Unshakable Essentials

This week’s readings offer gracious underpinnings to our faith. They name God’s essential gifts for sustaining and nurturing our life with God. These unshakable gifts cannot be obliterated by the world’s great need or devastating circumstances. The readings from Jeremiah and Psalms are repeated in a pair from earlier in the year (Jan. 27–Feb. 2). God’s plans for the authors’ lives and our own are essential gifts, if only we can accept them. The kingdom given in the Hebrews passage “cannot be shaken,” indicating the permanency of God’s faithfulness to us. Jesus’ teaching and encounter on the sabbath exemplifies the most unshakable gift given—mercy. These scriptural witnesses offer encouragement and direction for meeting the challenging circumstances in our time. With these essential gifts we, like those before us, may build an unshakable faith.

• Read Jeremiah 1:4-10. How can you trust God to empower you to follow God’s call? How can you encourage others to live into their calling?
• Read Psalm 71:1-6. How can you continually praise God as your refuge?
• Read Hebrews 12:18-29. How do you discern what is required of you in praising God in the new covenant?
• Read Luke 13:10-17. How do you observe the sabbath now? What sabbath practice might you start that puts God’s reign into action?