In today’s reading, Jesus and his disciples visit the Temple in Jerusalem. At the time it was 500 years old, but the Temple was still a marvel of ancient industry. One of the disciples exclaims over it to Jesus, who in turn warns that nothing endures; change and destruction are...
Could you persevere if the thing you hold dearest were destroyed? We can be supremely confident in God’s faithfulness. “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23).
The inability to have a child brings pain to many today, and this was equally true in ancient times. In that context it was sometimes even worse, for Peninnah openly ridicules Hannah for being unable to conceive. But as a result of Hannah's desperate, heartfelt prayer, God blesses her with a son, Samuel, who will become a powerful prophet. Hannah then rejoices in a God who exalts the poor and needy. Hannah provides an example of the boldness with which we also can approach God now because of Christ’s sacrifice. The destruction of Jerusalem is the focus of the passage in Mark. Jesus here predicts the demolition of the Temple and the city, which the Romans executed in 70 ce.
Read 1 Samuel 1:4-20. How do you persist in prayer when your prayer seems unanswered for a long time?
Read 1 Samuel 2:1-10. How do you express your joy and thanks when God answers your prayer?
Read Hebrews 10:11-25. What helps you to persevere in the practice of your faith?
Read Mark 13:1-8. What signs make you anxious about the future? What helps you to hold on to hope?
Respond by posting a prayer.
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