Focus

Take a break from your daily distractions; meditate on what God desires for you.

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Read

Psalm 20:1-5 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

To the leader. A Psalm of David.

The Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
The name of the God of Jacob protect you!

May he send you help from the sanctuary,
and give you support from Zion.

May he remember all your offerings,
and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices.Selah

May he grant you your heart’s desire,
and fulfill all your plans.

May we shout for joy over your victory,
and in the name of our God set up our banners.
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

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Reflect

May. Maybe. It’s funny how we can add two letters to a word and diminish the fullness of the word’s intent and introduce uncertainty. We can also remove one word from a phrase and change its purpose. For example, may your day be beautiful, contrasted with, maybe the day will be beautiful. See? Maybe is a 15th-century conjunction of may it be, which originally presupposed a thing that could be hoped for, but when truncated by dropping it, became a phrase that presupposes uncertainty.

When distracted by the worries and obligations of the world, we begin seeing every may as a maybe. We allow the world to decide what will happen with more force than our own desire can muster. We begin to think ‘Maybe the Lord will help me in my distress.’ When we find ourselves thinking in such uncertain terms, we need to replace those thoughts with hope. That is the difference between may (hope) and maybe (uncertainty), closely related words that look in totally opposite directions. Stopping for a moment to give ourselves a daily eVotion moment is a firm step in our taking back control. When we pray, we turn the uncertainty over to God, and as the Word of Hope begins to take hold within us the world will not stand against it.

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Pray

Now this I pray:

Lord, give me victory to stand as your anointed. May I come to trust in your heavenly sanctuary and be given victory over my doubts by the power of your hand. The world trusts in material things and in its riches, but teach me to trust in the name of the Lord, my God. Let the world fall away; may I rest in the light of your hope, and in that new hope, may I rise up and stand firm. My hope is in Jesus Christ and my strength in his righteousness. Amen.

Go with God!