Oct 26-30

Access each day of our 5-day reading plan below.

 

Day 1 | Psalm 145

Have you ever looked at mountains from afar? Perhaps you’ve looked across the city at a mountain range in the distance? Or have you ever been in the mountains, perhaps on a hike, and looked at the rocks under your feet? Did the rocks move or the shape of the mountain change because of where you were viewing it from? No. The mountain is still the mountain, no matter where you look at it from. You see, no matter your perspective, the mountain hasn’t changed; it’s still the same. 

The same is true when we ponder the greatness and goodness of God. No matter our perspective or how we feel about it, God has not changed and will never change. But it’s not just that. Look at Psalm 145 again. The writer clearly repeats the phrase, “the Lord is …” over and over again. It’s like the writer actually wants you to get that phrase stuck in your head. Has this ever happened to you with a song? Do the words “Baby Shark” mean anything to you? Here, the Psalmist is trying to get God’s character stuck in our heads. The Lord is gracious. The Lord is abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good. The Lord is trustworthy, righteous, near, and so much more. 

Let us enter into thinking about politics and all that is going on in the world with that same focus. A choice to shift our focus to the immovable, unchanging characteristics of God. He cannot be separated from who he is, and he is good. 

Corrie Ten Boom, who saved nearly 800 lives during the Holocaust, says it this way, “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.” Let’s rest today in who God is and how he never changes. 

Take a step to remember who he is by texting a friend 3 things from Psalm 145 describing who God is and explain how that encourages you. 

Day 2 | 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

Let’s talk about a controversial topic for a moment. Ready? Okay! What is the right way to load the dishwasher? You had a thought go through your head at the prompting of that question. I know you did. Perhaps it was along the lines of “it doesn’t matter” or “my wife’s way” or “my way” or “not the way my roommate does it.” No matter how you answered that question, you also think you’re right. People love to be right. And most of us think the “right way” is “my way.” 

But what if the right answer isn’t “my way,” no matter what that looks like? What if someone introduced you to a new fancy way to load the dishwasher with the bowls right side up, the plates back to back, and the silverware sideways? And imagine that really was the best way, but it wasn’t your way. Would you be willing to try it? 

In 1 Corinthians 13:2, we’re shown that we can “understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” Nothing. Without love, I am nothing. So, does it matter if the plates go in the dishwasher facing a certain way? Does it matter if you felt like you held your ground after that snarky comment in a conversation with an acquaintance? Does it matter if the person you voted for seals the election and you boast about it? If we have not love, we are nothing. In other words, the right way is the loving way. And without love, we can never be right. 

So, make love a priority today. Be the first to pursue peace. Be the one to stand up for someone else. Share a word of encouragement or point out the positive in a situation. Look again at the section in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7: be patient, be kind, rejoice in truth. Choose to do or say something to show love to someone you’ve disagreed with. What if you called and listened to them with no agenda of your own? And remember, if God is love, then love is right! 

Day 3 | Mark 12:13-17 

Take a slower look at the passage today and notice what the people are asking of Jesus. The people asking the questions are educated, law-abiding, and want to make sure they get it right. So, they give Jesus two choices in verse 14, “Should we or should we not?” This or that. Doesn’t it so often feel like that within politics? One way or the other? 

Look at how Jesus responds. He doesn’t tell them it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t tell them to ignore it or not care. But he also doesn’t pick from the options. Jesus offers a third way, and the people marvel at it. 

It’s just like peeling a banana. Follow me on this. Some of you peel a banana from the top—some from the bottom. Now your definition of the top and bottom of a banana might be different, but either way, you peel it from the stalk or the other end: one way or another. We had a friend stay with us a while ago, and he split the banana in the middle. Cracked right down the middle and smashed the banana out of that peel. We had never seen anything like it. We marveled at it. No one had ever opened a banana like that in front of us. You could add chocolate chips to it and eat it with a spoon. You could add ice cream and have a self-contained banana split. It was a thing of wonder. And that’s just a banana. 

I can only imagine how the people listening to Jesus felt. Verse 17 says, “They marveled at him.” Of course they did! What he said was like nothing they’d ever heard before. And in this case, he told them to give Caesar what’s Ceasar’s and God what’s God’s.

