today

I recently read about a man who was a collector of diaries and an avid diary writer himself. He said he made sure he did somthing special everyday, so that he would have something to write about each evening. Not a bad way to live. I think I will try to write something everyday so I have something to read and edit each evening. Daily devotions seem a good start. So here is the first.

O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. Isaiah 33: 2. NIV

I went to a funeral of a 22-year-old boy this past Friday. It was very sad. He died doing the stupid stuff that young people do in their exuberent way of living. He drowned doing stupid stuff, and his family and friends are left reeling from the blow.

I identify with the mother. Not to the extent that I know what she is really going through, but I try to imagine, "What if that had been my son?" I think much of the sadness in times like this is our ability to sense not only the fragility of life, but the vulnerability of those of us left behind. What if that had been my family member or friend? How would I survive that loss?

The above verse in Isaiah is a ready prayer times like these. We need God to be gracious to us. There is so much harshness to grief. We long for Him, because we're pretty sure His strength is the only thing that is going to see us through the day. And we need that strength right away in the morning or we might not even make it out of our beds of weeping.

And as for being our salvation in time of distress, well, those of you who do not know the Lord Jesus as you personal savior could write books about distress with no rescue in sight. As for me, I have a rescuer in place, one who has promised to save me in the midst of my distress.

Isaiah 33: 2 O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. Amen