Praying the Psalms During COVID-19 (Day 17)

Day 17 of 30

Today’s Readings:

Morning: Psalms 86-88

Evening: Psalm 89

Today’s Devotional Thought:

“You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves.” (Psalms 88:6-7 ESV)

Experts are telling us that this will be one of the darkest weeks of COVID-19. Many people will test positive for the virus and many will die. So how can we comfort friends, family, and neighbors in the midst of this pandemic? How can we comfort ourselves? Well, Psalm 88 is a beautiful roadmap.

As the inspired “hymnal” of Scripture, the Psalter has many different genres. There are psalms of lament, praise, thanksgiving, celebration, and so on. But most psalms of lament follow this pattern: they start with an expression of pain, confusion, or sorrow before pivoting to hope and confidence in God (see Psalm 13). But Psalm 88 has the distinction of being the “darkest Psalm” in the Bible. It sits in pain, lamentation, and suffering without ever moving to hope. And in the original Hebrew, the final word of Psalm 88 is literally “darkness” (מַחְשָֽׁךְ).

Now, I love many modern hymns. But as a whole, I find great poverty in so much contemporary Christian music (CCM). What ever happened to Christian lamentation? We never give believers an outlet for true lamentation like Psalm 88; everything has to be “positive, encouraging, KLOVE.”

But we can learn so much from Psalm 88 as modern people. We shouldn’t share hope like a hit and run attack, where we toss shallow “hope” at people and move on with our day. Instead, we shouldn’t be afraid to sit in darkness with our friends and family.

But we also shouldn’t leave them in Psalm 88 forever. At some point, we need to move on to verse 1 of the very next psalm: “I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations”  (Psalms 89:1). Then we can move on from there to the the hope of the entire Bible, rooted in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus for sinners like you and me.

So Christians should be the very best comforters in the world (though sadly, we seldom are).

  • On the one hand, we can sit with people in darkness. We don’t have to retreat to shallow answers. We don’t have to put shallow bandages on gaping spiritual wounds. Instead, we can be realistic about pain and suffering. And if you think about it, Psalm 88 is really a “Good Friday” psalm because it takes us all the way to the pain, darkness, lamentation, and agony of the cross.

  • But on the other hand, we can lead people out of darkness into a living and abiding hope. Because atheistic materialism or agnosticism can only sit in darkness. They can never offer real hope because we only come from nothing and return to nothing. But the Bible can take us from the sorrow and pain of Good Friday to the the joy and hope of resurrection life on Easter morning.

So during COVID-19, let’s pray Psalm 88 passionately, while never leaving others in darkness forever. And may the Lord grant us wisdom to know when it’s appropriate to lament, and when our lamentation can give way to shouts of joyous praise.

Ways to Pray:

  1. Help me to sit in darkness with others this week.

  2. Don’t let me be too quick to speak or too slow to listen. Give me wisdom to proclaim hope at the right time.

  3. Help me to offer hope to others in this national crisis. Don’t leave us in darkness—show us Christ who is the Light of the World!

Monday through Friday: Written by Pastor Stern

Saturday and Sunday: Written by Jonathan Hatt

Praying the Psalms During COVID-19 (Day 16)

Day 16 of 30

Today’s Readings:

Morning: Psalms 79-81

Evening: Psalm 82-85

Today’s Devotional Thought:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”  (Psalms 81:10 ESV)

According to this verse, God wants us to root our lives in two realities simultaneously—the past and the future.

First, let’s look at how God wants us to root our lives in the past.

He starts off with a reminder (and don’t we all need reminders): “I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” In other words, he is the redeeming God who brought Israel out of slavery through Moses. That is the great redemptive act of the Old Testament. God points to it over and over again in order to prove his love and faithfulness to a rebellious people. He essentially says, “Remember the past—I’m the redeeming God who brought you out of slavery, gave you the land, and sustained you. Therefore, you can trust me for the future!”

And like Israel, we need to root our lives in the past. After all, redemption from Egypt is nothing compared to redemption from sin, death, and the Devil that was accomplished through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have even more reason to trust God than Israel, which is saying a lot.

So we need to look at history during COVID-19. Yes, we should look at the history of pandemics. Yes, we should look at the history of economic downturn. We can learn so much from history! But more than anything else, we should look at the history of God’s action in the past. What has he done in history? Can we trust him for the future? And the answer is always yes. As one hymn says,

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er,
Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more.

But second, let’s look at how God wants us to root our lives in the future.

