Today is November 3

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from Psalm 9.

7 The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
16 The LORD is known by his acts of justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
18 But God will never forget the needy;
the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

Welcome to prayer. Take a few extra moments right now to quiet yourself a bit more deeply. If you need help staying focused, pray: “the Lord reigns forever” as you breath slowly in, and out. It is good for us to quiet ourselves before the Lord.

Listen again to this Psalm, and listen for one phrase that stands out. Write it down, or simply commit that phrase to memory. Regardless, I’m going to invite you to take time through your day today to stop, take a deep breath, and repeat the phrase. In this way, you’ll practice reorienting yourself to God’s word, and to God’s character, throughout your day.

The phrase I will be repeating today is: “God will never forget the needy”. This is so different than we are. We forget the needy all the time. The needy are forgotten all the time. Today, I’m going to ask God to remind me of those around me in need. I’m going to pause each hour to stop, take a deep breath, and say “God will never forget the needy”. And then I’m going to look for a way to serve or support or meet the needs of those around me. I’d like to invite you to do the same.

Music Credit:
"Form Us" - Vineyard Soul (YouTube)