The Bridge Week 3 Devotional
Day 1: The Heart of Divine Love
Devotional
Love can sometimes feel like a passive emotion - a warm feeling we hold inside. But God's love is different. It's active, pursuing, and persistent. When Jesus looked at Jerusalem, He didn't just feel sad about their rejection; His heart broke for them. He longed to gather them close, protect them, and shower them with His love. This wasn't a distant kind of love - it was intimate and personal, like a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings. Even in the face of rejection, His love remained steadfast. This is the kind of love that changes lives - a love that doesn't give up, even when the loved one turns away.
Bible Verse
'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!' - Luke 13:34
Reflection Question
When was the last time you experienced or witnessed a love that persisted despite rejection? How did that experience shape your understanding of God's love?
Quote
Jesus love isn't passive. It isn't weak. It isn't conditional. It intercedes, it prays, it waits, it refuses to give up.
Prayer
Loving Father, help me understand the depth of Your persistent love. Open my heart to receive Your love fully, and teach me to love others with the same unwavering commitment. Thank You for never giving up on me. Amen.
Day 2: Love That Steps In
Devotional
In our comfortable lives, it's easy to love from a distance. We might offer kind words or good wishes, but true love, God's kind of love, steps into the mess. When Jesus saw the brokenness of Jerusalem, He didn't merely observe from afar. He moved closer, even knowing it would cost Him everything. He wept, He reached out, He offered healing. This is what real love looks like - it's not about convenience or comfort. It's about being willing to enter into someone else's pain, to stand with them in their darkness, and to hold onto hope when they can't.
Bible Verse
'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!' - Luke 13:34
Reflection Question
What hard situation in someone else's life is God calling you to step into? What's holding you back?
Quote
True love does not stand idly by. True love intercedes. It steps into the hard places. It keeps hoping, it keeps praying, it keeps believing.
Prayer
Lord, give me courage to step into difficult situations with Your love. Help me overcome my fear and hesitation to be present with others in their pain. Use me as Your hands and feet. Amen.
Day 3: The Bridge Builder
Devotional
Bridges connect what was once separated. They make a way where there seemed to be no way. Jesus is the ultimate bridge builder, constantly working to connect us back to God and to each other. He stands in the gap, creating a path home for every wandering heart. No matter how far we've strayed, the bridge remains. No matter how deep the divide seems, His love spans the distance. This is the beautiful truth of God's grace - it's always available, always accessible, always waiting for us to take that step toward home.
Bible Verse
'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!' - Luke 13:34
Reflection Question
What gaps or divisions in your life need Jesus's bridge-building love today?
Quote
Just as a bridge spans the distance between two places, Jesus is there, standing in the gap, bridging the divide between a lost people and a loving God.
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for being the bridge that connects us to God. Help me recognize the bridges You've built in my life, and give me courage to cross them. Make me a bridge builder for others. Amen.
Day 4: Never Beyond Redemption
Devotional
Sometimes we look at our lives or the lives of others and think, 'It's too late. Too much has happened. The distance is too great.' But God's love tells a different story. His love reaches into the deepest valleys and the darkest corners. It pursues the most resistant heart and extends grace to the most unlikely candidate. No one is too far gone, no heart too hardened, no situation too hopeless for His redeeming love. He continues to offer His love freely, though He never forces it upon us.
Bible Verse
'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!' - Luke 13:34
Reflection Question
Who in your life have you given up hope for? How might God be asking you to see them through His eyes of redemptive love?
Quote
We are never beyond redemption. No one is too far gone.
Prayer
Father, forgive me for the times I've limited Your redemptive power. Help me see others through Your eyes of hope and possibility. Renew my faith in Your ability to transform lives. Amen.
Day 5: Standing in the Gap
Devotional
Prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can stand in the gap for others. When we pray for those who can't or won't pray for themselves, we participate in God's redemptive work. We become part of His persistent love story. This isn't about forcing change or manipulating outcomes. It's about faithfully holding onto hope, believing in God's power to transform lives, and refusing to give up on those who might have given up on themselves. When we stand in the gap through prayer, we mirror Jesus's heart for Jerusalem - a heart that loves deeply despite rejection.
Bible Verse
'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!' - Luke 13:34
Reflection Question
For whom do you need to stand in the gap today? How can you commit to praying for them consistently?
Quote
Stand in the gap for them daily. Bridge the divide, the distance with prayer and with faith. Call them by name. Believe that God is still working even when you can't see it.
Prayer
Lord, show me those who need me to stand in the gap for them. Give me faithfulness in prayer and hope in Your power to transform lives. Help me persist in love, just as You do. Amen.