Ordinary Time

Pause

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; / naught be all else to me, save that thou art– / thou my best thought by day or by night, / waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

from "Be Thou My Vision," ancient Irish poem, translated by Mary Byrne (1905)

 

Listen

You, Lord my God! You’ve done so many things— your wonderful deeds and your plans for us— no one can compare with you! If I were to proclaim and talk about all of them, they would be too numerous to count! You don’t relish sacrifices or offerings; you don’t require entirely burned offerings or compensation offerings— but you have given me ears! So I said, “Here I come! I’m inscribed in the written scroll. I want to do your will, my God. Your Instruction is deep within me.”

Psalm 40:5-8

Think

Psalm 40 began with a recounting of the good things that God has done for the psalmist. As the psalm continues, we hear more of the attributes of God sung as praise.

These words reinforce an important message we often need to hear plainly – God’s love is unconditional. There are no conditions to God’s love for us. God loves us because God loves. There is nothing, that is, no “thing,” that can separate us from the love of God. It is the truth that is most basic to our creation. There is nothing we can do to earn it, and there is nothing we can do to lose it.

That is worth cheering from the mountaintops. God loves you. You are loved, always.

Sarah Karber

Pray

Devoted Redeemer, thank you for always loving me – for loving me when I feel lovable and worthy, but also especially for those times when I do not. For your great love, I give you praise. Amen.

Go

Speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts.

Ephesians 5:19