Good morning! Several of today’s readings are poetic. If you are in a place where you can read aloud, I encourage you to do so. You’ll need a Bible (in print or virtual). Work through all or part of the prayers, scripture, questions and the reading below. May whatever portions you complete be spiritually nourishing and may the Lord bless you and make you more aware of who he is and who you are!

— Praise: (1)
God of grace, God of glory,
You are faithful. You hold us in your hand.
Your ways are not our ways.
Your thoughts are not our thoughts.
As high as the heavens are above the sea,
So are your thoughts and ways higher than ours.
Eternal God,
In our reading of the Scripture, may your Word be heard;
In the meditations of our hearts, may your Word be known;
In the faithfulness of our lives, may your Word be shown.

— Scripture:
Come Holy Spirit, speak to our hearts as we read your word:
Isaiah 55:1-13

— Answer these three questions:
What does this passage say about God?
What does this passage say about people?
As a result of this reading, what is one step God is inviting you to take?
Who is one person you will tell about that step today?

— Response: (2)
We bless you, O God, for gift of your word.
You renew our faith. You sustain us in hope. You build us up in love.
In our weakness, we pray for strength, that you would prepare us now for service in the world you have made.
Father, let our lives be a blessing. Teach us to trust you for each moment.
Let this be for your glory and our good through Christ, our Lord, we pray. Amen.

— Devotional: (3)
Be careful for nothing, He says, not even your service. Why? Because we are so utterly helpless that no matter how careful we were, our service would amount to nothing! What have we to do with thinking we are fit or not fit for service? The Master-workman surely has a right to use any tool He pleases for His own work, and it is plainly not the business of the tool to decide whether it is the right one to be used or not. He knows; and if He chooses to use us, of course we must be fit. And in truth, if we only knew it, our chief fitness is in our utter helplessness. His strength is made perfect, not in our strength, but in our weakness. Our strength is only a hindrance.

— Closing Prayer: (4)
Lord, remind us today that things are not always as they seem. Help us to hold fast to hope.

(1) and (2) Original portions added to selections from The Worship Sourcebook, 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources.
(3) From “Recovering the Joy of Service” by Hannah Whithall-Smith found in Devotional Classics by Richard Foster and James Bryan Smith.
(4) Original