Focus
Pay attention to the tension in your body. Let go of it and any expectations to do anything other than God’s will today. Prepare yourself to hear God’s word
Read
Psalm 118:1-19
A Song of Victory
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.
6 With the Lord on my side I do not fear.
What can mortals do to me?
7 The Lord is on my side to help me;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put confidence in mortals.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put confidence in princes.
10 All nations surrounded me;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
12 They surrounded me like bees;
they blazed like a fire of thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
15 There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly;
16 the right hand of the Lord is exalted;
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.”
17 I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Lord.
18 The Lord has punished me severely,
but he did not give me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
21 I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Reflect
“Rejoicing in the Not-So-Good Moments of Life”
Focusing Idea: Every day is a gift from God.
Every day is a gift from God, and every day, even if it is a tough one, is full, rich, and precious, with new opportunities and blessings. Of course, it is easier for us to recognize God’s hand and accept that it is acting in our lives when everything is going well. Sometimes we think that only the moments that make us scream with joy and happiness reflect the work and the presence of God in our lives, that God has made happy days and would not be so involved in circumstances that we would qualify as bad ones. Those days might include a global pandemic, a war, a famine, natural disasters, starvation, and economic vulnerability. Are those tough moments also God’s works? Life has taught us that every day will have its own worries.
God never said life on earth would be a series of good events. How can we rejoice in the not-so-good ones? First, the Lord promises to be with us in every difficult moment. Second, as our lives are full of grace and God’s accompaniment in difficult moments, we must also return those blessings and that grace to our community. By accompanying the most vulnerable and helping to alleviate their pain, we can manifest and express our gratitude to God. We become instruments of God’s hand to help everyone, even the most vulnerable, be able to say, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” [verse 24]
Pray
God who accompanies us through the valleys, fill us with Your grace so that even when Your presence feels far away, we can reach out to those in need. Every day is a day made by Your hand. May the blessing of that be shared with all! Amen.
Go with God!
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