Monday, February 6, 2012
(Meditation: Proverbs 3:5-6)
God, through the heated campaign rhetoric, through the proposed agendas for health care, the economy, and foreign policy, help us to discern who will be the best leaders, those who will follow You and Your will. Help us to lay aside prejudices and parties, slogans and media hype, one-liners and negative ads. Help us to elect the leaders who will be best in making us One Nation, Under God. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012
(Meditation: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Lord, my heart is full of gratitude today. I am grateful for my family . . . for my friends . . . for my work . . . for my life . . . even for its tensions, as well as its peace . . . even for its suffering, as well as its joy. Thank You for loving the world so much that You gave Your Son to suffer, to die, and to overcome suffering and death. God, thank You for redeeming ALL of life, the good AND the bad. Through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012
(Meditation: Ephesians 4:31-32)
God, sometimes I brood on negative feelings . . . feelings of anger at those who have mistreated me . . . feelings of envy over rivals' successes . . . feelings of self pity when I am down . . . feelings of guilt because of my sins. God, why do I cling to negative feelings? They are only temporary thoughts that float by, like scudding clouds. Help me to let them go. I'm glad that having an angry thought doesn't mean I have to be an angry person. God, help me to live in the positive light of Your love. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Thursday, February 9, 2012
(Meditation: Hebrews 4:14-16)
God, suffering comes from my selfish desires and repulsions. It comes from wanting my own way, and not Your way. Suffering starts when I back away from You because I don't like the way things are going in my life. And when I blame You and others, it only makes the suffering grow. But God, I am grateful that when I am yielded to Your timing, and to Your providence, my suffering diminishes. When I drop my demands, my attachments, and my repulsions, suffering gives way to grace. God help me to face what IS . . . to accept Your providence . . . to accept Your timing . . . and to accept Your grace. Through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.

Friday, February 10, 2012
(Meditation: Colossians 3:15-17)
God, Jesus did not come to heal all the sick in every land, not even in the Galilee, though He could easily have done it. He didn't come to equalize all the wealth in Judah, though He could easily have done it. Jesus didn't come to empty every tomb in the world, or even in Jerusalem, though He could easily have done it. But He came to show what God is like - One who will defeat death and raise people from the dead. - One who will make us all one people in His good time. - One who will heal all sickness and wounds in His good time. God, help me to do what Jesus did - show others that God is love by what I do, in Jesus' name.