Click for a PDF version
Monday
Read Luke 10:25-37; Matthew 25:31-46; Hebrews 13:13
Faith is love in action: Risk
Jesus told the story of a man traveling the lonely road from Jerusalem to Jericho. He was set upon by bandits who beat and robbed him. Two “holy” passers-by did not want to get involved and stayed clear of the unfortunate man. But another traveler, a despised Samaritan, took pity on the man. And he took a risk in helping him. He got involved. No doubt, it messed up his schedule in the process. He showed himself to be a neighbor to the man—neighbor for a day and a neighbor for life.
This Samaritan is a picture of God and Jesus; the Savior “took a risk” on us, interrupting His Heavenly kingdom life to become our neighbor and rescue us from an even worse plight than the victim in this story. Faith is love in action. Jesus, as God’s Son, demonstrated this love and this faith very much like the Good Samaritan in this story. In telling this story, Jesus invites us, His hearers, to do the same.
The story’s victim is also a picture of those with whom Jesus identifies, the downtrodden whom He loves. That Jesus identifies with the victim is reinforced in another story—the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. Jesus calls us to associate the victim with Him, the neighbor needing help. This is the full circle of risky faith and risky love. Jesus is waiting in unexpected places for us to “rescue” the marginalized whom He loves, thereby demonstrating our faith with love in action. As we help “the least of these, [His] brothers and sisters” (Matthew 25:40), He says, we are really helping Him.
Long, long ago, Cain asked, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). Yes, we are. In the incarnation, Jesus drew near to us. Whom are we drawing near to?
Questions
Do you know someone who is presently playing the part of the good Samaritan in your life? What would it take for you to do the same in someone else’s life?
Prayers
For Spencer Whelan and Young Life Capernaum
Praise God for continuing to sustain the Young Life Capernaum ministry in this region financially and also with incredible volunteers who engage in kids’ lives. He guides and provides!
Tuesday
Read Hebrews 12:18-21; Exodus 19:9-22
Faith is love in action: Hospitality
Once there was a lady whom no one paid much attention to, only God. We don’t know her name, but we do know where she lived—in a town off the beaten path. It was called Zarephath, famous today because of her. She was about to play an important part in the life of one of the major characters in the Bible—Elijah. These two people, it turns out, needed each other.
Elijah had one of the most unusual life itineraries ever recorded (a bit like John the Baptist). His home address moved from a brook in the desert, where he was fed by ravens, to Zarephath, where a widowed single mom lived, to Mount Carmel, where he called down fire from heaven, then to a cave in the wilderness, and finally to heaven itself, where he caught a ride in a chariot while his successor Elisha looked on.
The Zarephath widow had a son, who died but would then be raised back to life by Elijah. He was sent to their home for her hospitality, a trait she would forever be known for, even though she thought she had nothing to offer. Not even she knew this quality about herself, only God did. What little she had she gave away, and she kept on sharing it.
Hospitality is the character trait that allows us to welcome another person or people into our lives. God did this for us, and we do that for Him when we invite Jesus into our lives and He takes up residence there.
Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and I will not turn away anyone who comes to Me” (John 6:37). Is that true of us, too? Who has God given to you, and who is God giving to you to welcome as a friend?
Questions
Who needs to be welcomed into your life? I wonder what you have to offer that only God knows about?
Prayers
For Spencer Whelan and Young Life Capernaum
The Capernaum team has been able to get to know more than 15 new kids this semester. Praise the Lord for this gift, and pray that they would come to Capernaum Club to hear the story of God’s love for them.
Wednesday
Read Genesis 24; Matthew 6:25-34; Hebrews 13:4-6
Faith is love in action: Reliance
The Bible is full of stories of people who relied on God to provide what they needed in a particular time and circumstance. Abraham’s servant was sent to find a wife for his master’s son, Isaac. How would he know when he found her? Abraham prayed and the servant came up with a strategy, but who gave him that strategy? By this process, God gave Rebecca to be Isaac’s wife, the mother of Esau and Jacob.
John the Baptist told his disciples, “A man can receive nothing unless heaven gives it to him” (John 3:27). The woman with the issue of blood for twelve years was convinced that if she could just touch the edge of Jesus’ cloak, she would be healed. But who put this thought in her mind? According to Jesus, her faith healed her (Mark 5:25-34). She relied on the thought God had given to her.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego told the king, “God can protect us from the fiery furnace, but even if He chooses not to, we will not bow down before your golden image” (Daniel 3:17-18). God chose to protect them.
