Scripture Focus: Psalm 134
1 Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord
    who minister by night in the house of the Lord.
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
    and praise the Lord.
3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
    he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.

Student Writers Month is here: The student writers featured from July 15 to August 9 have received free coaching, ministry training, and seminars by special guests in addition to this publishing opportunity, the ability to re-publish their work elsewhere, and a stipend/scholarship for their work. A portion of all donations during these dates will be applied to the students’ stipends/scholarships. Find out more about the students at this link or give a one-time or recurring gift at this link.

From John: The student writer assigned to today’s passage had to back out due to a medical reason. Please pray for her. Her name is Pamela Baker. Erin wrote this piece in Pamela’s stead and we will still grant Pamela a stipend/scholarship for this year as well as invite her to repeat the program next year.

Reflection: Faith of the Night Shift Workers
By Erin Newton

I have been “blessed” to live in a household where one of us works the night shift—that grueling upside-down world of sleeping past the sunshine and eating “lunch” around 2 am. I add dubious quotation marks around “blessed” because that shift is typically not conducive to one’s health, family or friend relationships, and overall mental health. God has truly blessed some people with the gift to handle inverted schedules well. We praise God for such a mercy.

There are some who work “around the clock.” They are the grocery clerks or the on-call investigators, the airplane pilots or warehouse staff, the parents of young children or the bedside caregivers of the elderly. They are also the hospital chaplains called to the bed of a critical patient. They are the church pastors leaving the dinner table to sit with the family whose loved one just died. They are the counselors answering a late night phone call from a client standing on the precipice of disaster. In a metaphorical way, they are people “who minister by night in the house of the Lord.”

So much of our typical lives revolve around the work and ministry done in the daytime. We have “office hours” that guarantee periods of rest. We close up shop for the night, and 24/7 businesses seem more like a rarity these days. Working with daylight is, quite frankly, easier. It is no surprise that we schedule our ministry for these hours.

Does the work of the Lord also have “office hours”?

The psalmist highlights this rare feature of the human-divine relationship: The house of the Lord is never closed. Praise rings out from those who have taken up the mantle to tend to God’s house even in the dark hours of the night. Why? Because God never sleeps, and he is always available for us.

Our praise to God also never sleeps. While our bodies force us to take time to recuperate and recharge, we know that around the world praise continues to ring out to our God.

There is no silent hour before the throne of God. Our brothers and sisters who minister in the nighttime establish the work that we pick up the next morning.

Let us rejoice in the never-ending, around the clock, praise (by words and deeds) that is lifted up to our God. Let us also be thankful for those who minister in the nighttime. 

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading
When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said: “I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark; but will have the light of life.” — John 8.12

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.


​Today’s Readings
Isaiah 60 (Listen 3:55)
Psalms 132-134 (Listen 2:42)

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Scripture Focus: Psalm 130:7
O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption.

Student Writers Month is here: The student writers featured from July 15 to August 9 have received free coaching, ministry training, and seminars by special guests in addition to this publishing opportunity, the ability to re-publish their work elsewhere, and a stipend/scholarship for their work. A portion of all donations during these dates will be applied to the students’ stipends/scholarships. Find out more about the students at this link or give a one-time or recurring gift at this link.

Reflection: Anticipation and Hope
By Lisa Antonishek

One of my fondest childhood memories is filled with anticipation. Sitting with my sister and brother eagerly at the top of the stairs Christmas morning, we waited while Mom and Dad readied cameras and made coffee preparing for the day to begin. We cried out for permission to come and see. When the okay finally came, we bounded down the stairs greeted by a lit Christmas tree surrounded with many beautifully wrapped presents. 

Anticipation. For a child, anticipation is what’s coming next in life. For the Israelites, anticipation was the ascension to the temple to receive the mercy of God—calling out as the journey began, asking for God to hear, then acknowledging His sovereignty and His promise of forgiving sins. 

In our journeys we too cry out, release control, and wait with anticipation for God’s promises, finding hope in His Word. 

Hope in God’s Word is an anchor for our souls. Often, when calling on the Lord in prayer, we find it hard to wait. As a society, we seek immediate results, yet the Bible teaches us to hope in His promises. Abraham and Sarah hoped, waiting on God’s promise of a son; Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. Nothing is too hard for God! 

In prison, Joseph held onto hope in God after revealing the dreams of the cupbearer and baker. God knew exactly when to bring things into place so that Joseph could be used to defray the coming famine. Joseph shared recognition of God’s plan with his brothers in Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

As children on Christmas morning, our hope in the waiting was that we had been “good enough” to be receivers of gifts. Little did we know that the greatest gift of all is readily available. 

