The Second Week of January
We Read…
Water is a common theme throughout Scripture, and we see this theme in our passages for today. Isaiah 43 tells us that the Lord will be with us when we pass through the waters and that the rivers won’t sweep us up. Psalm 29 reminds us that the Lord’s voice is over the waters. Water is a cleansing symbol but also a symbol of chaos. How many of us can control a river? Or a thunderstorm? Science has come a long way, but it is not far enough to truly control these waters. But we know that God goes with us, even when the waters feel chaotic, when we feel like everything is out of control, and when we aren’t sure if we’ll be swept up.
Isaiah 43:1-7
But now, says the Lord—
the one who created you, Jacob,
the one who formed you, Israel:
Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name;
you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
when through the rivers,
they won’t sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you won’t be scorched
and flame won’t burn you.
3 I am the Lord your God,
the holy one of Israel, your savior.
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your place.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
you are honored, and I love you.
I give people in your place,
and nations in exchange for your life.
5 Don’t fear,
I am with you.
From the east I’ll bring your children;
from the west I’ll gather you.
6 I’ll say to the north, “Give them back!”
and to the south, “Don’t detain them.”
Bring my sons from far away,
and my daughters
from the end of the earth,
7 everyone who is called by my name
and whom I created for my glory,
whom I have formed and made.
Psalm 29
1 You, divine beings! Give to the Lord—
give to the Lord glory and power!
2 Give to the Lord the glory due his name!
Bow down to the Lord
in holy splendor!
3 The Lord’s voice is over the waters;
the glorious God thunders;
the Lord is over the mighty waters.
4 The Lord’s voice is strong;
the Lord’s voice is majestic.
5 The Lord’s voice breaks cedar trees—
yes, the Lord shatters
the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon jump around
like a young bull,
makes Sirion jump around
like a young wild ox.
7 The Lord’s voice unleashes fiery flames;
8 the Lord’s voice shakes the wilderness—
yes, the Lord shakes
the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The Lord’s voice convulses the oaks,
strips the forests bare,
but in his temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned
over the floodwaters;
the Lord sits enthroned—king forever!
11 Let the Lord give strength to his people!
Let the Lord bless his people
with peace!
Acts 8:14-17
14 When word reached the apostles in Jerusalem that Samaria had accepted God’s word, they commissioned Peter and John to go to Samaria. 15 Peter and John went down to Samaria where they prayed that the new believers would receive the Holy Spirit. (16 This was because the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 So Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
15 The people were filled with expectation, and everyone wondered whether John might be the Christ. 16 John replied to them all, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than me is coming. I’m not worthy to loosen the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 The shovel he uses to sift the wheat from the husks is in his hands. He will clean out his threshing area and bring the wheat into his barn. But he will burn the husks with a fire that can’t be put out.”
21 When everyone was being baptized, Jesus also was baptized. While he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit came down on him in bodily form like a dove. And there was a voice from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.”
We Think…
What stands out to you in these verses? Does anything confuse you or not make sense?
How do these verses compare to your own experience in life or the church? What are you considering?
What questions come to mind?
What images and emotions come to mind when you think of water?
Why is it important to hear that God will be with us when we pass through the waters?
We Feel…
What emotions are you experiencing today? How are you making space for these feelings?
Where have you seen God today or this week? What is pointing you to God (maybe it is something in creation, a friend or adult that cares for you)?
What has God made new in your life? In your heart?
What does baptism mean to you? If you have been baptized, why did you make that decision?
What rough waters have you been through, and how have you seen God in these moments?
We Believe…
We believe that God gave us the Holy Spirit, and God’s Spirit dwells within us. Amazingly, God cares so much about us! God didn’t just create us and leave us to figure out the world by ourselves, but God walks with us daily. Just like Jesus guided his disciples while he was here with them, the Spirit guides us in the ways of Christ. When we grow in our relationship with God - through going to church, reading our bibles, talking about our faith, praying - the Spirit is with us every step of the way.
We Practice…
Take a few minutes to journal or share with a friend about the waters of your life. When have you been in rough waters? When have you experienced peaceful water? When have you received God’s cleansing water (maybe through baptism or another experience)? It’s important to remember how God has been with us in the past. It can give us something to hold onto when we struggle and can be an encouragement to us in the midst of ordinary days. Next time you drive by a body of water or see moving water on your screen, think about how God has been present through all the different parts of your life.
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