He says, “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Don’t you love that image? I imagine a baby bird opening its mouth to its mother to receive sustaining nourishment. And that's probably an apt analogy. God isn't holding back good things from his children. Instead, he promises to nourish and satisfy. And what is the precondition? It's not some great religious work or ceremony. We simply open our mouths and God promises to fill them.

So how do we open our mouths to receive this spiritual nourishment? Well, first we acknowledge our need and inability to sustain ourselves. We really are like fragile baby birds, dependent on our mother for everything. But as we repent of our sins and trust in Jesus for salvation, we come daily with the mouth of faith open, praying,

“You have been faithful in the past. You were faithful to your covenant people when you brought them out of bondage to Pharaoh. And ultimately, you were faithful to your people when you sent your Son to die on the cross for the sins of your elect. I’ve also see your faithfulness in my own life. So as I consider the future, I'm stepping out in faith. I'm opening my mouth to receive your Word. Nourish me. Sustained me. Grow me. Give me life. Give me hope. Give me confidence.”

And of course, Jesus promises to answer these prayers. He says,

“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  (John 4:13-14)

Ways to Pray:

  1. Let me remember your faithfulness in the past.

  2. Let me trust your faithfulness for the future.

  3. Let me open wide my mouth to you each day.

  4. Satisfy me in the morning with your steadfast love through Jesus Christ my Lord!

Monday through Friday: Written by Pastor Stern

Saturday and Sunday: Written by Jonathan Hatt

Praying the Psalms During COVID-19 (Day 15)

Day 15 of 30

Today’s Readings:

Morning: Psalms 75-77

Evening: Psalm 78

Today’s Devotional Thought:

When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.’”  (Psalms 75:3-5 ESV)

How often do we meditate on the power and sovereignty of God? Well, while praying through the Psalms, we confront this reality over and over again: God is God—and we’re not. He is in control—and we’re not. He is sovereign—and we’re not. He knows what he’s doing in the world—and we don’t. Therefore, God says, “When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars.”  And during COVID-19—when the earth seems to totter—God is the one who keeps it all steady . He is completely incontrol of what’s happening in the world.

Now meditating on the power and sovereignty of God can elicit a few different responses. 1) Some may begin to doubt the goodness of God. How could an all-powerful God allow this suffering and death? 2) Some may run away from God because all they see is his power, apart from his love and mercy in Christ. 3) But others see the complete power and control of God and are driven to awe and worship, overflowing in peace and joy.

And during this difficult time, I hope we will have this third response. When things seem dark and bleak, the power of God is a beacon. It is a profound source of peace, joy, and hope. After all, it’s not a cruel dictator with all power; it is the loving God of heaven. Therefore, in light of God’s sovereignty, power, and love, we make the same confession as the Apostle Paul:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.  (Romans 8:28-30)

Ways to Pray:

  1. You are God—I am not. You are in control—I am not. You are sovereign—I am not. You know what you’re doing in the world—I don’t. Thank you for being in control!

  2. Humble me with a glimpse of your sovereignty and power. Use this pandemic to humble me and my nation, O LORD.

  3. Give me hope and peace, trusting that you’re in control and are working all for good.

Praying the Psalms During COVID-19 (Day 14)

Day 14 of 30

Today’s Readings:

Morning: Psalms 71-72

Evening: Psalms 73-74

Today’s Devotional Thought:

“Rise up, God, champion your cause! Remember the insults that fools bring against you all day long. Do not forget the clamor of your adversaries, the tumult of your opponents that goes up constantly” (Psalm 74:22-23, CSB).

Take a moment to look at verses 12-17. Look superficially at these verses, and you can see the amazing works that God has done; an Israelite reading these verses could not help but reminisce the parting of the Red Sea. However, there’s something even deeper in these verses.

—The sea (v.13) was a pagan deity that Canaanites worshipped

—Leviathan was a servant of this deity (v.14)

—Even the sun and the moon (v.16) were worshipped by people outside of Israel

But even with the personalization of the sea, sun, and moon in these verses, it doesn’t end well for any of them. God subjects each of them under his mighty power. This is the reason why the psalmist cries out, “Rise up, God!” You have crushed the enemy gods already! Don’t allow your name to be mocked!

In this present crisis, you might wonder where God is right now; is he going to rise up and do something, especially when he is openly mocked by society. Our thoughts and worries are not far off from the psalmist’s mind. He remembers God’s covenant provision in the past, but now it seem that God isn’t working. Even worse, it feels as if his enemies are winning. Waiting has always been a motif throughout the Bible. Even when the Hebrew Scriptures end, they wait 400 years before another prophet comes.

