GPS for the week of March 23rd, 2025
“Confessing Means Having Faith That God Is, Above All, Compassionate Toward Us”
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God knows our weaknesses. God is not to be feared, because
Christ longs to restore us to the joy of God’s presence. And by
the way, when you confess a sin to the Almighty, you are not
giving the Lord any fresh news. …God knew about it a long time
ago (Tom Berlin, in Restored: Finding Redemption in our Mess).”
Dear Lord, help us to come to you. Help us to know your
gracious love and power to redeem us. Amen.
Monday 3.24 “They ate the produce of the land.”
Joshua 5:9-12
“The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away from you the
disgrace of Egypt.’ And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.
While the Israelites were encamped in Gilgal they kept the
passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the
plains of Jericho. On the day after the passover, on that very day,
they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched
grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the
land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of
the land of Canaan that year.” God continued to bless the
Israelites.
Tuesday 3.25 “Do not be like a horse or a mule.”
Psalm 32
“Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is
covered. Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit. While I kept silence, my
body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and
night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as
by the heat of summer. Selah Then I acknowledged my sin to
you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my
transgressions to the Lord’, and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Selah Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a
time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.
You are a hiding-place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you
surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah I will instruct
you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with
my eye upon you. Do not be like a horse or a mule, without
understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
else it will not stay near you. Many are the torments of the
wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all
you upright in heart.” We know our Lord will forgive us when we
come to him.
Wednesday 3.26 “In Christ God was reconciling the world to
himself.”
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
“From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of
view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of
view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in
Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away;
see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who
reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the
ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the
world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and
entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are
ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through
us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For
our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him
we might become the righteousness of God.” God will bring us to
himself.
Thursday 3.27 “So he set off and went to his father.”
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
“Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen
to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and
saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So he
told them this parable… Then Jesus said, ‘There was a man who
had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father,
give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” So he
divided his property between them. A few days later the younger
son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and
there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had
spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that
country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired
himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to
his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with
the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.
But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s
hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying
of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no
longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired
hands.’” So he set off and went to his father.” We, too, must
come to our father for forgiveness and a new life.
Friday 3.28 “And they began to celebrate.”
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
“But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with
compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven
and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But
the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best
one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his
feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and
celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was
lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.” Our heavenly
father will welcome us!
Saturday 3.29 “We had to celebrate and rejoice.”
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
“‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and
approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called
one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your
brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf,
because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became
angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to
plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these
years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never
disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a
young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when
this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with
prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then the father said
to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.
But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours
was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”’”
We must give up our foolish pride and rejoice with the Lord of life.