GPS for the week of November 17th, 2024
“My Kingdom Is Not Of This World”
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“To pray is to practice that posture of radical trust in God’s
grace—and to participate in perhaps the most radical movement
of all, which is the movement of God’s Love (Richard Rohr).”
Dear Lord, help us to pray and to become part of the
movement of your love in this world. Amen.
Monday 11.18 “The spirit of the Lord speaks through me.”
2 Samuel 23:1-7
“Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, son
of Jesse, the oracle of the man whom God exalted, the anointed
of the God of Jacob, the favourite of the Strong One of Israel: The
spirit of the Lord speaks through me, his word is upon my tongue.
The God of Israel has spoken, the Rock of Israel has said to me:
One who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God, is like
the light of morning, like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,
gleaming from the rain on the grassy land. Is not my house like
this with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure. Will he not cause to prosper all
my help and my desire? But the godless are all like thorns that
are thrown away; for they cannot be picked up with the hand; to
touch them one uses an iron bar or the shaft of a spear. And they
are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.” David knew his own
human weaknesses, and humbly submitted his kingship to the
great power and love of God.
Tuesday 11.19 “Let the faithful shout for joy.”
Psalm 132:1-12
“O Lord, remember in David’s favour all the hardships he endured;
how he swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
‘I will not enter my house or get into my bed; I will not give sleep to
my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling-place for the Mighty One of Jacob.’ We heard of it in
Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar. ‘Let us go to his
dwelling-place; let us worship at his footstool.’ Rise up, O Lord,
and go to your resting-place, you and the ark of your might. Let
your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your faithful
shout for joy. For your servant David’s sake do not turn away the
face of your anointed one. The Lord swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back: ‘One of the sons of your body I
will set on your throne. If your sons keep my covenant and my
decrees that I shall teach them, their sons also, for evermore,
shall sit on your throne.’” We will find joy as we faithfully seek our
Lord together.
Wednesday 11.20 “That all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him.”
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
“As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took
his throne; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his
head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels
were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his
presence. A thousand thousand served him, and ten thousand
times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in
judgement, and the books were opened… As I watched in the
night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds
of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented
before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His
dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and
his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.” Daniel had this
powerful vision of the great love of God, given for all people on
this earth.
Thursday 11.21 “Holiness befits your house.”
Psalm 93
“The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, he is
girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never
be moved; your throne is established from of old; you are from
everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have
lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. More majestic
than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves
of the sea, majestic on high is the Lord! Your decrees are very
sure; holiness befits your house, O Lord, for evermore.” We
quietly and humbly witness the great power of God.
Friday 11.22 “Grace to you and peace.”
Revelation 1:4b-8
“Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who
is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the
dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us
and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a
kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and
dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Look! He is coming with the
clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and
on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be.
Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who
is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Our Lord
Jesus loves us and has freed us from our sins!
Saturday 11.23 “Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’”
John 18:33-37
“Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus,
and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered,
‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’
Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the
chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’
Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my
kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to
keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my
kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’
Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born,
and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone
who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’” We have a king
who loves us and will lead us into humble unity with him and those
around us in this world.