But it’s with this new prophet that the Israelites hear the arrival of their Messiah.

Sometimes it’s hard to get on God’s time table. We are worried and anxious, and we expect God to work according to our schedule. This is no less true when we are mocked, when God is mocked, when adversity comes. Thankfully, we can see that God did rise up to champion his cause. Jesus Christ defeated death at the cross, and with his resurrection, we have hope of eternal life. May we be reminded today that God is not silent, and that he has climatically spoken in His Son. That truth is enough to give us comfort during Covid-19.

Ways to Pray:

  1. May we remember that you have spoken and championed your cause through your Son, Jesus.

  2. Adoration: Lord Jesus, You have crushed the head of the serpent Leviathan.

  3. Confession: May you keep us from insulting you, expecting you to work according to our schedule.

  4. Thanksgiving: Thank you that you have already championed your cause and that you will champion your cause even in the midst of this pandemic.

Monday through Friday: Written by Pastor Stern

Saturday and Sunday: Written by Jonathan Hatt

Praying the Psalms During COVID-19 (Day 13)

Day 13 of 30

Today’s Readings:

Morning: Psalm 68

Evening: Psalms 69-70

Today’s Devotional Thought:

“God in his holy dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows. God provides homes for those who are deserted He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a scorched land (Psalm 68:5-6, CSB).

Over the past two weeks, you may very well have lost your job, whether that is furloughed or eliminated. It's hard enough to worry about getting sick, but now you also are worried about paying your rent, mortgage, or whatever bills are coming up. I have the Wall Street Journal right next to me as I write this, saying we have lost 6.6 million jobs over these two week. It's pretty hard to find good news at a time like this.

You know, the name Father was not something invented by New Testament writers. We have glimpses of that name for the first person of the Trinity scattered in the Old Testament, but this passage shows us the intimate relationship He has with His children. He alone is the one who provides shelter and prosperity; He is the one who is a Father to those who are spiritual orphans.

We need to be very careful here, because this can very easily be abused. God is not going to make you healthy, wealthy, and wise because you prayed hard enough or sent a check to a preacher. The harsh reality is that people will lose a lot because of this crisis. The Christian life is not one about being in the one percent; it often brings persecution and hardship.

However, the Father offers something beyond spiritual blessings; He wants us to call upon Him! He cares deeply for us, and wants us to call on Him when we are needy. When we're fearful. When we feel that we are about to go bankrupt. Every good and perfect gift comes from him. 

  1. Father, help me to see that my provision in this life comes only from your hand.

  2. Thank you that you are my Father and that I can call to you for help.

  3. Thank you for the greatest gift you offer in your only Son, Jesus.

  4. Adoration: You are the only God that champions those who are oppressed, that brings those from bondage into prosperity.

  5. Confession: I'm sorry that I often act as an orphan who does not call out to you in my distress.

  6. Thanksgiving: Thank you that one of the greatest assurances of my relationship with you is that I can call out to you as my Father.

Monday through Friday: Written by Pastor Stern

Saturday and Sunday: Written by Jonathan Hatt

Praying the Psalms During COVID-19 (Day 12)

Day 12 of 30

Today’s Readings:

Morning: Psalms 62-64

Evening: Psalms 65-67

Today’s Devotional Thought:

“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.” (Psalms 62:1)

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.”  (Psalms 62:5)

In verses 1 and 5, David says that he is waiting in silence for the Lord….

But silence is hard in the modern world. We are constantly connected to devices and screens. We almost never sit in true silence, where we have zero input from other human minds. Therefore, I would encourage us to experiment with true silence during this season of COVID-19.

Wake up early when you can be alone (or stay up late depending on your circadian rhythm). Don’t grab your smartphone. Don’t get on social media. Don’t turn on the news. Don’t turn on the radio. Don’t read a magazine or a paper. Just take your Bible, read the day’s Psalms reading, and then literally sit in silence with God for as long as you are able, knowing his holiness, power, love, faithfulness, wisdom, grace, mercy—knowing that God is God and we are not—knowing what he has done for us in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

But after this intentional time of silence, think about what it means to wait in silence for God daily and hourly. We want to cultivate this spiritual posture of repose toward God all the time. In other words, we should trust God even when we don’t understand what he’s doing in the world. We should trust him to act when he’s ready—according to his sovereign plan.

