Focus

Take a few minutes to push the “pause” button on whatever is going on around you and be still with God.

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Read

Psalm 142 (NRSV)

With my voice I cry to the LORD;
with my voice I make supplication to the LORD.
I pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.
When my spirit is faint,
you know my way.

In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
Look on my right hand and see—
there is no one who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
no one cares for me.

I cry to you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
Give heed to my cry,
for I am brought very low.

Save me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.
Bring me out of prison,
so that I may give thanks to your name.
The righteous will surround me,
for you will deal bountifully with me.

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Reflect

Have you ever felt like no one cared? Have you ever felt like everything that could possibly go wrong happened at exactly the same time? Has it ever felt like the world is crashing down on you and no one wants to throw you a lifeline? Have you ever felt as though no one was listening to you, even when you were crying out for help?

A couple of serious health issues have recently hit my family pretty hard. At the same time, some financial issues have arisen. On top of that, I’ve also been facing some personal issues recently. Lately, it has been very difficult to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

David wrote this psalm at a time when everything seemed to be going wrong. Being hunted by Saul, David was hiding in the back of a cave. At this point he couldn’t see how he would be able to pull himself out of a seemingly hopeless situation. Yet David had hope. David turned to God.

Whatever we go through, we are not alone. Whatever we face, we can turn to God. Even in the most hopeless of circumstances, we have hope. We serve a God who will not leave us, will not forsake us, will not make us face our struggles alone.

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Pray

Mighty Lord, the world is an overwhelming place. Sometimes we face struggles in our lives that make us feel as though we are on our own. We feel like we have nowhere to turn. But we have you, O God. We have your son. We have your Holy Spirit. Even in our darkest moments we have hope in you. Amen.

Go with God.