Author: Erin Newton

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A Prayer for Times of Trouble

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 24:10-12
10 If you falter in a time of trouble,
     how small is your strength!
 11 Rescue those being led away to death;
     hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
 12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
     does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
 Does not he who guards your life know it?
     Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

Mark 14:38
38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Reflection: A Prayer for Times of Trouble
By Erin Newton

In the twilight hours before the cross, Jesus slipped into the garden to commune with the Father. His words spilled out into the world, “Abba, let this cup pass.” It was an hour of great need. The time of trouble was upon him. The great Creator of the world was hours away from death, minutes away from betrayal. Would he falter? Would he back away now?

He leaned down toward his friends and told them to watch and pray. He continues to call us to watch and pray:

Dear Lord, within the garden, give us the strength to endure the night.

         The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Your word declares wisdom as the source of our strength. Wisdom builds houses and guides us to victory. But we falter in times of trouble. Our faith is indeed small. Give to us strength through wisdom—not the power of our hands but the understanding of our hearts.

         The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Open our eyes to those who are perishing around us. Blind us from our own ambitions and comforts. Crucify the desires that serve only ourselves. Let us not slumber as you plead for the souls of this world.

         The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

For we can never truly say we did not know. You pointed to the harvest and told us it was ready. You told us to look after even the least of these. You gave the care of your mother to your beloved friend. We are all now your beloved friends.

         The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Lord, there is no corner of our hearts to which you are blind. All our motives, all our ambitions, all our desires are laid bare before your watchful eye. You who hold our lives now send us out into the dying world.

Your spirit was willing, and you were never weak. You rescued us as we staggered toward death. You knew the price that had to be paid. Grant us the strength of a crucified life that only comes through wisdom.

After Jesus prayed, the kiss of betrayal was laid upon his cheek. He was led from trial to torture to death with full acceptance that the cup would not pass. This is our example of wisdom. This is our example of not faltering in times of trouble.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence
Early in the morning I cry to you, for in your word is my trust. — Psalm 119.147

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


​Today’s Readings
Proverbs 24 (Listen 3:47)
Mark 14 (Listen 8:37)

Read more about Baring Your Soul
Jesus modeled this in his darkest moments in Gethsemane. “Take this cup away” is balanced with a trust in God’s will.

Baring Your Soul

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It’s never too late to join our Bible reading plan. Immerse in the Bible with us at a sustainable, two-year pace.

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Proverbial Economics

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 19:1, 4, 7, 22
1 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
     than a fool whose lips are perverse.

4 Wealth attracts many friends,
     but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.

7 The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
     how much more do their friends avoid them!
 Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
     they are nowhere to be found.

22 What a person desires is unfailing love;
     better to be poor than a liar.

Reflection: Proverbial Economics
By Erin Newton

Proverbs seems to blame the poor for their situation—hunger is caused by one’s laziness or foolishness (Proverbs 19.15, 24). The statements read as harsh indictments to those struggling to survive.

The ancient Israelites were encouraged to avoid poverty or debt. The economic system did not have regulations on lending; a faulty decision could bring a family to ruin. Kinsmen redeemers were an opportunity to provide freedom from one’s situation (see Ruth), but other family members were typically in a similar scenario and unable to bring redemption to their brothers and sisters.

One skill we must learn when reading the Bible—especially the book of Proverbs—is to avoid reading it anachronistically. That means we must steer clear of forcing our modern systems into the ancient text. I find this most pertinent when reading about economics. Our social systems, finances, economies, and class structures are different from ancient Israel.

We must also learn to read the Bible as a whole, seeking to see the trajectory of a topic from Genesis to Revelation. We might read verses that blame the poor for their situation but that is not a prescriptive universal statement for all time.

There is also a unique feature when speaking of the poor in Proverbs. Alongside these blunt statements about the status of the poor are compassionate and honoring statements.

Twice in this chapter wisdom places the poor above others. One’s character is severed from his or her financial status. The blameless poor are better than perverted fools. The poor who seek God’s love are better than liars who seek power.

But the poor are often neglected and unnoticed by their peers. It is no surprise when we read, “Wealth attracts many friends.” People want to be friends with the wealthy in hopes of gaining wealth by proximity or receiving some benefit from the association.

In contrast, “the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.” No financial gain or personal benefit is assumed when befriending the poor. This can only be true if our priorities revolve around ourselves.