Ways to Pray:

  1. Lord, my soul is waiting in silence for you alone. From you alone comes my salvation and hope!

  2. Father, forgive me for never truly sitting in silence with you during the chaos of life.

  3. Please give me the desire to sit in silence today; show me what it looks like during COVID-19.

  4. Let me trust your plan, purpose, and timing today, O Lord.

Monday through Friday: Written by Pastor Stern

Saturday and Sunday: Written by Jonathan Hatt

Praying the Psalms During COVID-19 (Day 11)

Day 11 of 30

Today’s Readings:

Morning: Psalms 56-58

Evening: Psalms 59-61

Today’s Devotional Thought:

“You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?”  (Psalms 56:8 ESV)

This verse should comfort those who are suffering during this season of COVID-19. Does God see? Does he know? Does he care?

First, God counts our sorrows: “You have kept count of my tossings.”

The word “tossings” can also be translated “wanderings” or “sorrows.” God is watching. He knows what we’re facing today. He’s not blind. He’s not unaware of our wanderings. He counts our sorrows. As Jesus says, “Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:7).

Second, God collects our tears and writes them in his book: “put my tears in your bottle.”

Isn’t that a beautiful image? When you cry, even if you think you’re alone, God sees and cares. And though this isn’t a literal image, the bottle of tears points to God’s omniscience and loving care for his people. As the Psalmist says elsewhere: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psalms 116:15).

Now during COVID-19, nearly everyone is facing a lot of pressure. There is fear, sorrow, suffering, and tears around the world. But thankfully, God sees and cares. And he has demonstrated this by sending his own Son, Jesus Christ. He was “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). Or, as the Book of Hebrews says, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Ways to Pray:

  1. Thanks for keeping track of my wanderings and for loving me unconditionally in Christ!

  2. Forgive me for thinking that you don’t notice or care about the ways I’m suffering today.

  3. Give me opportunities to comfort others who are facing sorrow for whatever reason. Let me notice the tears of my neighbor as you notice mine.

Monday through Friday: Written by Pastor Stern

Saturday and Sunday: Written by Jonathan Hatt

Praying the Psalms During COVID-19 (Day 10)

Day 10 of 30

Today’s Readings:

Morning: Psalms 50-52

Evening: Psalms 53-55

Today’s Devotional Thought:

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalms 55:22 ESV

Notice three elements in this verse:

First, notice the command: “Cast your burden on the Lord.”

And thankfully, this isn’t a burdensome command. It’s the opposite! God tells us to give all our burdens to him. We don’t need to carry them anymore. As the Apostle Peter says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

So today, what are your burdens and anxieties? It could be keeping your business afloat. It could be caring for an elderly parent. It could be applying for unemployment. It could be covering your mortgage while you’re out of work. It could be an underlying health condition that makes you more susceptible to COVID-19. It could be watching the news and being grieved for people in hotspots around the world.

But no matter what your burden is today, what will you do with it? Will you hold onto it and try to carry it yourself? Will you try to cast it on your spouse or loved one who can’t bear it? Or, will you cast your burden on the Lord as he commands in this text?

Second, notice the promise: “and he will sustain you.”

God doesn’t just give commands; he also gives promises. If we cast our burdens on him, he won’t leave us high and dry. Rather, he’ll sustain us. He’ll protect us. Or as Psalm 37 says, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act” (Psalms 37:5).

But this promise isn’t an extension of the “prosperity gospel.” The Psalmist isn’t promising a perfect life to everyone who casts their burdens on the Lord. Consider Job who was faithful but still suffered. Consider Jesus—the only perfect person in history—who went all the way to the cross.

Casting our burdens on the Lord isn’t a simplistic fix to life’s problems, but it’s also not a platitude. God will sustain us. He will protect us. He will shepherd us, though his ways aren’t our ways. And his horizon for care may not fit our expectations. However, God is faithful and his promises are real.

Third and finally, notice the condition: “he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Wait…God will only sustain the righteous? Are you righteous in yourself? Am I righteous in myself? Can anyone claim to be righteous in God’s sight? Well, the Psalmist says, “there is none who does good, not even one” (Psalms 53:3). And the Apostle Paul says, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). So this presents a problem: God only promises to sustain the righteous, but we’re all unrighteous in ourselves. Is there hope?

Thankfully, this is where the Gospel comes in. The Apostle Paul says that he wants to be found in Christ, “not having a righteousness of [his] own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Philippians 3:9). In other words, Jesus lived a righteous life in our place; he died a sacrificial death on the cross. So when we repent and trust in Jesus, we are clothed in his righteousness through faith. God doesn’t see us clothed in our own unrighteousness; he sees us clothed in the perfect life of Christ. And theologians call this an “alien righteousness” because it’s not our own righteousness—it’s the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone.

