GPS for the week of October 5th, 2025
“Seek the Welfare of the City Where I Have Sent You into Exile”
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“We have to listen to the people in our lives, even the broken
ones, and take them very seriously… We are always in the
House of the Lord. We are in a place of the Lord wherever we
are, whatever we do. We are already home (Henri J. M.
Nouwen).” We rejoice in God’s call to live full and active lives in
our crazy world, and to learn from all of the people we encounter.
Dear Lord, thank you for your invitation to dwell with you,
even when we are in the midst of the storms of life in this
world. Amen.
Monday 10.6 “And pray to the Lord on its behalf.”
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
“These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent
from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to
the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom
Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles
whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build
houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they
produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives
for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may
bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile,
and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find
your welfare.” God called the Israelites to live joyous and active
lives even in exile.
Tuesday 10.7 “Yet you have brought us out to a spacious
place.”
Psalm 66:1-12
“Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his
name; give to him glorious praise. Say to God, ‘How awesome
are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies
cringe before you. All the earth worships you; they sing praises to
you, sing praises to your name.’ Selah Come and see what God
has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals. He turned
the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There
we rejoiced in him, who rules by his might forever, whose eyes
keep watch on the nations— let the rebellious not exalt
themselves. Selah Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his
praise be heard, who has kept us among the living, and has not let
our feet slip. For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us
as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid burdens on
our backs; you let people ride over our heads; we went through
fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a spacious
place.” We have all been tested by the trials of life. But God will
see us through and give us life everlasting!
Wednesday 10.8 “But the word of God is not chained.”
2 Timothy 2:8-15
“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of
David—that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the
point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not
chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect,
so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,
with eternal glory. The saying is sure: If we have died with him,
we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains
faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” We remember our Lord
Jesus and our freedom to live with him.
Thursday 10.9 “A worker who has no need to be
ashamed.”
2 Timothy 2:8-15
“The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with
him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he
will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he
cannot deny himself. Remind them of this, and warn them before
God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no
good but only ruins those who are listening. Do your best to
present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who
has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.”
What joy to be a worker with our Lord Jesus in this world!
Friday 10.10 “Get up and go on your way.”
Luke 17:11-19
“On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region
between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers
approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying,
‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to
them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went,
they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he
was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He
prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a
Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But
the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return
and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to
him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’”
This Samaritan did not hesitate to turn back and fall at the feet of
Jesus. We may get up and go on our way as we are made whole
in God’s grace.
Saturday 10.11 “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of
God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18-24
“For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the
discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’ Where is the one who
is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in
the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom,
God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save
those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire
wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to
Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom
of God.” Power and wisdom are in Jesus. Thanks be to God!