Here am I. Send me! (Isaiah 6:8)

[Reading Time: Approx. 7min]

Lesson 14 Devotional: Jesus | He Met the Needs of Others.

Mark 1:29-34 (NIV)29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Building on the foundation from the previous lessons, we now move forward, having established our identity as God’s children (Lesson 11), learning to communicate with Him in a two-way relationship (Lesson 12), and growing in our ability to listen to Him through His Word (Lesson 13). With this foundation of love and communication with God, we can now confidently listen to His direction on how to serve others. The greatest commandments—loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves—serve as the basis for how we can act on what we hear from God. In this lesson, we will focus on how we can listen to God’s guidance for meeting the needs of others and how we can faithfully execute what He asks of us.

1Becoming One with God in Communion
2Receiving the Spirit of Love for Others
3God Gives Us Specific Action Plans
4Be Resilient and Calm Amid Challenges

Becoming One with God in Communion

Luke 5:17 (NIV)17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.

This time with God is the most intimate part of your day, where you experience deep communion with your Abba Father. It’s also when you receive His power to heal the sick of heart, strengthen the weak, and go after those who have strayed. Through this sacred time of meditation, worship, prayer, and immersion in the Word, your heart is stirred and inspired as you sit with your Father, taking in His very essence. This is the time in our day when we reflect on Him, and His being reflects on us. Not only does this time transform us, but it also delights us—like a child spending time with his father, his hero, the one who makes him feel secure and confident, the one he looks up to and wants to be like when he grows up. This is what our time with God does when we become one with Him. This is where we receive the power and confidence to go into our day, and it is what gives us the strength to heal the sick.

Receiving the Spirit of Love for Others

As we spend time with God, He fills us with His Spirit of love, preparing our hearts to serve others. Through meditation, worship, prayer, and immersion in the Word, our hearts are stirred, and we become more aware of the needs around us. While we may not yet be acting on these needs, this time softens our hearts and readies us to serve. It’s during these moments that God reveals who we can serve and how we can meet their needs. The focus here is on having hearts filled with love, ready to embrace the call to love our neighbors as ourselves.As Ezekiel 34:16 says, "I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak." This time with God not only opens your eyes to the needs of those around you but also empowers you to act. It is not just a time for receiving love, but a time to be equipped to carry out acts of love, preparing you to love your neighbors as yourself.

God Gives Us Specific Action Plans

In addition to love and power, God provides us with specific action plans. He reveals how we are to serve and meet the needs around us. Just as Jesus was directed by His Father during His ministry, we too need to listen for God's direction on how to act.Each day, we must be in tune with the specific assignments He gives us, whether that involves meeting a physical need, offering a word of encouragement, or stepping into a challenging situation. Of course, we know that our mission as disciples of Jesus is to go and make disciples. Therefore, we should always be listening to the Holy Spirit's directions regarding those needs for the day.Whether it's sharing our faith with a coworker or neighbor, meeting with a friend to share the gospel through a Bible study, or following up with a phone call, we must remain focused on advancing the kingdom. We are called to move the ministry God has given us forward daily. This requires attentiveness to the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to guide our steps as we meet the needs of those around us.Additionally, this time with God is when He may inspire new visions in you and give you new life direction, so it’s important to stay open to big things happening. He may reveal significant new paths or callings, but He might also remind you of small, everyday needs you’ve forgotten about—both the deep and the mundane. He may even prompt you with something as practical as remembering a car registration you forgot about—God cares about all aspects of your life!

Be Resilient and Calm Amid Challenges

When we set out to serve others, we need resilience and flexibility, because challenges will arise that might hinder our plans. James 4:13-15 reminds us to be humble and agile, trusting God to guide us through changes in our plans:

James 4:13-15 (NIV)13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

Furthermore, we see Jesus as an example of calm in the storm. In Mark 4:38, during a violent storm, Jesus was sleeping in the stern of the boat while His disciples panicked. Jesus remained peaceful in the midst of chaos, showing us that we, too, must have the ability to remain calm when the unexpected happens. When God gives us a plan, we should trust that, even in the face of challenges, He will provide the resilience we need to follow through.Not only should we do this, but it is the very thing God gives us the ability to do when we spend time with Him in the morning before our day starts. You'll notice that the more time you spend with Him, the things that used to bother you and throw you off course will no longer have the same effect. You will have greater power to stay focused in the chaos. You’ll be like Jesus when it says in Luke 9:51 that He "resolutely set out for Jerusalem," focused and "not greeting anyone along the road" (Luke 10:4).

Walking As Jesus Did: Practical ApplicationHow can we apply what we’ve learned today to walk as Jesus did?

1Becoming One with God in Communion; Tomorrow morning, set aside at least 15 minutes to spend in quiet communion with God. Focus not on asking for things, but on simply enjoying His presence, sharing your heart, and listening for His voice.
2Receiving the Spirit of Love for Others: As you pray this week, ask God to fill you with His Spirit of love and open your eyes to the needs of others around you. Make it a point to look at those in your life through the lens of God’s love and compassion.
3God Gives Us Specific Action Plans: Each day, during your time with God, be attentive to the Holy Spirit guiding you to specific action plans for how you can serve others that day. Write down any specific assignments, insights, or impressions God gives you, and remain attentive throughout the day to how He might call you to act. Also, be open to new life visions, goals, and purposes He inspires you toward.
4Be Resilient and Calm Amid Challenges: When unexpected challenges arise, practice staying calm and relying on God’s peace. Reflect on the example of Jesus sleeping in the boat during the storm (Mark 4:38), and trust that God will give you the resilience you need to adjust and carry out His plans. Psalm 27:3 is a great passage to memorize, meditate on, and recite during those sudden storms that come upon you during your day.

Lesson 14 Training Tips: Serve Like Jesus

Getting More from Your Study of the GospelsThese insights aim to build your faith, deepen your understanding, and encourage practical application of God’s Word.

1Read: Read Mark 1:29-34 aloud, reflecting on how Jesus met the needs of others with compassion and power.
2Meditate: Meditate on Luke 5:17, where the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. Consider how you can be empowered by the Holy Spirit to meet the needs of those around you.
3Pray: Ask God to empower you with His Spirit of love and to give you clear guidance on how to meet the needs of others in your life. Pray for the resilience and flexibility to adjust when challenges arise.

ConclusionWhen we walk with Jesus, we learn not only to love God but also to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus was always attentive to the needs of those around Him, and as we spend time in intimate communion with our Father, He fills us with the love, power, and specific plans we need to serve others. However, serving others is not without challenges, and just as Jesus remained calm during the storm, we too must trust in God’s guidance and peace to carry us through. May we rely on His strength and love to meet the needs of those around us, demonstrating the heart of Christ in our actions.

Lesson 14: Jesus | With Him, We Go & Meet Needs (Mark 1:29-34)

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