URC Daily Devotion 15 June 2025
O Lord, you once favoured your land
and revived the fortunes of Jacob,
you forgave the guilt of your people
and covered all their sins.
You averted all your rage,
you calmed the heat of your anger.
Revive us now, God, our helper!
Put an end to your grievance against us.
Will you be angry with us for ever,
will your anger never cease?
Will you not restore again our life
that your people may rejoice in you?
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy
and give us your saving help.
I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people and his friends
and those who turn to him in their hearts.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in our land.
Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.
The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps.
Reflection A World on Fire
“The world is on fire, it’s more than I can handle.” -Sarah McLachlan
As I write this reflection, the world is at a difficult juncture and Canadian songstress Sarah McLachlan’s words resonate deeply. Wars rage, the climate shifts unpredictably, and the actions of my home country’s president continue to stoke division and fear. This is as true for those of us watching from across the ocean as it is for America’s nearest neighbours, facing threats of economic hardship and more. It feels like the world is burning, and we wonder: Has God forgotten us?
Psalm 85 is an ancient cry from a people who knew what it was to feel abandoned. They remember God’s past faithfulness and plead, “Will you not revive us again?” (v.6). Like us, they stand in the tension between despair and hope, between the fear that everything is falling apart and the trust that God has not let go.
Gratefully, Psalm 85 doesn’t end in lament. It moves toward a vision of justice and peace: “Love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other” (v.10). McLachlan’s song follows a similar path. She names the pain—“hearts are worn in these dark ages… visions clash, planes crash”—but insists that even in chaos, small acts of love matter.
God’s restoration doesn’t always come in sweeping gestures. Sometimes it’s found in the hands that reach out, the voices that speak truth, the hearts that refuse to give up hope. Even when the world is on fire, love still rises from the ashes.
Prayer
God of justice and mercy,
the world is on fire; it’s more than we can handle.
Even as our hearts feel worn down,
remind us that you are still at work.
Help us to be bearers of peace,
witnesses to love,
and seekers of justice.
May our faithfulness meet your steadfast love,
and may hope rise even now. Amen.