Listen

My Lord! There is no one like you among the gods! There is nothing that can compare to your works! All the nations that you’ve made will come and bow down before you, Lord; they will glorify your name, because you are awesome and a wonder-worker. You are God. Just you.

Psalm 86:8-10

Think

Being told by someone to “look at the bright side of things” when you are going through a difficult time can feel frustrating. Though their intentions might be pure, you might ask yourself, “Who are they to tell me what to feel when they aren’t in the situation I am in?” You may even feel that there could not possibly be a bright side to any of this!

In the beginning of Psalm 86, David is filled with desperation and fear. As he continues to cry out to God for help, he begins to express the greatness of God’s works and wonders. Even in the depths of despair, David calls God a “wonder-worker.” He tries to feel the transformational, loving presence of God in his life, even as he goes through his own difficulties. This goes way deeper than just “looking on the bright side.” In the midst of our own suffering, we can be still and look for the goodness of  God in our own lives.

Jon Chacko

Pray

Creator God, help me to be still and see the wonders you have worked in my life. Amen.

Go

God, let my seeing and hearing, my words and my actions be rooted like a strong tree in a silent certainty of your presence. Amen.

Adapted from a Celtic benediction by J. Phillip Newell.