Mission Devotional Day 11
READ: Jonah 1-4
In the brief book of Jonah, we read the story of a reluctant prophet. God appointed Jonah to call the people of Nineveh to repent, but Jonah runs in the other direction. It becomes clear that God loves the Ninevites much more than Jonah does.
Read MoreMission Devotional Day 10
READ: Jeremiah 29:7
“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.”
Read MoreMission Devotional Day 9
READ: Psalm 137
When the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar’s army in 586 B.C. and the people were taken as hostages to Babylon, they faced a tremendous crisis of faith. How could God have allowed this to happen to them? Well, they sort of knew what had transpired because the prophets had foretold their coming judgment. But how could they worship God in a strange land? How could they practice their faith without the temple?
Read MoreMission Devotional Day 8
READ: Isaiah 58
In this chapter, the prophet Isaiah speaks plainly about the disconnect between the religious actions of the people and their social responsibility. The people question why God has not paid attention to their fasting. Why has God not taken notice? Simply stated, God tells them that it is because they are not seeking him. They are seeking their own interest. As Jesus says of those who parade their piety before others, they have their reward.
Read MoreMission Devotional Day 7
READ: Isaiah 53
This portion of the book of the prophet Isaiah functions at different levels of meaning. Some see Israel as the suffering servant. Others identify the servant with the prophet. Nevertheless, it is easy to understand how the early Christians understood this text as pointing ahead to the Messiah, to Jesus. In fact, it is one of the Old Testament texts that the New Testament most often references.
Read MoreMission Devotional Day 6
READ: Isaiah 49:6-7
David Bosch, a famous South African mission scholar, points out, “There is, in the Old Testament, no indication of the believers of the old covenant being sent by God to cross geographical, religious, and social frontiers in order to win others to faith in Yahweh.” Yet in Isaiah 42 and 49, we read of Israel’s call to be “a light to the nations.” It is an echo of God’s covenant with Abram in which God said He would bless Abram and that in him all of the peoples of the earth would be blessed.
Read MoreMission Devotional Day 5
READ: Psalm 67
Psalm 67 is a beautiful reminder of our dependence upon God and of how God’s faithfulness in our lives can make God’s saving power known to others. You may have noticed that there is not much in the Old Testament that looks like our conception of mission. The word mission comes from the Latin root meaning “to send.” There is not a lot of sending going on.
Read MoreMission Devotional Day 4
READ: Deuteronomy 10:17-22
In this powerful text from Deuteronomy, God asserts that he executes justice for the orphan and widow and loves strangers. It is God “who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the Lord your God; him alone you shall worship; to him you shall hold fast, and by his name you shall swear.”
Read MoreDAY 2
READ: Genesis 12:1-3
What an amazing call God sets before Abram! What promises! Abram is to take his family to a place he knows not where – but God will show him the place. Abram and his family will become a great nation, a people who are in a special relationship with God. Yet this blessing is not something that is only for the sake of Abram and his tribe. God makes it clear that in (or through) Abram all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
Read MoreDAY 1
READ: Genesis 3:1-10
If you read the morning newspaper or watch the evening news, it becomes quickly apparent that the world is not the way it should be. In Genesis 1-2 we find two different creation stories that assert God’s role as creator, the goodness of creation, and the responsibility of humankind. But something turns. Something falls.
Read MoreJoin The Outreach Foundation in July as we follow the 31 Day Mission Devotional written by Rob Weingartner. The devotional will be posted daily here on The Outreach Foundation blog and on our social media pages.
You can also click here to download the PDF of the full devotional to have at home.
