4th. August. 2022. Daily Devotions.
Psalm 22:15
My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.
Sand is beautiful. Sprinkled around the shoulder of a lake, it forms an exquisite collar. Blowing winds tease beach sand into blond dunes and pale valleys. Even the loneliest desert has austere beauty; absence paints its own splendour.
The absence of God is never beautiful, though; it is death. Desperately our psalmist cries out, asking God to come and find him. In effect, the psalmist says, “Without your help I will die in this wilderness.”
God is never too far away to hear a call for help. God will come to the rescue. Our story of desertion is also one of recovery—a story meant to be punctuated by frequent hallelujahs.
Our lives can have moments of despair and abandonment. The desert can be the last place we want to travel through in any season, yet it may seem like the only place our feet will take us. Our hope rests in God’s unseen presence. God’s strength will compensate for our weakness; God’s comfort will soothe our afflicted hearts.
Our stories of the desert and the dirt are ones we don’t want to tell. We’d rather share news of our victories and daring deeds crowned with success. Yet the psalmist reminds us that our worst moments and greatest weaknesses reveal God’s strength and faithfulness best.
Lord God, you found me suffering in the desert and res-cued me. Thank you for sending your Son to the cross to save me from the desert of sin and death. Amen.
Grant us, O Lord, to pass this day in gladness and peace, without stumbling and without stain, that reaching the day’s end victorious over all temptation, we may again praise you, the eternal God, blessed over all things now and for ever. Amen. Mozarabic Sacramentary (10th century)
Gracious God, we know the theory of welcoming all, that in Christ there is “no longer Jew or Greek … there is no longer male and female”, * but we all have our preferences and biases. It is comfortable to be among those who are like us. Yet you call us not to be comfortable, but to comfort – to encourage and strengthen others, including those who are troubled. It is not easy, but it is possible because you are a merciful God, a forgiving God, a hope-giving God. Through Jesus you have made room for all, so may we share your hope, your forgiveness, and your mercy with those who discomfort us. Amen. *Galatians 3:28
Almighty and most merciful God, you have given us a new commandment,
that we should love one another. Give us grace to fulfil it. Make us gentle, courteous, and kind. Direct our lives and help us to be aware of the needs of others, that together we may grow in love and live in peace. Through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen.
May God be near to defend you, within you to refresh you and around you to preserve you, today and always. Amen. From Canterbury Cathedral
Prayers for the mentally ill or depressed
Loving god, you are always near to us, especially when we are weak, suffering, and vulnerable. Reach out to those who experience mental illness. Lift their burdens, calm their anxiety, and quiet their fears. Surround them with your healing presence that they may know that they are not alone. We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen
Holy God, hold all Your children who live with the mental condition of depression. Send your love through people – therapists, ministers, friends, and family, that they may be assured of your love in their dark hours. In our holy name, Amen.