Proverbs are not the final words on wealth and poverty. Reading holistically, some proverbs move the conversation forward by highlighting the sharing of wealth: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord” (Proverbs 19.17), and “the righteous give without sparing” (Proverbs 21.26).Jesus said rightly that we would always have the poor among us. He calls us to give, come, and follow him (Luke 18.22).


Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Love the Lord, all you who worship him; the Lord protects the faithful, but repays to the full those who act haughtily. — Psalm 31.23


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

​Today’s Readings
Proverbs 19 (Listen 3:09)

Read more about Would You Rather Proverbs?
No amount of wealth, power, or ease is worth abandoning the way of Jesus. These are the very things Satan tempted Jesus with.

Would You Rather Proverbs?

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Our work needs the support of donors like you. Please consider supporting our ad-free content that brings biblical devotionals to inboxes across the world.

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The Spirituality of Bird Feeders

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 12:10
10 The righteous care for the needs of their animals,
     but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

Reflection: The Spirituality of Bird Feeders
By Erin Newton

When I wake up in the morning, I can hear that the world around me has not slept at all. The sun peeks through the curtains as the Earth slowly spins in orbit. The songs of the birds call me to the window. I see the squirrels rushing from tree to tree. The last remaining leaves rustle in the cold winter breeze.

As I bring in my groceries, the sun stands tall above my head. I hear the call of crows scaring away a pair of hawks. Even when it snows outside, the footprints of the wild bunnies show me that they were passing through my yard at night. An owl lands just out the window. We sit frozen, locked eye to eye.

Before humanity was told to fill this world with our own creations, we were asked to take care of that which God had already made. The first command was to take care of the more ancient citizens of this planet—Nature.

The wisdom in this proverb echoes the call from the dawn of those first few days in Genesis. It was through wisdom that God made all things. Wisdom here is this: The righteous, those who seek to uphold the nature and will of God, tend to the needs of animals.

In some ways, we do a very poor job fulfilling the first request God ever gave to us. We take land and clear it out. Even when we plant, we remove biodiversity with monoculture ecosystems. We limit food sources for wild creatures. We pave paradise.

Jesus told his disciples to consider the ravens: “They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them.” And how? By letting the ground produce plants that will give their seeds and house insects. (Ravens even clear out decomposing rodents—a helpful feature for those of us with sensitive noses and a weak stomach!)

If our first call was to cultivate, to bring this Earth to its fullest potential, then our righteousness should be reflected in our care for creation. It is not unspiritual work to fill up a bird feeder, adopt a pet, or plant flowers for the bees.

We cannot survive this world without our cohabiting creatures. This world is far too big for one person alone to care for them all. We can divide the work and cultivate this world together.

Music:“Feed the Birds,” from Mary Poppins.


Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Wake up, my spirit; awake lute and harp; I myself will waken the dawn. — Psalm 57.8


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

​Today’s Readings
Proverbs 12 (Listen 3:07) 
Mark 2  (Listen 3:55)

Read more about Cultivating Is Supernatural
A stronger faith, and a greater crop yield comes when we invest in cultivation. Cultivation is not natural. It is supernatural.

https://theparkforum.org/843-acres/cultivating-is-supernatural/

Read more about The Cultivating Life
“Cultivation is supernatural,” but the actions of cultivating faith are not ethereal or fanciful. They are the practical, steady doings of the farmer.

The Cultivating Life
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Meeting Fire with Love

Scripture Focus: Psalm 35.11-15
11 Ruthless witnesses come forward;
     they question me on things I know nothing about.
 12 They repay me evil for good
     and leave me like one bereaved.
 13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth
     and humbled myself with fasting.
 When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
 14     I went about mourning
     as though for my friend or brother.
 I bowed my head in grief
     as though weeping for my mother.
 15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
     assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
     They slandered me without ceasing.

Reflection: Meeting Fire with Love
By Erin Newton

My youngest child had a fierce toddler stage, which meant crying 98% of the day. There were developmental reasons, so we grew accustomed to his persistence. One day, however, I was met with the harsh glare of another person at the park. She walked over to me and began to tell me how terrible of a mother I was.

A year or two ago, a man set out to organize resources for a group of abuse victims. The day began with phone calls and text messages. Sitting down to his computer and logging into social media, he was met with a series of notifications. In reply after reply to his post for help was someone who questioned his motivations and demeaned the cause.

