I learned a few years ago that one of the most effective ways to get through a hard time in life, at least in my experience, is the practice of gratitude. This attitude was instilled in me at an early age, growing up on the mission field in Brazil, South America with my parents.

A daily prayer for April 2, 2020.

As followers of Jesus, what do we value most, the lives of people or the strength of the economy? Do we value only what a person can produce, or do we value the life of that person? The question is central to our faith – are we important to God for what we do, or for who we are as persons created in the image of God?

There is a Christian tendency to speed right through the crucifixion to the resurrection of Christ. I confess my own proclivity to do such a thing: to cut grief and tears short with a reminder that death is not final. In this way, we avoid the uncomfortable feelings of sadness, of loss, and of powerlessness. This is not always healthy.

What does it mean to rest in hope, or, as some translations state this passage, to live in hope? And how do we do this especially when the world around us feels so hopeless?

A daily prayer for March 31, 2020.