Ordinary Time 
Pause
Take a moment to place yourself in a comfortable position.
Take a deep breath in, and slowly exhale. Do this as many times as you need to clear your mind.
Through scripture, reflection, and prayer, listen for the ways God is speaking to you.
Listen
Look up at the sky and consider: Who created these? The one who brings out their attendants one by one, summoning each of them by name. Because of God’s great strength and mighty power, not one is missing. Why do you say, Jacob, and declare, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, my God ignores my predicament”? Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He doesn’t grow tired or weary. His understanding is beyond human reach, giving power to the tired and reviving the exhausted.
Isaiah 40:26-29
Think
Rarely do I think the 21st century can relate very well to the biblical centuries. However, I think this is one time we can. Isaiah 40 is written to a group of people who are not only exhausted but also probably having a hard time imagining the future. We are given an image of the eternal God, who created the ends of the earth, the one who understands and knows far more than we do and yet is still present.
It can feel overwhelming and even paralyzing to think about the future. Social media makes everything in our world readily available at the tap of an app. While not always a bad thing, compound that with the normal things we worry about (school, work, friends, family), and it can suddenly feel paralyzing to even think about the weekend. And yet, we have a God who is not afraid of the future. We have a God who holds us and the future, while also giving us the strength to face the future.
Stephanie Bohannon
Question to Ponder:
What is something about the future you are afraid to think about? What does strength from God look like to face the future?
Pray
God, thank you for the ways you sustain and love your creation. From the numerous stars in the sky, all the way to me, your child. There are times when I feel so overwhelmed by the future, and yet I know you are already there. Help me to remember you are with me in my past, in my present, and in my future. Give me the courage to look for you in each moment, despite my doubt. Amen.
Go
When life feels too heavy to keep moving forward, may we remember our hope and strength are in Christ.
