GPS for the week of April 27th, 2025
“Weeping May Linger For The Night, But Joy Comes In The Morning”
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“Instead of rushing to resurrection, we must dwell in the space of
unknowing. We must hold death and life in tension. One day, we
can help others live through these scary and tense landscapes…
We must know the terrible experience of loss wrought in our
world. This pain can teach us more when the promise of new life
dawns, and we will appreciate its light because we know the
darkness…. (Christine Valters Paintner).”
Dear Lord, help us to rejoice in your love even as we face
dark and difficult times. Amen
Monday 4.28 “Who are you, Lord?”
Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)
“…Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus,
suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the
ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came,
‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the
city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men who were
travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice
but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his
eyes were open, he could see nothing… Now there was a
disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a
vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ The Lord said
to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the
house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this
moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named
Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain
his sight.’” Our Lord Jesus brought light into the life of Saul.
Tuesday 4.29 “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have
chosen…” Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)
“But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this
man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and
here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke
your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument
whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings
and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much
he must suffer for the sake of my name.’ So Ananias went and
entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother
Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has
sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the
Holy Spirit.’ And immediately something like scales fell from his
eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was
baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength…”
Ananias trusted our Lord.
Wednesday 4.30 “You have turned my mourning into
dancing.”
Psalm 30
“…Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give
thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment; his
favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy
comes with the morning. As for me, I said in my prosperity, ‘I shall
never be moved.’ By your favor, O Lord, you had established me
as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed. To you,
O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication: ‘What profit is
there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise
you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and be
gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!’ You have turned my
mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and
clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be
silent…” We dance, shout, and sing for joy as our Lord drives
darkness away.
Thursday 5.1 “Worthy is the Lamb.”
Revelation 5:11-14
“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding
the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered
myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full
voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power
and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and
blessing!’ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth
and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,
‘To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and
honor and glory and might for ever and ever!’ And the four living
creatures said, ‘Amen!’ And the elders fell down and worshipped.”
Join every creature to praise our Lord!
Friday 5.2 “I am going fishing.”
John 21:1-19
“…Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ Just after
daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not
know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you have
no fish, have you?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them,
‘Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’
So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because
there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to
Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the
Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into
the lake… When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire
there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some
of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went
aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and
fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was
not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Jesus
came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same
with the fish…” Peter rejoiced in the one who brought fishing to
life!
Saturday 5.3 “Lord, you know everything…”
John 21:1-19
“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to
him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him,
‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of
John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that
I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him
the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt
hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And
he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love
you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you,
when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to
go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch
out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you
and take you where you do not wish to go.’” Peter’s love for Jesus
was not diminished by the darkness of our world.