Day 292
Monday, June 19, 2023

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Scripture
“Am I only a God nearby,”
declares the Lord,
    “and not a God far away?
Who can hide in secret places
    so that I cannot see them?”
declares the Lord.
    “Do not I fill heaven and earth?”
declares the Lord. —Jeremiah 23:23–24

Wisdom
Don’t let the low places fool you. Believing that God is everywhere invites us to be open to dynamic creative potential anywhere, including the valley of disappointment and discouragement. Remaining fixed on this hopeful perspective is essential to our not letting low places and feelings define and overwhelm us. Some of God’s best blessings are found in the spaces of our disdain. And there are gems in the valley that cannot be found on the mountaintop. The holy wild card is this: In any given moment, God can be as direct and personal as God is mysterious. —Kirk Byron Jones, Christian Century, June 16, 2023

Prayer
All is upside-down, not as I would wish. So give me the blessing of the valley of disappointment. Give me the blessing of low places. Give me the blessing of your holy, wild, untamable spirit here within this mess. Amen. —The Reverend Dr. Katie Snipes Lancaster