This past week a woman was met with the all too familiar attacks on her words. Replies and posts looked for ways to discredit and discourage her from speaking openly again.

When David was met with accolades of great success, Saul was angry towards him and vowed, “I’ll pin David to the wall” (1 Samuel 18.11).

Sometimes, we enter the arena of life and are met with swinging fists. No matter what good is done, some people are determined to fight. In school, we call them “bullies,” and online, we call them “trolls.” In workplaces, we call them “toxic.” In churches, we call them “brother” and “sister.”

Whether this psalm was penned by David or inspired by his life, we know those who rejoiced in his stumbling were his own people. The same people who worshiped with him later turned and sneered, mocked, gloated over him, and falsely accused him.

It is easier to meet fire with fire but that is not the way of our crucified Lord.

The woman this past week responded out of love. Instead of rising (or lowering) to the level of anger thrown her way, she spoke of the value and joy that existed within the other person. She spoke out of kindness and concern.

The man that day patiently answered questions or false assumptions. In a vow of transparency, books were opened and no deeds were covered in darkness.

I went home and prayed for that woman.

Like the silent lamb—our Christ—who uttered no response to his accusers, we are called to meet swinging fists with words of love. It is not easy and certainly not comfortable. They gloat; we intercede.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. — Psalm 31.1

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


​Today’s Readings
Proverbs 5 (Listen 2:08)
Psalm 35 (Listen 3:21)

Read more about Responding in Kind
There’s an old saying that we don’t have to attend every fight we are invited to. God doesn’t need our defense but he does desire our devotion.

Responding in Kind

Read The Bible With Us
Don’t dread your reading plan. Slow down with us and go deeper at a sustainable, two-year pace.

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Waiting on the Lord, Loudly

Scripture Focus: Job 40.3-5
3 Then Job answered the Lord:
4 “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
     I put my hand over my mouth.
 5 I spoke once, but I have no answer—
     twice, but I will say no more.”

Psalm 27.13-14
13 I remain confident of this:
     I will see the goodness of the Lord
     in the land of the living.
 14 Wait for the Lord;
     be strong and take heart
     and wait for the Lord.

Reflection: Waiting on the Lord, Loudly
By Erin Newton

Waiting on the Lord is one of those phrases we use all the time, but what does it even mean?

We pray for someone to spend our lives with and wait on the Lord in singleness. We pray for the healing of our loved ones and wait on the Lord throughout treatments. We hope for a few quiet days after a difficult year and wait on the Lord while we pour a cup of coffee.

We assume that waiting on the Lord requires some sort of quiet compliance. After all, we ask children to “wait over there.” Customer service says, “Wait one moment” while they connect us. The crosswalk signs chant sternly, “Wait! Wait! Wait!” All of these are expected to happen without complaint, without a fuss, without questioning the person who told us.

Job has not been so quiet. In his suffering, he has made all his frustrations known. No words or feelings have been spared. When God answers him, he admits he has spoken freely but comes up short to finding an adequate answer.

He covers his mouth and resolves to say no more. Is this finally his attempt at waiting on the Lord?

We are tempted to say, “Aha! See, he finally repents and submits.” We have just read chapter after chapter of theological discussion between Job and his friends. Job has begged God to come and answer him. Does God delay because Job wasn’t waiting quietly? Surely not, for we know that even the persistent woman was granted justice against her adversaries (Luke 18).

But we are left with the question we started with: What does waiting on the Lord even mean?

Is waiting on the Lord some sort of spiritual quiet game? Is there no room for questions, complaints, and pleading?

Job has been waiting on the Lord since the first tragedy. Job has waited in the silence of grief. Job has waited in the disagreements with his wife. Job has waited in the heated debates with his friends. Job has waited while scraping the sores on his body. Job has waited even in his harsh words. And Job waits as God speaks in the end.

We are all waiting on the Lord for something. Its various expressions are rooted in this: We will see the goodness of God in the land of the living because God always speaks in the end.


Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves. — Psalm 126.6-7

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


​Today’s Readings
Job 40 (Listen 2:09)
Psalm 26-27 (Listen 3:13)

Read more about God’s Sufficient Justice
Humans are capable of a certain level of justice and we are responsible before God to bring about justice.

God’s Sufficient Justice

Read more about Sitting with Sinners
The Christian life means we follow the narrow path of obedience, but we must also follow the way of love. It is possible to do both.

Sitting with Sinners
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