Ways to Pray:

  1. Lord, help me to clearly see my burdens today. And once I see them, let me cast them on Christ.

  2. Father, forgive me for not trusting your loving care. Please let me really believe that you’ll sustain me when I trust in you.

  3. Let there be revival in my nation! Let Americans wake up from their spiritual stupor and cast their burdens on you, Lord God Almighty!

  4. Thank you for the reliability of your promises!

Monday through Friday: Written by Pastor Stern

Saturday and Sunday: Written by Jonathan Hatt

Praying the Psalms During COVID-19 (Day 9)

Day 9 of 30

Today’s Readings:

Morning: Psalms 44-46

Evening: Psalms 47-49

(Click here to print the reading plan)

Monday through Friday: Written by Pastor Stern

Saturday and Sunday: Written by Jonathan Hatt

Today’s Devotional Thought:

“Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.” Psalms 47:1-2 ESV

The Psalmist tells us to clap our hands and shout to God with joy. And why? Well, notice that he doesn’t say, “Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For your life is smooth and easy.” “Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For everything in the world is perfect.” “Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For you are healthy, wealthy, and wise.” No! We shout to God with loud songs of joy because God is to be feared as our holy and righteous King. Therefore, true joy isn’t rooted in the flimsy “ups and downs” of this world; rather, it’s rooted in a God who is “Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth” (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q. 4).

But I fear that many Christians (including me) are forgetting this joy during COVID-19. We are afraid; we are tired; we are restless; we are cynical. And perhaps we are forgetting our joy because we fear coronavirus more than we fear God. But, while this virus can only kill the body or destroy the economy, Jesus says, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”

So if you’re interested in increasing your joy during this national crisis, I would encourage you to do something counterintuitive in the modern world. Spend more time reflecting on the fear of God in the Bible. What is it? Do you personally fear God? Are there different kinds of fear? How can you fear God more? And as you reflect on questions like these, I would recommend two resources. First, click here to explore other Bible passages about the fear of God. Second, read a little book called the Fear of God by John Bunyan.

Ways to Pray:

  1. Forgive me, Lord, for fearing COVID-19 more than I fear you as my loving King!

  2. Forgive me for losing my joy during this national crisis. Restore to me the joy of my salvation.

  3. Help me understand what it means to fear you as my King.

  4. Thank you for the joy I know through faith in Christ. Give me an opportunity to share this joy with someone else today.

Praying the Psalms During COVID-19 (Day 8)

Day 8 of 30

Today’s Readings:

Morning: Psalms 38-40

Evening: Psalms 41-43

(Click here to print the reading plan)

Monday through Friday: Written by Pastor Stern

Saturday and Sunday: Written by Jonathan Hatt

Today’s Devotional Thought:

“O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather! And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.”  (Psalms 39:4-7 ESV)

In our time of international turmoil, these verses from Psalm 39 are certainly countercultural. We want to feel good about ourselves. We want confidence in our world. But David wants to know how fleeting he is. Have you ever prayed this? He says, “Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!” In other words, we are in turmoil because of our fear of death and our love of money, but every single one of us will die in the end unless Christ comes back first. Or, as Job says in his sorrow, “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not” (Job 14:1-2).

Now this may not sound like the “positive, encouraging” devotional you wanted to read this morning. But I love the visceral realism of the Bible. It doesn’t expect us to stick our heads in the sand and pretend everything is fine when it’s not. We can lament the vanity of life. We can mourn the brief, shadowy nature of human existence under the sun. And personally, I find texts like Psalm 39 comforting. When we see what’s going on in the world during COVID-19, we are reminded “how fleeting” life is. We are reminded that we need a living hope beyond the toil and hardship of this life.

And thankfully, that’s exactly what David expresses in verse 7. Life is short and full of turmoil; all is vanity and chasing after wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Therefore, is there hope? What are we waiting for? Where can we put down an anchor in the tempestuous sea of life? Well, David says, “My hope is in you.” And certainly he’s right. We can hope in God. After all, as the Apostle Paul says, “hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5).

And when we recognize this amazing reality, we can begin to say:

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”  (Psalms 42:5-6 ESV)

Ways to Pray:

  1. Father, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days.

  2. Lord Jesus, let me know how fleeting I am!

  3. Holy Spirit, help me to stop hoping in myself and this world. Let me hope in Christ alone!

  4. Triune God, let me be realistic about the hardships of life. But don’t ever let me be consumed by fear or cynicism. May I find living hope in you today!

  5. Please give me opportunities to share my hope with others as I go about my day—even in quarantine!