In our hardship, God draws near.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. —Psalm 34:18
In our sorrow, God meets us with His love and mercy.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. —Lamentations 3:22-26 ESV
When we are devastated, God demonstrates His faithfulness.
The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” —Exodus 3:7-10
God’s love and mercy have hands and feet.
- Think
- Pray
- Give
- Go
gracehonolulu.org/give
Select: “Maui Relief Fund”
Discipleship Guide
Let’s Connect
- Do you have family or friends in Maui affected by the devasting wildfires?
Let’s Talk About It
Our hearts grieve for our friends and family on Maui. What happened in Maui breaks the heart of God. When we are hurt and brokenhearted, God hurts. God cares deeper than anyone about what has happened. He is not an impersonal, spiritual force. He is a personal God who loves us so deeply; He created us for a personal, intimate relationship with Him. In our hardship, God draws near. In our sorrow, God meets us with His love and mercy. When we are devastated, God is faithful. Our response is to demonstrate God’s love and mercy by being His hands and feet. We draw near to Him and take steps to think, pray, give, and go.
Psalm 34:18; Lamentations 3:22-26; Exodus 3:7-10; Romans 12:15
- Which part of the message impacted or challenged you?
- Read Psalm 34:18. Share when you felt brokenhearted or crushed in spirit. Did you experience God’s presence? If so, how? Did you respond by embracing God in the middle of the trial? If so, what did that look like?
- Read Lamentations 3:22-26. What does this passage teach us about God? How does this give you hope in the current crisis in Maui?
- Read Exodus 3:7-10. How can you be the hands and feet of Jesus to assist the people in Maui? Take some time as a group to pray for those affected by the devastation and for first responders helping those who have lost so much.
Take a Step
- What practical steps can you take to be the hands and feet of Jesus assisting the people in Maui? How might you possibly think, pray, give, and go?
- You can support the relief efforts in Maui by giving at: gracehonolulu.org/give. Select: “Maui Relief Fund”
Here’s My Prayer
Father, I need You. When I consider the loss and devastation in Maui, it is overwhelming. Thank You for being a loving and faithful God who draws near to me when I’m brokenhearted and crushed in Spirit. I invite Your presence into this horrible crisis and ask You to draw near and comfort those grieving the loss of loved ones, property, and jobs in the Maui fires. Give us, Your church, great strength in this moment. In Jesus’ name, amen.