Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.”
NL Daily Devotion for Saturday, November 19, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
I find this imagery so beautiful. When I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, God will be a light to me. It speaks to grace and resilience and hope—things we all need in our lives, at some times more than others. As someone who suffers from clinical depression and deals with a fair number of personal challenges, I have moments when the grief and powerlessness are overwhelming and it’s just hard to do life. I don’t have any enemies rejoicing over me when I’m in that state. It’s just the fact of whatever is weighing on me that serves in the role of the enemy. My brain chemistry is my enemy. The old tapes in my head that spew out negativity are my enemies. The overwhelming process to get county services for my kids is my enemy (NOT the county workers—they are my overworked-and-underpaid-friends and allies). Sometimes in those low moments my brain can whisper “This is how you have always felt. This is how you’ll always feel. This is too hard for you.” But I can remember: when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, God will be a light to me. And the hope of that simple message is so life-giving and sustaining. Micah rocks.
What helps me when I am experiencing moments of grief or hardship?
