6th. July. 2022.Daily Devotions.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:17-8
Feeling overwhelmed? Most people don’t really need any terrible problem to get down in the dumps sometimes. Disappointment and frustration simply come with the package. We expect deep in our hearts that we will constantly make progress, but reality sets in and sometimes it seems like all we can do is put one foot in front of the other one. Life is a gift, but we all spend our lives looking this gift horse straight in the mouth; because no matter how bad things get, if you can feel overwhelmed, you must be alive.
Everybody has hard times sooner or later. We lose our jobs, our spouse runs off with someone else, we develop a chronic disease, we go bankrupt. But Christ promised us that, not only would we get through any tribulation that life can throw at us, but we can also get through the ultimate tribulation. If He overcame death, what can He not overcome?
If you feel like you can’t pick yourself up, don’t try. Christ will do the picking up; all you need to do is ask. With God’s help, you will get through this.
Lord, let me always remember to rely on you, with complete confidence. Amen.
Grant us, O God, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have us do, that the spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices; that in your light we may see light, and in your path may not stumble; through Christ our Lord. Amen. William Reed Huntington (1838-1909)
“A Little Prayer”
Let us be thankful, Lord, for little things
The song of birds, the rapture of the rose;
Cloud-dappled skies, the laugh of limpid springs,
Drowned sunbeams and the perfume April blows;
Bronze wheat a-shimmer, purple shade of trees –
Let us be thankful, Lord of Life, for these!
Let us be grateful, God, for health serene,
The hope to do a kindly deed each day;
The faith of fellowship, a conscience clean,
The will to worship and the gift to pray;
For all of worth in us, of You a part,
Let us be grateful, God, with humble heart. Amen.
by Robert William Service (1930)
Gracious God, your love includes us all, yet through the upheaval of pandemic and lockdowns the divisions between people have become accentuated.
We confess that too often we have not listened to those who have a different voice or offer a different perspective.
We confess that at times we operate from a place of privilege and do not always deal well with the power that we have.
Help us to understand the breadth, depth and height of your love for us and for others so that we work with humility, across the divisions, for justice for all, so that our lives as well as our words will proclaim your all-encompassing love. Amen.
For Damaged Pride
Gracious, loving God, help me to overcome the pride which creeps in around the corners of my mind like rain hammering on broken shingles and cracked walls, persistent and sly, wearing away defences, flooding the basement, trying to destroy my love for others and my humility by rotting it away.
Especially help me when someone corrects me, Lord, and I am wrong, in part or whole; for I am apt to take offense and shame, where humility would have neither; and my mind tries to justify my words or deeds, no matter how much I am in error. Fill me with desire for truth and love, dear God, so that I can accept correction, both from you and from other people, seeking only truth and love. In Christ I pray, Amen.