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Going deeper...to go further

Daily Bible reading strengthens our relationship with God, nourishes our spirits and equips us to live a fruitful, effective life for Him.

This month we're reading scriptures about the Church living as a missional community. God's people are called, formed and sent to participate in His mission in the world. Each day includes an Old Testament reading, a New Testament reading, a question for reflection and a daily prayer. As we read the Word it’s important that we apply what we read and pray it out over our lives. One of the way you can do this is by using the acronym SOAP. To find out more about SOAP watch this video.

Below you’ll see what we’re reading today. To go forward or back a day in our reading plan use the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons.

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Day 12 – Compassion for the Crowds

Reflect: “What do you notice about Jesus’ response to people who are “harassed and helpless”? How might our church cultivate that same compassion?”

Ezekiel 34:1-16

1The word of the LORD came to me:2"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?3You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.4You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.5So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.6My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.7"'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:8As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock,9therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:10This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.11"'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.12As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.13I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.14I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.15I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD.16I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

Matthew 9:35-38

Jesus has compassion on the people35Jesus travelled through every town and village teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom of heaven and healing people from every disease and sickness.36Whenever He saw the crowds that gathered He had compassion on them. They seemed to be helpless to deal with the things that afflicted them. They were like sheep who had no one to shepherd them and care for them.37He said to His disciples: "There is a plentiful harvest waiting to be reaped, but so few workers.38So pray to the Lord of the harvest and ask Him to send more workers into His harvest field."

Thank you Jesus, that You make us a people who know and live in Your love, proclaim Your good news, welcome the stranger, serve our neighbours and participate together in Your mission. Show us those You are reaching, and give us eyes to see, ears to hear, courage to respond and love for the people around us.

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