Throughout Mark, we see a theme of Jesus in conflict with others. You name it, and he pushed on it, disagreed with it, and offered another way around it. From the first verse in Mark 1:1, we see who Jesus is: the Messiah, the son of God. One who doesn’t play by the same rules as others and also asks us not to. He asks us to give God our whole lives and not fall into one way or the other. To choose the third way, God’s way. 

So, are you giving God what’s his in your life? Your trust, your faith, your hope, your allegiance? Who has your heart? 

Day 4 | Luke 10:25-37

One of my sons recently had an ear infection, so I drove him to the doctor. He’s old enough to speak for himself, so when we arrived, he shared what hurt and revealed some things to the doctor that I was unaware of about the pain he was experiencing. The doctor was clear that I wasn’t responsible for knowing all the details of his pain as it’s his pain, not mine. Yet, I was responsible for getting him to the doctor and allowing him to share for himself. In the same way, we might not know the full depth of others’ pain or needs, but we are responsible for making sure they have an advocate who is willing to meet them in their pain and prioritize their needs. 

In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus paints a radical picture of loving our neighbors. In fact, for Jesus, the word neighbor isn’t just a noun; it’s a verb. It’s seeing someone in need, meeting them in their pain, prioritizing their needs, and taking action on their behalf. It’s getting them to the doctor. Giving someone space to have a voice and hearing their story. It’s showing up for them in the way they need, not in what we think they need. We ask what they need, offer to help, love beyond reason, and use our actions to show our love. 

Eugene Cho says that we’re called to vote as followers of Jesus, but not just vote. This means we are called to use our vote to advocate for leaders and policies that best reflect God’s will, but even more important, we are called to use our voice, our time, and our resources to advocate for our neighbors and those in need. In other words, how we live should speak louder than how we vote. 

How I support our local school district by giving my time and talents will speak louder than an education referendum choice. How I engage with those around me who are currently struggling financially or experiencing homelessness expresses more than how I vote about affordable housing. Your vote matters, but the way you live your life matters more. Our daily actions need to speak louder than our yearly vote. 

What could you do today? 

Day 5 | Psalm 146

As we continue to focus on the truth of who God is and who he will continue to be, we must slowly adjust and realize that “my way” may not always be the best way. It becomes even more complex as we open our hearts to consider others’ stories and what they view as the best way. But what if we looked at what God is doing in those moments? What if we paused for a minute to remember that we’re all in this together, and God is clearly over it all? 

Take a look at Psalm 146:5-9 one more time. Isn’t this the best candidate resume you’ve ever seen? This is why God is King. This is why we seek God’s way—because of who he is. No one else can do what is listed in these verses. No one else can do what he does. Only God. This is why we can live differently and love without restraint. This is why the Psalmist can’t help but burst out with, “Praise the Lord!” at the end of verse 10. His goodness, his way, his creation, his peace, his perfect love overflowed. We can and should live differently, knowing that God is King. 

Have you been on a boat or a ferry and seen someone off in the distance? Perhaps they’re on another boat or standing on land. What do you do? What do they do? You look at each other up and down, and then you wave. They wave, you wave, and then everyone’s waving at each other. It’s our way of saying, “I see you over there!” In life, do we see each other? Do we see each other for the stories that aren’t yet told, for the hurts that aren’t yet healed, for the peace that can be pursued? John Steinbeck said, “I wonder how many people I’ve looked at all my life and never seen.” But God sees them. And he sees you. The Creator of all the universe, the One who loves you deeply, the undefeated all-powerful King. He sees you. So, let’s keep our eyes on what he is doing in the midst of all that is going on. Let us return to the peace God offers us through Jesus. Once we’re there, we can have peace with Him and peace with others while simultaneously remembering it’s about God and God alone. Doesn’t that make you want to burst out, saying, “Praise the Lord!”? 

Choose this peace and share a meal with someone who you disagree with (even if it’s distantly) and look for ways to choose to love them more. Find common ground together and invite your friend to join you for our Worship Night online on Monday, November 2, as we focus on who God is.