Week of June 8 - 14

June 8


Now to him who is able to keep you from falling …
     Jude 24a

When the bottom is dropping out, we have a source of strength that can keep us from falling all the way. God is our safety net, a very present help in times of trouble. When we feel as if we cannot find our footing again, God catches us and carries us when we cannot walk the path on our own. When we find ourselves in a free fall, there are arms already reaching out for us to lift us from our distress.

 When I think about it, I do know that you have reached out to catch me before, dear God. I have been rescued in more ways than I can count. I am grateful for that and I pray for the help to remember those times more and more each day. Amen.  

June 9


I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest; but trouble comes.
     Job 3:26


Just as with the deeply troubled Job, there are days when nothing seems right. We cannot find relief. We cannot seem to hear good news. We cannot feel the hope we seek and need. There are days when we just need to acknowledge that; days when we neither feel God’s presence nor peace. It is when we confront with honesty the dis-ease we feel, then we can begin to find the release and renewal we need.

 When I confront my distress, dear God, I can begin to heal where I hurt the most. Give me the courage to be open to my difficult realities and to see clearly what I must do to know your help and relief. Amen. 

June 10


Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.
     3 John 2

The intersection of our bodies and souls is very powerful. The health of one is related to the health of the other. When one is in distress the other manifests that distress. We need to care for both for both to be strong and well. Each of the parts of ourselves is interconnected in ways we do not fully understand. But we do know that we need to nurture those parts equally and faithfully for our health to be authentic and real.

 Dear God, let me not forget to care for my body and my soul today. You made them both dependent on the other. Help me not to neglect either today. Amen. 

June 11


With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?
     Psalm 118:6

When we feel all alone in our distress, knowing that no one else can truly understand, we can be reminded that God does understand. God is on our side – the side of release, the side of renewal, the side of restoration. When loneliness sets in and hope is hard to find, we need to remember the one who never leaves us, the one who only wants what is good for us in every way.

 When I am reminded of your constant presence in my life and of your never-failing love, my fears begin to melt away, O God. I need that reminder over and over. Help me to hear it, to hear your constant, soothing voice. Amen.  

June 12


But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.
     2 Peter 3:8

The good days fly by too fast. The bad days linger far too long. Time is difficult to understand. Why do the wonderful moments seem so fleeting? Why do the horrible ones endure seemingly endlessly? The promise to us is that one day we will understand the turning of time, the meaning of our days. Until we fully do our comfort comes in knowing that God has ordered the time and knows the time we need to live out the purpose of our days. Even if we do not fully understand the times we experience, we can know that God does. That assurance can sustain us today.

 I cannot turn back time, O God, but I can trust that the time you give me is what I need to live fully for you. Help me to use this time well today. Amen. 

June 13


Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you.
     Isaiah 30:18a


When we feel as if we are somehow being punished with this disease we have, we need to hear these words of mercy about God. God is gracious. God is patient. God is understanding. God is good. The scriptures are full of these assurances of God’s loving, compassionate concern. Look to these words when you need to hear them the most.

 I forget about your constant care for me, O Lord. I forget it and then feel sorry for myself all too often. Today I will recall your graciousness and find a new attitude for this journey. Amen. 

June 14


May grace and peace be yours in abundance.
     1 Peter 1:2b

God created us for a life of abundance – an abundance of joy, an abundance of love, an abundance of hope, an abundance of peace. Where does your life lack those blessings of abundance today? What is causing you to be without those blessings today? What must you do to gain those blessings today? We must not throw away the opportunity to experience all the abundance God has in store for us. Choose – today – to reclaim this abundance in everything you do.


Too often I go through my days failing to live abundantly in you, dear God. Today, I ask for it to be different. Today, I ask for your guidance to live a better, more wonderful way. Amen.