As we begin each day’s reflection, invite the Lord to come be with you as you read and meditate on His Word. Take a moment and read the bible passage slowly, allowing the Lord to draw you to any word or phrase that speaks to you.

Psalm 80

Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.                       O shepherd of Israel, hearken, from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth. Rouse your power. Once again, O Lord of hosts, look down from heaven and see; take care of this vine and protect what your right hand has planted, the son of man whom you yourself made strong. May your help be with the man of your right hand, with the son of man whom you yourself made strong. Then we will no more withdraw from you. Give us new life and we will call upon your name.

What do you think of this Psalm? Do you see the beauty of calling upon the Lord who has all power and might to look down and care for us? Do you see the intimacy with which we can rely on our loving Lord? He cares so deeply for us and has connected us to the vine so that all we need flows from Him and into us. We are not just puppets, but children who are so connected to our creator that He is our Father. What a gift. 

But even as closely united as you are, you still need protection from this world. You know that life is better when you live closer to Christ, but it doesn’t mean you won’t have trials or that everything goes your way just because you said yes to Jesus. You can be tempted to think that maybe it’s because you aren’t meditating on his law day and night. Maybe you aren’t a good enough follower, because things keep happening that are hard and don’t make sense. 

But, here is the truth. This side of heaven is just hard. This is a fallen sinful world and pain and suffering exist even in the lives of believers. Remember, peace is not the absence of conflict, but a calmness of spirit within you and a tranquility that comes from knowing Christ is with you in the difficulties. Today, remember that growth comes through trials and being part of the vine connected to Christ means that peace can reign in our hearts no matter what stress we face. Research has shown that organisms that live completely stress free lives actually wither away. Without some kind of difficulties to overcome at times, we are never challenged, and those challenges make us stronger and able to survive. So, if we can embrace the hard and remember that He is right in the midst of it all with us, we will not fade and we will bear rich fruit. 

Reflection Questions: What do you do when troubles come? Do you blame yourself or others? Do you rush to find a way out or do you seek to unite it with Christ on the cross and try to work on growing through it while it lasts? 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to find You in any suffering and remember that I am a branch on the vine that is You. You are intimately concerned with everything that happens to me and Your power is all I need to overcome. Amen.