But as for Me

Daily Office Reflection
Monday, October 5, 2026
Psalms 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7; Micah 7:1–7; Acts 26:1–23; Luke 8:26–39

As I sit with today’s Sacred Writings, I keep returning to the words of Micah:

“But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.”
—Micah 7:7

I want to make that affirmation my own.

Micah sees corruption, broken relationships, and reasons to grieve. He speaks honestly about what surrounds him. Yet he chooses where he will place his trust. His words remind me of Joshua’s declaration: “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

I cannot choose how everyone else will live. I can choose where I turn, whom I trust, and how I respond.

Psalm 1 gives me a picture of the life I desire: a tree planted beside the waters, its roots drawing nourishment, bearing fruit in its season. I want my roots to reach deeply into God’s love and teachings.

But a rooted tree still experiences storms.

The prayers of David remind me of that. There are times when we feel surrounded, misunderstood, accused, or afraid. I have known distress, and I suspect you have too. These Psalms give us permission to bring that distress into prayer. We can ask for help while our hearts are still unsettled.

Then I listen to Paul speaking before Agrippa. He is a prisoner, bearing witness while his freedom and life are at stake. He tells how Christ met him and changed the direction of his life.

Paul’s story also asks something of me. Am I willing to be changed? Can I allow Jesus to challenge convictions I have held with great certainty? Can I acknowledge that I still need to see more clearly?

“Lord Jesus Christ, teach me to see” is becoming an increasingly personal prayer.

In Luke, Jesus meets a suffering man living among the tombs. People had tried to restrain him with chains. Jesus restores him, and we find him clothed, in his right mind, sitting at Jesus’ feet.

When the man wants to go with him, Jesus sends him home to tell what God has done for him. The mercy he has received becomes the story he shares.

I see something of the life of following Jesus in these readings. We draw nourishment from God. We pray through our distress. We remain open to transformation. And we share what God’s mercy is doing in our lives.

I want to be like that tree planted beside the waters. When I suffer like David, I want to keep praying. When I feel confined, I want to remember Paul. And even if I were on trial for my life, I pray that I could bear witness with courage and love.

I cannot know beforehand how brave I would be. But I can pray for roots that grow deeper today. I can practice receiving mercy and sharing it in the ordinary encounters of my life.

So this is my affirmation:

But as for me, I will look to the Lord. Even when I am troubled, I will trust that God hears me. I will remain open to being changed. I will receive God’s mercy, and I will share that mercy with others.

Where are your roots drawing nourishment today? What might change if you made Micah’s affirmation your own?

Lord, plant me beside your living waters. When I suffer, help me pray honestly like David. When I feel confined, and even if my life is at stake, give me courage to bear witness like Paul. Keep me open to being changed. Let the mercy I receive become the mercy I share. But as for me, I will look to you. I will wait for you. I will trust that you hear me. Amen.

The Curious Pilgrim