Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Easter: Year 2
Morning, Psalm 38; Evening, Psalm 119:25 to 48;
Exodus 19:16 to 25; Colossians 1:15 to 23; Matthew 3:13 to 17:
“O Lord, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God.” Psalm 38
The whole of Psalm 38 is but doom and gloom. But near the end the speaker makes his request to God; to not be forsaken, and to be near him. The Psalmist speaks of enemies and his own body losing its strength. He speaks of his enemies tormenting him. But even in the midst of all this, he hopes in the Lord. He says, “for in you, O Lord, have I fixed my hope; you will answer me, O Lord my God.”
It is amazing how God will soothe us in times of stress when we call on God. Often, God acts by changing our attitudes about how we interpret our experiences. The same horror can happen to two different people but one seems to adjust with the help of the Lord while the other may drift into a state of irreversible anguish and distress. In life, or even in death, we must never, never, never give up on God helping us. We count on God, in this life and in the next.
Let us pray:
O most Holy God, the Author of love and life, You love us more than we can imagine or understand, be with each of us in Your sustaining Presence, especially in our times of stress and doubt; that, being implanted with Your grace we might work through all adversities and be focused again on a path that leads to you. In your most holy Name we pray; Amen.
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.
As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
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