Focus

Stop and thank God for being present with you today. Ask for God’s guidance as you hear God’s voice through scripture and the writer.

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Read

Psalm 131 (NRSV)

O LORD, my heart is not lifted up,
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.

O Israel, hope in the LORD
from this time on and forevermore.

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Reflect

Many people are really struggling right now. Their lives have been disrupted, many having lost wages or employment. Parents have found themselves thrown into the role of teacher, a role for which they were not prepared. Children suddenly cannot enjoy the activities to which they have looked forward for a long time—camps, vacations, visits with family and friends, and even swimming! It is very easy to feel depressed and overwhelmed—without hope.

The good news, though, is that there is hope. Thousands of years ago, God told the psalmist to “hope in the LORD from this time on and forevermore.” What a wonderful affirmation of God’s love and care for God’s people. The Israelites had found themselves in exile, enslaved, and even divided against themselves, yet God sent messengers to offer hope.

Where do you find hope in today’s world? How can you offer hope to someone who is struggling?

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Pray

Lord, thank you for giving us the hope of something better yet to come. We know that your promises are unfailing. Help us to hold onto those promises and to share the hope we have in you with others. Amen.

Go with God!