Jesus’s blood shed for us on the cross is the ultimate gift of freedom. This freedom is never earned but given through His great love for us. As the psalmist wrote, “for with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption.” 

What emotions do you think anticipation brought for the Israelites as they ascended the stairs to the temple? What are some ways you have walked in anticipation and hope of God’s promises? 

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence
Show us the light of your countenance, O God, and come to us. — Psalm 67.1

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.


​Today’s Readings
Isaiah 59 (Listen 3:54)
Psalms 129-131 (Listen 2:03)

Read more about Time Tested Devotion
Pray the Examen regularly and it will tutor you in practicing the presence of God.

Read more about Supporting Our Work
Donate today to help students. Part of every donation during this time goes to stipends/scholarships.

Scripture Focus: Psalm 126.5-6
      5 Those who sow with tears 
         will reap with songs of joy. 
      6 Those who go out weeping, 
         carrying seed to sow, 
         will return with songs of joy, 
         carrying sheaves with them.

Student Writers Month is here: The student writers featured from July 15 to August 9 have received free coaching, ministry training, and seminars by special guests in addition to this publishing opportunity, the ability to re-publish their work elsewhere, and a stipend/scholarship for their work. A portion of all donations during these dates will be applied to the students’ stipends/scholarships. Find out more about the students at this link or give a one-time or recurring gift at this link.

Reflection: Sowing Sorrow, Reaping Joy
By Andrew Crawford

Have you ever contemplated the connection between taking a risk for God’s kingdom and suffering? Have you looked for restoration from God only to find it on the other side of trials?

The author of Psalm 126 describes both sides of that struggle. The first three verses recount God’s restoration of Israel, later described in the image of the harvest. The psalmist links sowing to suffering, as we toil in the barrenness created by the curse of Adam. More than that, sowing requires a step of faith to put seed in the ground and trust that it will germinate, grow, and give a harvest. A farmer in the ancient world could either eat their seed, or they could plant their seed, trusting that they would receive more than they lost in planting.

The psalmist uses the metaphor of planting as an image of hope. Before the Lord restored Israel’s fortunes, sowing could have been a futile task. As the next psalm, Psalm 127, says, “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” (Psalm 127.1) The psalmists know that nothing good happens unless God is ultimately behind it. 

Similarly, I have felt the barrenness that comes with a season of waiting. I still trust that the same God who saved me is the same God who will carry me through this time. 

The psalmist writes in verse 4, “Restore our fortunes, LORD, like streams in the Negev.” Streambeds in the southern region of Israel are dry most of the year except during rainy seasons when they turn into rushing torrents. The psalmist makes a connection of God’s restoration to an overflow of his providence.

What was once futile and barren is now prospering and flourishing. 

What is God calling you to do that seems as daunting as sowing seeds on dry ground? Are you looking for restoration and refreshment from God as if you’re waiting for a dry riverbed to fill up? Remember what he said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Seek him in his word, through prayer, through fellowship with other believers. He has given us these means of finding his comfort and restoration; humbly and prayerfully use them. 

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
Whom have I in heaven but you? And having you I desire nothing upon earth. — Psalm 73.25

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.


​Today’s Readings
Isaiah 58 (Listen 3:09)
Psalms 126-128 (Listen 1:58)

Read The Bible With Us
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Part of every donation in this time goes to stipends/scholarships for the students. Help students during Student Writers Month by donating today.

Scripture Focus: Psalm 119:153-156, 159-160
153 Look on my suffering and deliver me,
    for I have not forgotten your law.
154 Defend my cause and redeem me;
    preserve my life according to your promise.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
    for they do not seek out your decrees.
156 Your compassion, Lord, is great;
    preserve my life according to your laws.

159 See how I love your precepts;
    preserve my life, Lord, in accordance with your love.
160 All your words are true;
    all your righteous laws are eternal.

Student Writers Month is here: The student writers featured from July 15 to August 9 have received free coaching, ministry training, and seminars by special guests in addition to this publishing opportunity, the ability to re-publish their work elsewhere, and a stipend/scholarship for their work. A portion of all donations during these dates will be applied to the students’ stipends/scholarships. Find out more about the students at this link or give a one-time or recurring gift at this link.

Reflection: The Law’s Heart Cries for Deliverance
By Emily Bianchini 

The author of Psalm 119 is a devoted reader and follower of the Torah. In a similar way, we Christians have the Bible. Today’s reading shows us how the description of God’s character through his word teaches us to cry out to God in the midst of suffering. 

The ancient world was full of suffering. So is ours. The psalmist describes facing persecution at the hands of the wicked who reject the laws of God for their own. We may face suffering from wicked, lawless humans or unfortunate circumstances. Yet, what this psalm shows us is that we can cry out to God. 

