Jennifer A

Friends, as I grow closer to Jesus, I find myself wanting more of the rest that only He can offer me, and it goes far beyond physical rest. In this place of resting in the Lord, my heart needs to be fully connected to Him, as I submit every aspect of my life into His care. I must have faith that He will overshadow my fears, peace that removes my self-control, and trust that He will guide my life.

The writer of today’s passage from Hebrews uses the theme of God’s rest to both warn and encourage believers. Several times throughout the passage, the writer reflects on Psalm 95:7-11 and reminds us that despite hearing God’s voice and experiencing His miraculous provision, Israel did not remain faithful to God, and as a result of their disobedience their hearts grew cold, and they missed out on God’s promised rest.

Today we need to really press into our faith and allow the Word to open our spiritual ears so that we can truly hear God’s voice. We cannot stop at hearing God’s voice; we must respond to Him with open hearts that are willing to walk out His call on our lives.

Hebrews 3:7 – 4:11 (NLT)

7 That is why the Holy Spirit says,

“Today when you hear his voice,
8 don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled,
when they tested me in the wilderness.
9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience,
even though they saw my miracles for forty years.
10 So I was angry with them, and I said,
‘Their hearts always turn away from me.
They refuse to do what I tell them.’
11 So in my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”

12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says:
“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled.”

16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? 19 So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.

Promised Rest for God’s People

4 God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. 2 For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. 3 For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said,

“In my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest,’”

even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. 4 We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” 5 But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.”

6 So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. 7 So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted:

“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts.”

8 Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. 9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. 11 So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for providing us with Your rest. Holy Spirit, please help each one of us to hear Your voice and to respond quickly by faith. We want our hearts to remain soft to Your Word, we want our faith to be obedient, and we want to grow in our trust in You. Your rest and peace are what each of us wants for our lives, both now and for eternity. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Friends, our greatest joy is found in just how much we trust God and allow His guidance for our lives.

In Psalm 32, David reminds us that true joy can only come from the Lord. Within this powerful psalm we witness David’s expression of great relief that came from the Lord’s forgiveness of his sins. Think about the weight that David carried from attempting to hide his sins from the Lord. David had an affair with Bathsheba, he murdered her husband, Uriah, who was one of his loyal soldiers, and he attempted to cover it all up (2 Samuel 11). David initially refused to acknowledge his sins, and he described the torment he experienced until he finally confessed, and the Lord graciously forgave him.

Friends, when our sins seem too weighty to carry, we need to remember that God’s grace is so much greater. David reminds us within today’s passage that all we need to do is come with honest hearts before the Lord, humbly confess our sins, and ask Him to forgive us. It is within this liberated place from sin that then we can hear, see, and receive more clearly from the Holy Spirit, and allow God’s guidance to lead our path. We must also remain obedient to God’s Word. Remember, the world is rebellious to God’s Word and enjoys lawlessness, but we are faithful to follow His Word and within this place God can use us to lead others into His loving arms.

Psalm 32 NLT

A psalm of David.

1 Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,
whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away,
and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude

5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude

6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 For you are my hiding place;
you protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude

8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the gift of Your forgiveness. Help each one of us to come humbly to confess our sins to You. Holy Spirit, please shine a light on the areas of our lives that need to change. We do not want to hide anything from You. We want to live as one with You, Jesus, and to not carry sin. Your joy is what each of us wants, and we know that comes as we are cleansed by You of our sins. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Friends, our faith is directly connected to our obedience to God and to His Word! Pastor Mary often says that “Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith” and that means that our faith is a big deal with God.

In today’s passage, the writer of Hebrews uses some of the Biblical Heroes of Faith to remind us of what Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah did, because we too need to be great examples (or heroes) of faith. These Biblical brothers and sisters lived by faith, not by their own physical sight, but rather by God’s spiritual sight and His guidance. They believed in God and His Word to navigate in the Spirit, because within the physical realm things seemed impossible, but by their faith, and with God all things were possible.

Friends, with God, all things are possible for us too. Even when moments seem bleak, we must press into our faith, remain obedient, and patiently trust and wait on God to unfold what He has for us. Within the first verse of today’s passage, we find the Biblical definition of faith, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” This means that our faithfulness to God requires that we are obeying His Word for every aspect of our life. Thus, we cling to the reality of our hopeful faith in Christ Jesus and submit our souls to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In this faithful place we disconnect from this physical/temporal realm (earth) and we become more and more connected to our Eternal Home (in Heaven) with God.

