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God, forgive me when I sin and mess up. Create in me a clean heart and pure mind. I want to run into Your open arms instead of toward sin. Thank You for always being faithful to forgive me. You remain perfect when I am far from it. Help me to seek You daily. In Jesus' name, Amen.

DAILY BIBLE READING: ISAIAH 56-58 2 THESSALONIANS 2 SALVATION FOR FOREIGNERS “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed. keeps his hand from doing any evil.” I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar ISRAEL'S IRRESPONSIBLE LEADERS The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. But they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all. ISRAEL'S FUTILE IDOLATRY For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; 2 he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness. he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain. COMFFORT FOR THE CONTRITE “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people’s way.” “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, 19 creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal him. TRUE AND FALSE FASTING hey seek me daily and delight to know my ways, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, 1And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word,the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. STAND FIRM always to give thanks to God, God chose you as the first fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us. may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

1 PETER 5:6-9 SHEPHERD THR FLOCK OF GOD Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. INSIGHT Giving our worries to God acknowledges His sovereign and loving care for us (1 Peter 5:7). Jesus devoted a portion of His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) to the topic of worry (6:25-34). He specifically told His listeners not to worry about their life—including food and clothing—but instead to observe birds and flowers and see how lovingly God provides for them. Noting His care for them, we better understand His love and care for us, for we are much more valuable than birds (v. 26)! Christ said, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (v. 27). Instead, we’re invited to focus on God—who’s so much bigger and greater than we are—and entrust our concerns to His loving care (vv. 33-34; 1 Peter 5:7).

By: Alyson Kieda

CASTING CARES I walked to the airline kiosk to check in using the confirmation number stored in my cell phone. But my phone was missing! I’d left it behind in the car that had dropped me off. So how could I contact the ride-hailing driver who’d dropped me off?

As I scrambled to connect my laptop to the airport’s Wi-Fi, I worried it was too late. Utilizing an app, my husband noticed my phone wasn’t with me at the airport and had already sent me an email—waiting for me as soon as I connected to the Wi-Fi. His email said, “Send me the car service’s number and I’ll take care of it.” My husband had jumped in to take care of things—giving me an immediate sense of peace.

This is part of the peace I believe God wants us to enjoy in the relationship we can experience with Him through Christ. First Peter 5:7 reminds us to “cast all [our] anxiety on him because he cares for [us].” This verse says that God wants to take on our worries and concerns. Why? Because He cares that much for us. We can give our cares to God rather than allowing them to swim around in our heads as we try to figure things out.

Casting our anxiety on God is a form of humility that acknowledges that He’s much more capable of handling our concerns than we are (v. 6). Although something may pop up to cause us to suffer (v. 10), we can rest in His care and provision.

By: Katara Patton

REFLECT AND PRAY What do you need to cast on God? How does it encourage you to know He cares for you?

Gracious God, thank You for allowing me to place my worries and concerns in Your faithful hands. In Jesus' name, Amen.

JONAH:GOD'S SCANDALOUS MERCY Jonah prophesied to Jeroboam saying they will be forgiven. a message of mercy, repentance, but Jonah cannot stomach this. Jonah refused to be Nineveh's prophet. He boarded a boat and transported the message of hope away from the pagans. This boat was full of ruthless people and God used Jonah to save them. Jonah threw himself in the sea revealing that it was he and Israel that truly was the ruthless beast. Jonah would rather die than to see the evil live. He's rather take the message of mercy to the grave, than to see him forgive. God wanted to teach Jonah about His mercy. 3 days Jonah plead for a mercy he was unwilling to preach. God spit him out on an Assyrian beach. His aquatic death and resurrection was supposed to teach him, but all he gave to the assyrians was a short message of destruction. Jonah went up on the mountain to see their devastation but the whole nation fasted and repented and God forgave them, the destruction never came. To Jonah, God's lenience was evil. God showed Jonah that he is a hypocrite. God appointed a plant to shade and protect, he felt forgiveness but God took it away. Jonah could not see God's mercy. Jesus was given the message of mercy, but Israel's preachers does not want romans forgiven. They took a message of mercy to a grave because Jesus would rather die so that the evil may live. Jesus would rather mercifully go to the grave in order to forgive. for 3 days Jesus experienced the judgement Jonah wanted Nineveh to reach. He will forgive the worst kinds of evil. We feel God's forgiveness under the shade of Jesus' tree. Jonah and Jesus invite all of us to see our own hypocrisy. We are equally undeserving, it is us and not them who are the ruthless beasts.

PRAY Next, prepare your heart through prayer. We don't want to just engage with Scripture academically—we want it to change our hearts. As you pray, consider starting with the passages from Psalms assigned for today. Use it like a prayer. Put the psalmist's words into your own words.

Then, pray over the passage from Jonah assigned for today. Ask God to send his Holy Spirit to help you understand Jonah and see Jesus throughout it.

PSALM 119:73-80 Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments. 74Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word. 75I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. 76Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant. 77Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight. 78Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. 79Let those who fear you turn to me, that they may know your testimonies. 80May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame!