Focus

Experience silence in the midst of your busy day. Take some time to relax into a time to be with God.

---

Read

Psalm 80 (NRSV)

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
and come to save us!

Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.

O LORD God of hosts,
how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
You make us the scorn of our neighbors;
our enemies laugh among themselves.

Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.

You brought a vine out of Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it.
You cleared the ground for it;
it took deep root and filled the land.
The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches;
it sent out its branches to the sea,
and its shoots to the River.
Why then have you broken down its walls,
so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
The boar from the forest ravages it,
and all that move in the field feed on it.

Turn again, O God of hosts;
look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
the stock that your right hand planted.
They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down;
may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance.
But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,
the one whom you made strong for yourself.
Then we will never turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call on your name.

Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.

---

Reflect

I recently conducted a pre-marital counseling session with a couple in preparation for their wedding. At the beginning of our discussion, I asked both of them what excited them about getting married. The groom-to-be told me that his life had become mundane and lethargic in every aspect—socially, professionally, family, etc. He explained that the love he had found through his fiancé had brought back meaning to every aspect of his life. He began to find meaning in his job, appreciated his family more, and as he said, “I have a skip in my step.”

It’s amazing how powerful love is. Just knowing that we are loved can have an amazing impact on how we interact with the world and view things as simple as our jobs. There are times in our lives when we can hit a rut. It can seem that we go to sleep at night only to wake up and repeat what we did the day before and the day before that. We pray with the psalmist, “Restore us, O God!” Simply waking in the morning and spending time knowing that God loves us and is with us can change the way we view each and every unique day.

---

Pray

God, help us to experience your love this day. In the times when we feel down, remind us of your presence. Amen.

Go with God.