Hebrews 11:1-12 (NLT)

Great Examples of Faith

1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

7 It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.

8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. 10 Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

11 It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. 12 And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being the perfect example of faith. We want to be like our Biblical brothers and sisters of faith. Holy Spirit, help us to grow in our obedience to You and to Your Word. We want to be champions of faith for You not only so that we trust You with our lives, but also so that You can use us to extend Your love to others. We want to help grow Your Kingdom and leave a legacy that is all about You, Jesus. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Friends, if we are being completely honest, there is not one of us who has never felt the need to defend ourselves. So, when we go to defend ourselves, do we seek for God’s guidance? There are many places throughout the Word where God permits self-defense from both physical and/or spiritual danger, but His Word always guides us to defend with wisdom, restraint, and righteousness, through the Holy Spirit, Who does not harm others, but guides our souls (minds, wills, and emotions) and hearts with love and never with revenge.

Prior to today’s passage Stephen was falsely accused of blaspheming God, Moses, the Law, and the Temple. In today’s passage, Stephen begins his defense, as he is on trial before the Jewish council of approximately 70 Pharisees and Sadducees (High Priests). Stephen had been performing miracles, and most likely healings, and all in Jesus’s Name. Men were paid to spread lies about Stephen to stop him and to get him on trial. Our passage reveals how the Holy Spirit moved through Stephen to give a defense, and what better way than to walk them (the High Priests) through the early history of Israel. Stephen confronts the Jewish council (the Sanhedrin) and demonstrates how Jesus is their Deliverer Whom they rejected. He talks about God’s covenant with Abraham and how from the very beginning, Israel, was God’s chosen people who continued to be disobedient instead of remaining faithful.

Friends, Jesus is our Deliverer, and we need to remain faithful to Him, obedient to His Word, and be willing to defend His Holy Name.

Acts 7:1-8 (NLT)

Stephen Addresses the Council

1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these accusations true?”

2 This was Stephen’s reply: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran. 3 God told him, ‘Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’ 4 So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live.

5 “But God gave him no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the whole land would belong to Abraham and his descendants—even though he had no children yet. 6 God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign land, where they would be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. 7 ‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and in the end they will come out and worship me here in this place.’

8 “God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time. So when Abraham became the father of Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day. And the practice was continued when Isaac became the father of Jacob, and when Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite nation.

Prayer: Jesus, help us to remain faithful to Your Word, and to be willing to defend You. Holy Spirit, guide us to be more like Stephen, and to have faith and trust like Abraham. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

There are many things that stand out to me when I think about Pastor Mary’s teachings. However, one thing that I absolutely love is how she makes sure that we understand the fear of the Lord and the importance it has on our current faith walk and our walk into eternity with Jesus.

In our passage today, the psalmist reminds Israel, the fear of the Lord is what brings good things to a nation, to God’s people. God is sovereign, faithful, and He protects His people. But God’s people must acknowledge that He is their God, and they must humble themselves and fully trust Him.

Friends, we are God’s people, we must trust Him and place all our hope in Him as His unfailing love truly does surround each one of us. Remember, God watches over you and me because we fear Him, our hearts are fully submitted to Him and we love Him beyond what our words can ever express.

Psalm 33:12-22 (NLT)

12 What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord,
whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.

13 The Lord looks down from heaven
and sees the whole human race.
14 From his throne he observes
all who live on the earth.
15 He made their hearts,
so he understands everything they do.
16 The best-equipped army cannot save a king,
nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
17 Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—
for all its strength, it cannot save you.

18 But the Lord watches over those who fear him,
those who rely on his unfailing love.
19 He rescues them from death
and keeps them alive in times of famine.

20 We put our hope in the Lord.
He is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
for our hope is in you alone.

Prayer: Jesus, please forgive us for we have not always trusted You, and when we’ve leaned on our own understanding. We need You, Jesus, to be our hope and our shield, today, and every day after, until we come face-to-face with You. Thank You for being all that we need, Jesus. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

If you were not able to join us for worship on Sunday, we looked at Luke 12:13-21 which was Jesus’s Parable of the Rich Fool. We know that Jesus was most likely teaching in an outdoor public setting in Judea, as He was on His way to Jerusalem, and a man asked Him to settle a dispute over an inheritance. Jesus refused and He warned against choosing earthly greed over a rich relationship with God. We talked about how earthly inheritances include money, property, assets, etc. and these are all things that are temporal and fleeting. We also talked about how a heavenly inheritance includes spiritual blessings that are passed on from God to His people as God always fulfills His promises, and His spiritual blessings are eternal, and they last forever.

