15th. September. 2022.Daily Devotions.
Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws, and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Deuteronomy 8:11-14
Moses was instructing the people on how to live. He mentioned bread, eating, being satisfied, and being fed. Clearly the theme of bread and eating was important for understanding God’s saving work in the people’s lives.
We need tangible experiences of grace, and God often reveals his goodness and abundant love through visible signs of flourishing: a land where his people would eat bread without scarcity (Deuteronomy 8:9) and where they would lack nothing. There would be water, olive oil, fruit, and much more in abundance.
But it can be surprisingly easy to overlook God’s generosity—and even to forget the tough times we have survived by God’s grace. Moses reminded the people that the hard times they went through were there to test them, shape them, and ultimately do them good. It’s also easy to congratulate ourselves when things start going well. Moses didn’t say that the people didn’t participate in their own flourishing, but he did remind them that God was the one who gave them the power to do well in the first place. And Moses warned his listeners: If you start living as if you did all these good things for yourself, you’ll forget the source of every good thing, and then you’ll see for sure that you don’t live on bread alone.
We all need God, so let’s remember him in everything—when things are hard and when things are going well.
Blessed be your name, O Lord. Help us to remember that we need you in all situations. Amen.
Prayer for Overcoming Life’s Hardships
O Lord we call upon you in our time of sorrows, That you give us the strength and will to bear our heavy burdens, until we can again feel the warmth and love of Your divine compassion. Be mindful of us and have mercy on us while we struggle to comprehend life’s hardships Keep us ever in Your watch, til we can walk again with light hearts and renewed spirits. Amen.
A Prayer in time of Grief.
Father, we thank you for those who like our Queen die after a good life, old and full of years. We pray for those who die young and with promise unfulfilled for victims of tragedy and disaster. We pray for those who die burdened by regrets or resentment. Give peace to those who die suddenly and without warning. Comfort those who must watch others die and cannot help them. Lord Jesus Christ, you have been through everything. Stay with us through everything. Amen.
A Spacious Silence
Our hearts yearn for a spacious silence,
where there is freedom to roam
and open space for wonder.
It is not ours to seek and grasp,
but always a capacious gift
from just beyond the veil.
In this far country no words are required,
no parade of good intentions
but only the willingness to abide.
We are enfolded by the delicate fronds of love
and your whispering peace
fills the gentle hollowing of our hearts.
This sweet trespass of momentary grace –
so easily fractured by anxious thought
and world-wearying grief.
For this golden speck of eternity
we breathe and pray,
not knowing when we’ll be back this way.