On the other hand, Stephen, the first martyr of the Church, preached the truth about God in faith (love in action). He was stoned to death for his efforts. But Jesus was standing at the right hand of God when Stephen entered heaven. The future Apostle Paul was nearby watching and listening. (Acts 7)
When faced with taking on the task of feeding and housing hundreds of orphans, George Mueller secretly prayed for their daily needs. God supplied all their needs, right on time. (christianity.org) There are many things we rely on God for in faith, and many ways to rely on Him for them.
“God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)
Questions
What are you relying on God for presently? How are you relying on God for these needs? What stories come to your mind of people who relied on God to supply their needs?
Prayers
For Spencer Whelan and Young Life Capernaum
A weekend camp is scheduled for Capernaum. Pray that the team would have at least six kids come with them for this experience, which may be new to these children.
Thursday
Read Genesis 3:10; Romans 14:4; Hebrews 13:17
Faith is love in action: Submission
Here are five lessons from the life of Moses:
- Past failures and weakness do not disqualify us from fulfilling God’s purposes.
- What God thinks of you matters more than what other people think of you.
- Submission to good leadership requires discernment and forbids “murmuring.”
- Caleb and Joshua model faith for us by factoring God into their reports.
- Good leaders set their hearts to seek the Lord (Exodus 32:7-14).
We need to love and support our leaders. Leaders have a hard row to hoe. Even Jesus was tempted to pride and to prove Himself. Throughout His time on earth, and even now, He trusts His Father and the Holy Spirit in all aspects. He ever lives to intercede on our behalf, and we pray daily for God’s will to be done and for His kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10).
We think that leaders let us down, but do we not let our leaders down by not praying for God to help them in their difficult task? Leaders are God’s gifts to us. They need our encouragement. There are leaders in the home, our churches, our government, businesses, hospitals, charities, media and entertainment. Alongside Moses in the Bible, there were priests, judges, prophets and kings, both good and bad. God will show us how to be a good follower of Him in the midst of all that complexity.
Paul cautions us, “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand” (Romans 14:4).
“These things that happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). The Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, but God said they were really upset and in rebellion against Him. We don’t want to be that way. We want to learn from their mistakes.
Questions
What leaders do you know of who need your prayers and encouragement? Are there “negative” people in your life whom you could pray for today?
Prayers
For Spencer Whelan and Young Life Capernaum
Pray that each person who comes along to help with the camp weekend will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to show God’s love and care for each of the campers.
Friday
Read John 10:27, 14:23, 15:10, 20:29; Acts 10:1-33
Faith is love in action: Practice Obedience
Faith is how we factor God into our lives. It takes constant practice. And God practices with us, whether we know it or not. “Faith in Jesus must be united with obedience.” (Frederick Bruner) The following “A-B-C’s” describe men in Acts who practiced obedience:
“A” is for Ananias of Damascus (Acts 9:10-19). God told him where to find Saul (Paul), who had come to his city to persecute Christ followers. That is why Ananias questioned God’s instructions to find Saul and welcome him to the family of faith in Jesus. Despite initial reluctance, Ananias obeyed God. He became God’s means of welcoming Paul into the community of faith and telling him about what he must suffer in his mission.
“B” is for Barnabas (Acts 9:26-27), a Levite from Cyprus, who vouched for Paul to the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. Later Barnabas recruited Paul to the church in Antioch and partnered with him on his first missionary journey. Together they went back to Jerusalem to defend their missionary work that was welcoming Gentiles into the family of faith in Jesus. After that he partnered with Mark, the author of one of the first biographies of Jesus.
“C” is for Cornelius (Acts 10:1-33). The story of Cornelius and Peter graphically and miraculously shows God at work. God came to Cornelius while he was in prayer, instructing him to send men to Joppa and find Peter. God came to Peter as he prayed on a rooftop in Joppa, giving him a puzzling vision; he even questioned God for asking him to go against his conscience. Both men obeyed God’s instructions by faith. By their obedience, both men practiced their faith. The rewards were amazing and life-changing. We continue to reap the benefits of their obedience today.
Obedience requires faith and demonstrates our love for God (John 10:27; 14:23; 15:10). We all long for our faith to come to fruition. However, as Jesus told Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29; see 2 Corinthians 5:7).
Questions
What has been your experience with obeying God’s voice, His nudges, His commandments? How might we become more eager to obey God in our daily lives?
Prayers
For Spencer Whelan and Young Life Capernaum
Pray that the planning for the Capernaum fundraising event would go well, that the team would find the just-right location for it, and that God would bring the right people into the room that night.
Leave a Reply