Today’s passage follows Sunday’s passage. Jesus had just finished the Parable of the Rich Fool, and now we see that He is talking to His disciples. Friends, please keep in mind that Jesus’s message is the same today for you and me as it was for the disciples that walked with Him almost 1,900 years ago. We are Jesus’s disciples, and He does not want us to worry about anything. Jesus illustrates how God cares for the birds and flowers, to help us understand that God cares for all of His creation, which includes you and me. Jesus does not want us to chase after the securities of this world, as they are fleeting; rather, He wants us to seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and to trust God with all of our needs. Fully trusting in God and resting in His hands as we pursue His plan for our lives is the highest and best for each one of us. So, let’s try and do that today with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 12:22-31 (NLT)

Teaching about Money and Possessions

22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

29 “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.

Prayer: Jesus, help us to not worry, but to trust in You. We know that You have our highest and best interest at heart, yet we allow worry to creep in. Forgive us, and help us to rest in You, to trust in You, and to fully submit to You. Holy Spirit, help us to seek God’s Kingdom first, and allowing everything else that we need to be provided by You. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Paul wrote his Letter to the Colossians while he was imprisoned. He knew that false teachings were threatening the Church. So, we see that the first portion of his letter (Chapters 1 and 2) emphasizes Christ’s supremacy and sufficiency. He wants believers to understand that we are complete in Christ Jesus. In the second, and final, portion of Paul’s letter (Chapters 3 and 4), he no longer focuses on doctrine but wants to provide believers with ways of practical Christian living.

Today’s portion of Paul’s letter includes his final instructions for our Christian lives. First, Paul talks about our devotion to prayer. Notice how he specifies that we are to pray with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Paul is instructing believers to connect with the Holy Spirit in prayer, meaning we are to attentively pray with gratitude and intention. God deserves our undivided attention, our entire heart, and our time with Him should be meaningful, not distracted and routine.

Next, Paul asks the Church to pray for him and his team so that God will give them many opportunities to speak about Jesus. Even from prison, Paul is focused on spreading the Gospel message about Christ Jesus and His eternal love. Paul’s example means that you and I should certainly have no problems sharing the Gospel message.

Finally, Paul guides the Church not to be weird, uninviting, disinterested, disassociated, etc. with non-believers. Rather, we are called to live wisely amongst non-believers, making the most of every opportunity that Jesus places within our time together. We are to be loving, gracious, meaningful, truthful, and attractive (meaning our interactions are seasoned with salt) so that non-believers are attracted to Jesus within us and want His light and are eager to learn more about Him and from Him.

Colossians 4:2-6 (NLT)

An Encouragement for Prayer

2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. 3 Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. 4 Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for helping us to remain devoted to You in prayer. We want our prayer time to deepen so that we are growing closer to You and able to witness how we can pray more diligently for others. Holy Spirit, we need Your wisdom to guide our interactions with non-believers. Help us to led with Your grace and love in our actions, in-actions, speech, etc. Open doors for us today, so we can share about Your love, Jesus. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

In Psalm 127, Solomon challenges us to consider wisely where we are placing God within every relationship that we have and in every circumstance that we face. If God is not the Builder of our house (our hearts), our relationships and circumstances are meaningless. With God as the Builder of all things, He watches over all things, and He is the One who gives all things. So, when we try and take over the building, the watching, and/or the giving, we are doing it all for nothing.

Friends, think about how God allows each of our physical systems to operate even while we are sleeping, providing all that is needed to sustain our physical lives. So, why is it that we do not trust Him to provide all that is needed to sustain our physical lives when we are awake? Far too often we attempt to take control, rather than rest in our Builder’s Hands and to trust Him.

As you read Psalm 127, these words were written for the community of Israel as they made their way up to Jerusalem and to the temple, reminding them (and us) of God’s covenant promise to His people and His many blessings. We know from history that we must have faith and trust in God to build, watch, and give us each what we need. Let’s surrender to the Builder today and step back to witness all that He has planned when we rest and trust Him.

Psalm 127 (MSG)

1-2 If God doesn’t build the house,
the builders only build shacks.
If God doesn’t guard the city,
the night watchman might as well nap.
It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late,
and work your worried fingers to the bone.
Don’t you know he enjoys
giving rest to those he loves?

