Good morning! Today is Tuesday, September 30, 2025. We begin our Footsteps of Paul tour with our New Hope Church families from Hawaii, Los Angeles, and Oregon. The Apostle Paul wrote nearly a quarter of the New Testament and took three major missionary journeys across Asia Minor and Europe to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, he was executed for his bold faith, yet he could still write in Philippians 1:21: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” How could someone suffer so much and still feel so blessed? Paul followed in Jesus’ footsteps—let’s do the same.
Today's Reading:
Zechariah 7,8,9; Luke 13
Scripture
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Luke 13:34–35)
Observation
Jesus wept for the city of Jerusalem because they had rejected God’s prophets—and now even Him. His heart was like that of a mother hen longing to gather her chicks under her wings to keep them safe. But because they refused to repent, the people and their institutions would become desolate, empty of God’s presence. Yet even here, Jesus pointed to hope, quoting Psalm 118:26, a prophecy of the coming Messiah: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” He was pointing to Himself, fulfilled later on Palm Sunday at the triumphal entry, when the people of Jerusalem shouted these very words as they welcomed Him as the Messiah.
Application
When God calls us to repent and return, we face a choice: to humble ourselves and let Him shepherd us, or to turn away in offense. Repentance may feel uncomfortable, but it always draws us closer to His heart. Just as Israel rejected the prophets—and even Christ Himself—people today still resist the voices God raises up to call His people back to truth. Sometimes the Lord speaks through modern-day prophets, pastors, or even ordinary believers to confront sin and remind us of His ways. We can either receive these warnings with humility or reject them and risk a desolate life, empty of His presence. God’s blessing doesn’t always mean comfort or happiness—it means His presence, His protection, and His peace.
Prayer
Dear Lord, more than anything, I want to live a life that honors and pleases You. Give me Your heart—a heart that loves and even grieves for Your people. Amen.
—Aaron Cordeiro