The Holy Pause

Listen: Psalm 42: 1-2, 4-8 Just like a deer that craves streams of water, my whole being craves you, God. My whole being thirsts for God, for the living God. When will I come and see God’s face? But I remember these things as I bare my soul: how I made my way to the mighty one’s abode,[a] to God’s own house, with joyous shouts and thanksgiving songs— a huge crowd celebrating the festival! Why, I a...

Listen: Isaiah 40:27-31 Why do you say, Jacob, and declare, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, my God ignores my predicament”? Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He doesn’t grow tired or weary. His understanding is beyond human reach, giving power to the tired and reviving the exhausted. Youths will become tired and weary...

Listen: Hebrews 6:17-19 17 When God wanted to further demonstrate to the heirs of the promise that his purpose doesn’t change, he guaranteed it with a solemn pledge. 18 So these are two things that don’t change, because it’s impossible for God to lie. He did this so that we, who have taken refuge in him, can be encouraged to grasp the hope that is lying in front of us. 19 This hope, which is a saf...

Listen: Romans 15:9-13 Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name. And again, it says, Rejoice, Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and all the people should sing his praises. And again, Isaiah says, There will be a root of Jesse, who will also rise to rule the Gentiles. The Gentiles will place their hope in him....

Listen: Lamentations 3:21-23 The memory of my suffering and homelessness is bitterness and poison. I can’t help but remember and am depressed. I call all this to mind—therefore, I will wait. Certainly the faithful love of the Lord hasn’t ended; certainly God’s compassion isn’t through! They are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness. I think: The Lord is my portion! Therefore, I’ll wait...

Listen: Romans 5:3-5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we[ c ] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and cha...

Listen: Psalm 131 My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore. Consider: The height of media glory these days is the hot take. A hot take is a...

Listen: Romans 8:18-25 I consider our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay...

Listen: Jeremiah 3:6-14 During the rule of King Josiah, the Lord said to me: Have you noticed what unfaithful Israel has done? She’s gone about looking for lovers on top of every high hill and under every lush tree. I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me, but she didn’t. Her disloyal sister Judah saw this. She also saw that I sent unfaithful Israel away with divorce pape...

Listen: Jonah 2:2-6 He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy tem...

Listen: Job 19:21-27 Pity me. Pity me. You’re my friends. God’s hand has truly struck me. Why do you pursue me like God does, always hungry for my flesh? Oh, that my words were written down, inscribed on a scroll with an iron instrument and lead, forever engraved on stone. But I know that my redeemer is alive and afterward he’ll rise upon the dust. After my skin has been torn apart this way— then...

Listen: Psalm 13:1-2, 5-6 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. Consider: The book of Psalms giv...

Listen: 1 Kings 19:1-9 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, how he had killed all Baal’s prophets with the sword. Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this message: “May the gods do whatever they want to me if by this time tomorrow I haven’t made your life like the life of one of them.” Elijah was terrified. He got up and ran for his life. He arrived at Beer-sheba in Judah and left his a...

Listen: 1 Samuel 1:9-20 One time, after eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah got up and presented herself before the Lord. (Now Eli the priest was sitting in the chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.) Hannah was very upset and couldn’t stop crying as she prayed to the Lord. Then she made this promise: “Lord of heavenly forces, just look at your servant’s pain and remember me! Don’t forget y...

Listen: 2 Samuel 12:15-23 The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne for David, and he became very sick. David begged God for the boy. He fasted and spent the night sleeping on the ground. The senior servants of his house approached] him to lift him up off the ground, but he refused, and he wouldn’t eat with them either. On the seventh day, the child died. David’s servants were afraid t...

Listen: Job 29:1-6; 42:4-5a, 11 Job took up his subject again: Oh, that life was like it used to be, like days when God watched over me; when his lamp shone on my head, I walked by his light in the dark; when I was in my prime; when God’s counsel was in my tent; when the Almighty was with me, my children around me; when my steps were washed with cream and a rock poured out pools of oil for me. You...

Listen: Exodus 19:7-11 So Moses came down, called together the people’s elders, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. The people all responded with one voice: “Everything that the Lord has said we will do.” Moses reported to the Lord what the people said. Then the Lord said to Moses, “I’m about to come to you in a thick cloud in order that the people will hear me tal...

Listen: Isaiah 40:3-7, 9-11 A voice is crying out: “Clear the Lord’s way in the desert! Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God! Every valley will be raised up, and every mountain and hill will be flattened. Uneven ground will become level, and rough terrain a valley plain. The Lord’s glory will appear, and all humanity will see it together; the Lord’s mouth has commanded it.” Go up on...

Listen: Matthew 25:1-13 At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten young bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Now five of them were wise, and the other five were foolish. The foolish ones took their lamps but didn’t bring oil for them. But the wise ones took their lamps and also brought containers of oil. “When the groom was late in coming, they all became drow...

Listen: Exodus 14:17-22 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him becaus...