I am an emeritus professor from Cornell University and was a Commissioned Lay Preacher in the Presbyterian Church (USA). For many years I have followed the Daily Lectionary as printed in the Mission Yearbook of my church. For each day of a two-year cycle, the lectionary lists four psalms and three other scriptural passages--usually one from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. My practice is to copy down a verse or two from one of the psalms and from each of the other three passages. After I have written out all four selections, I reflect upon them, rearrange their order, and incorporate them into a meditation. Sometimes I retain much of the original wording; sometimes all that remains of a selection is an idea that was stimulated when I read the original words. All selections are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. For the Daily Lectionary, see the link below.

Wake Me from My Sleep, God--July 23, 2018


O God, you uphold all who are falling;
you raise up all who are bowed down.
Uphold me, for I have broken faith--
there are many things to which I am
more devoted than I have been to you.
The night is far gone; wake me from my sleep.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 135; 145; 97; 112
Josh. 7:1-13
Rom. 13:8-14
Matt. 26:36-46

Selected Verses
Ps. 145:14
The LORD upholds all who are falling,
          and raises up all who are bowed down. 

Josh. 7:1
But the Israelites broke faith in regard to the devoted things: Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.

Rom. 13:11-12a
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near.

Matt. 26:38, 40
Then [Jesus] said to [Peter, James, and John], "I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me." … Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? …"

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