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the plans that You have for our lives. Help us, Lord, to submit our own will in order to allow Your will to be done in and through our lives. We want to walk out the plan that You have designed especially for us, because we know that it is the best plan. Please forgive us for not always trusting in Your plan for our lives. Help to bring us closer, each day, to walking out Your plan. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

In the Old Testament, even though Gentiles were often seen by Israel to be outside of God’s covenant, we know that God’s plan from the very beginning was to bless all nations (Gen 12:3 & Isa 49:6). It isn’t until the New Testament, and through the Gospel message of Christ Jesus, that we witness the Gentiles, who were anyone that was not Jewish, being grafted into God’s Family. “And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same Body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus”. (Eph 3:6)

In today’s passage, Paul was urging Gentile believers to no longer live their old Gentile lives, when their minds were filled with darkness, their hearts were hardened, and they wandered far from God. He wants them to recall how within this place they were lustful, shameful, and living impurely for their own selfish desires. Paul encourages them to remember what they learned about Christ Jesus, and how they are to throw off their old sinful nature and former way of living. Instead, Paul points them back to the Holy Spirit, Who lives within them, and Who wants to renew their thoughts and attitudes. Paul tells the Gentile believers to put on their new nature, in Christ Jesus, and to live out their righteous and holy lives.

Friends, we are Gentile believers, and Paul’s message is alive and well today, as it is meant for you and for me! When we feel hopelessly confused, that is NOT because Jesus is causing hopeless confusion within us, that is the work of the enemy stirring within the darkness of our former lives and attempting to disconnect us from Christ Jesus. Remember Paul’s prayer for us, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit”. (Rom 15:13) As believers, we need to ask the Holy Spirit, daily and sometime many times throughout each day, to renew our thoughts and attitudes to come into alignment with the thoughts and attitudes of the Spirit, because that is all a part of our Christ nature, where we are righteous and holy, because He is righteous and holy and we are welcoming Him to live in and through us.

Ephesians 4:17-24 (NLT)

Living as Children of Light

17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for helping each one of us to turn away from our ways of living. Through our salvation in You, our minds, hearts, and lives are renewed. Holy Spirit, help us to reflect Your Truth, as we want to live out Your righteousness and holiness. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

As many of you may know, the Book of Psalms is traditionally divided into five sections or “books”, which mirror the five books of the Torah. Today’s passage is from Psalm 107 which is titled “Book Five” as it begins the final section of Psalms 107 – 150. Let’s not forget that Book Five contains a plethora of praise, thanksgiving, and faithful endurance. We witness God’s love for His people and how His love restores all hope. Within this last book we are blessed with the Hallel Psalms, which are Psalms 113 – 118, these are often sung with praise to the Lord during Passover (Seder), Shavuot, Sukkot, and other Jewish holidays. Psalm 119 is not only an acrostic poem, where each section begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, it is also the longest chapter in the entire Bible, and it points to how God’s Word actively expresses His eternal love through wisdom, strength, and joy when we obediently apply His Word to our lives. Psalms 146 – 150 are knows for beginning and ending with Hallelujah. These five Psalms end Book Five and conclude the Book of Psalms with the most powerful way of celebrating the Lord, which is praising His Holy Name.

Friends, you and I should “erupt” with great thanks and praise for all that Jesus has done in and through our lives. He is the most loyal Friend that you and I have, and His love goes beyond what our human minds can even begin to comprehend. Jesus has redeemed us from our sins, His steadfast love holds us in times of deep trouble, and we should be giving thanks and erupting in praise for all that He has, is, and will do for each one of us. Let’s praise His Holy Name, JESUS, today for gathering our hearts to connect to Him, and ask that the Holy Spirit continues to stir within the hearts of others who still need Jesus’s eternal love.

Psalm 107 (Voice)

Book Five

1 Erupt with thanks to the Eternal, for He is good
and His loyal love lasts forever.
2 Let all those redeemed by the Eternal—
those rescued from times of deep trouble—join in giving thanks.
3 He has gathered them across the earth,
from east and west,
from [north and south].

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for redeeming us. We hold firm to You and ask that You continue to fill and surround us with Your unending love. Holy Spirit, burn brightly within us so that more hearts may long to connect to You through Your loving Spirit within us. Guide and use us, today, to share Your love with others. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.