GPS: Grow, Pray & Study

GPS for the week of June 29th, 2025

“You Have Turned My Mourning Into Dancing”

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“Joy Unspeakable erupts when you least expect it, when the burden

is greatest, when the hope is gone after bullets fly. It rises on the

crest of impossibility, it sways to the rhythm of steadfast hearts, and

celebrates what we cannot see (Dr. Barbara Holmes).”

 

Dear Lord, only you can turn sadness into joy and overcome

darkness. Help us to live with your joy in our hearts. Amen.

 

Monday 6.30 “His flesh was restored.”

2 Kings 5:1-14

“Naaman, … though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. Now the

Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from

the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her

mistress, ‘If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He

would cure him of his leprosy.’ … So Naaman came with his horses

and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha

sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go, wash in the Jordan seven

times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.’ But

Naaman became angry and went away, saying, ‘I thought that for me

he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the

Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the

leprosy! Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better

than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be

clean?’ He turned and went away in a rage. But his servants

approached and said to him, ‘Father, if the prophet had commanded

you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much

more, when all he said to you was, “Wash, and be clean”?’ So he

went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan,

according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like

the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.” God healed this mighty

warrior through the words of a humble slave girl and the simple

washing prescribed by the prophet Elisha.

 

Tuesday 7.1 “And you have healed me.’” Psalm 30

“I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my

foes rejoice over me. O Lord, my God, I cried to you for help, and

you have healed me. O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,

restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit. Sing

praises to the Lord, O you 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. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you for ever.”

God will turn our sorrow into joy.

 

Wednesday 7.2 “Let us work for the good of all.”

Galatians 6:7-16

“Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you

sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the

flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the

Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap

at harvest-time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an

opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of

the family of faith.” We must not grow weary as we work for the good

of all people.

 

Thursday 7.3 “A new creation is everything.

Galatians 6:7-16

“See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! It

is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to

compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted

for the cross of Christ. Even the circumcised do not themselves obey

the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast

about your flesh. May I never boast of anything except the cross of

our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me,

and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is

anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will

follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel

of God.” Let us rejoice in the gift of this new creation.

 

Friday 7.4 “I am sending you out like lambs into the midst

of the wolves.

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

“After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead

of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to

  1. He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are

few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his

harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into

the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet

no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to

this house!” And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace

will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the

same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the

laborer deserves to be paid’.” We, too, are sent like lambs to declare

peace in the uncertainty of this world.

 

Saturday 7.5 “Rejoice that your names are written in

heaven.”

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

“Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a

town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the

sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come

near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not

welcome you, go out into its streets and say, “Even the dust of your

town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you.” Yet

know this: the kingdom of God has come near. Whoever listens to

you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever

rejects me rejects the one who sent me.’ The seventy returned with

joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’ He

said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of

lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and

scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt

you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to

you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’” We bring the

kingdom of God to this world as we trust in our Lord.