Ordinary Time

Pause

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Romans 15:13

Listen

Trust the Lord and do good; live in the land, and farm faithfulness.

Enjoy the Lord, and he will give what your heart asks.

Commit your way to the Lord! Trust him! He will act and will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like high noon.

Psalm 37:4-6

Think

My church does a trip every spring where we meet farmers and ranchers from more rural areas of Nebraska and learn about what they do, how they do it, and for some, the extra steps they go through to be more environmentally responsible. If you’ve never been around farming, it’s hard work; it takes time and commitment.

The psalmist connects the work of farming to faith and faithfulness. It takes hard work; it takes time and commitment. We think of our faith lives mostly on days we go to church or the occasional camp or conference. But faith (like farming) is an everyday commitment. I don’t mean you’re at church every day worshiping or studying, but that your faith is part of your daily routine in some way, whatever it takes to keep it in the forefront of your daily life, not just on Sundays. With faith a part of our daily life, we can fare far better when the challenges of life arise.

Kris “Bubba” Brammer

Pray

O Lord, I am thankful that you walk with me in my daily life and that you are there when I face the challenges of life.

I am thankful that you give me the tools, the people, and the inspiration of your Spirit to do the hard work of faith-building.

Amen.

Go

The gift of faith is yours;

Receive it so that it may refresh your soul,

Live it so that it brings inspiration to others,

And share it so that others may know the good gifts of God.