan all along?
• Read Colossians 1:11-20. Where are you needing endurance and patience? How can your relationship with God positively affect the way you exist in those spaces?
• Read Luke 23:33-43. What are ways you expect God to show up in your life today? How might these expectations be keeping you from seeing God already at work?
Respond by posting a prayer.
