Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
November 28, 2023
Philippians 4:4-9
4 Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! 5 Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. 7 Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. 8 From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. 9 Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you.
Good Morning. Be Still and Know that God is with you!
Most of you know that I love this passage. From the first words, of be glad or rejoice, to the closing words the peace of God will be with you, my heart is warmed. Today, I want to focus on verse seven.
We are busy people. Whether we are young parents, building/sustaining our careers, or even in retirement, we find ways to stay busy. Of course, there are those essential daily activities, like eating and general cleaning, and then there is exercising, visiting others, and enjoying our hobbies. It seems that if we take a day to minimize our activities, we feel guilty for being “non-productive.”
What if we devoted an occasional day to prayer and meditation? I’m guessing that it would take a good part of the day to just get comfortable in the space we set aside for spending time with God. We would be physically antsy, and the squirrels would be running rampant in our brains, jumping from thought to thought. If we were diligent, we might eventually settle into this divine space and find the peace of God that exceeds all understanding.
A whole day may be a big ask for us. It could be something we can aspire to do. For now, we might need to start small and dedicate a set amount of time and gradually increase this time to extend into a full day. As work-oriented people, it’s hard to let go of this idea of “wasting” a day. However, I believe that the blessing we could find would be life-altering. We long for the peace that God promises. Are we ready to commit ourselves to finding it?
Gracious God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. We are so busy that sometimes we don’t notice that you are waiting to talk or listen to us. Help us slow down and find your peace. Thank you in the name of Jesus. Amen
Thought for the day: The Lord is always near to offer peace and comfort.
Let go and seek God’s peace! Pastor Liz
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