The Bible teaches us to cry out to God because he is a responsive Father. In Exodus 3:7, God said he heard the cries of his people Israel in bondage in Egypt. The heart of the law, the psalmist knows, is God hears the cries of the oppressed and does mighty works of deliverance for his people. 

The psalmist sees the character of God through the story of the exodus and echoed in the laws for Israelite society. God heard the cry of his people once before. Now the psalmist cites his devotion to the laws and appeals to God by framing requests in accordance with God’s word. 

The psalmist knows the character of God revealed in the Torah and appeals to God to for salvation. We have the opportunity to know the character of God both through Scripture and the person of Christ. Psalm 119, which celebrates the Torah,  can serve as a model for Christians in their relationship to God through his word. 

Let’s pray a prayer based on today’s Scripture: 

Heavenly Father, you are the God who saves. 
Thank you for the gift of salvation made available by your Son Jesus.
I know that in this world I will experience trouble and I ask for your grace in the midst of suffering. 
If it is your will, please deliver me from this evil. 
Yet I will continue to trust your character, for I know that you are good. 
I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen. 

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Let all who seek you rejoice ann be glad in you; let those who love your salvation say forever, “Great is the Lord!” — Psalm 70.4

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.


​Today’s Readings
Isaiah 55 (Listen 2:11)
Psalms 119.145-176 (Listen 15:24)

​This Weekend’s Readings
Isaiah 56 (Listen 2:11), Psalms 120-122 (Listen 2:12)
Isaiah 57 (Listen 3:37), Psalms 123-125 (Listen 1:52)

Read The Bible With Us
Have you ever read the Bible all the way through? Our reading plan follows a sustainable two-year pace and it’s never a bad time to start.

Read more about Supporting Our Work
You can help students during Student Writers Month. Part of every donation goes to stipends/scholarships for the students. Donate today.

Scripture Focus: Psalm 119.136
136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.

Student Writers Month is here: The student writers featured from July 15 to August 9 have received free coaching, ministry training, and seminars by special guests in addition to this publishing opportunity, the ability to re-publish their work elsewhere, and a stipend/scholarship for their work. A portion of all donations during these dates will be applied to the students’ stipends/scholarships. Find out more about the students at this link or give a one-time or recurring gift at this link.

Reflection: Why Do We Weep?
By Doug Hibbard

In the midst of the Bible’s longest psalm we find weeping. 

Overwhelming sadness pervades today’s passage, with three vivid expressions of anguish over the unbearable reality of sin and oppression (v. 123, 131, 136). Darkness weighs on the psalmist like a heavy yoke. On one side of the yoke, the weight of human oppression pulls on the psalmist as the people reject God’s Word and God’s ways. 

On the other side of the yoke, the weight of God’s lack of action heightens the darkness. The psalmist longs to better understand the words of the Lord, weeping over the lack of understanding that leads to sin. 

This ancient story feels familiar, with our struggle mirroring the psalmist’s. We strive to live out God’s law to the best of our ability. But we see those who ignore God’s ways growing stronger while we grow weaker. Does the world feel this way to you? Does God seem silent or inactive in the face of oppression and injustice? This darkness can weigh us down in the core of our being, whether it is injustice on a large scale such as genocide or systemic racism, or the individual injustices of personal abuse, neglect, and harm. 

This is why we weep with the psalmist. Weep for the pain inflicted on others. Weep for the pain we feel. Weep for our own shortcomings, knowing that our imperfect obedience to God brings suffering to ourselves and others. Weep because God’s deliverance is delayed. 

We pant and weep with longing for God’s justice, but it is worth remembering that God’s delays bring space for His grace. And this grace includes us. We need God to first act in our lives, to bring us the understanding we need to live (v. 144), and then to right the wrongs around us. 

Our closing verse shares the comfort the psalmist learned, that an understanding of God’s grace lifts the weight of our darkness. It is this grace that brings life, that ties together all of God’s words and righteousness. It is this grace that we live by, day by day, and share with others. It is this grace that comforts us even when we weep.

Divine Hours Prayer: The  Refrain for the Morning Lessons
Blessed be the Lord day by day, the God of our salvation, who bears our burdens. — Psalm 68.19

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.


​Today’s Readings
Isaiah 54 (Listen 3:14)
Psalms 119.121-144 (Listen 15:24)

Read more about Supporting Our Work
Part of every donation during Student Writers Month goes to the students. Help fund stipends/scholarships for them. Donate today.

Read more about Praying Through Weeping—Guided Prayer
If prayer is relationship then when God weeps, we should join. What friend would weep, whom we would not join in weeping?