Friday’s Devotion: Razing the Roof – Update!

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

The other day I wrote about the roofless house around the corner.  Yesterday when I walked by it the only thing left was the framing!  No roof, no walls, no doors or windows! I thought, “What in the world?” and wished someone would come along and give me a scoop.  Right then the next door neighbor Linwood came outside.  He told me that the house had been won by a woman in a divorce settlement and her new husband had just let it sit vacant for a year, then teenagers set the back on fire.  He pointed out that the framing across the back of the house was all new.  The good news is that someone bought the house and is completely rebuilding it.  I told Linwood that this would make good devotion material.  You see when God becomes our new owner; we become a new creation, too.  All the bad stuff can be taken away and we can rebuild our lives into something better than before. It may be difficult to sell a house in today’s market but God is always ready to take us on.

Holy Lord, as we end the work week, we ask for restoration of our energy and spirit.  Be with us in the coming days that we may feel ever closer to you as we accept your gracious invitation to live in Christ.  We ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Happy Friday!

Paige

Thursday’s Devotion: Kingdom Priorities

Matthew 6:31-33 (GW)  “Don’t ever worry and say, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’  Everyone is concerned about these things, and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them.  But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you.

The KJV says, Seek ye first the Kingdom of God…..   Do you ever wonder what this scripture might be saying to us?  On the surface it’s saying concerns about daily provision are trivial compared to what our concern should be for immersing ourselves in God’s kingdom.  If we do this, all our other needs will be met.  How, though? By magic?  I don’t think so.  I think the closer we walk with God, the more God enables us to provide for ourselves.  We make wiser decisions and our priorities change.  And maybe it goes deeper.  Maybe other life issues fall into place.  I know as a pastor, I don’t feel called to judge others, or to hold them up to scripture; instead I want to introduce them to God.  If we seek God first together, all the other stuff will resolve itself according to God’s revealed will.   

P.S.  I got an interesting update today on the roofless house.  Look for Razing the Roof – Part II tomorrow!

Holy God, let us seek your will and your way.  Help us to walk in your kingdom free of things that distract us from being who you wish us to be.  We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a blessed day,

Paige

Wednesday’s Devotion: Razing the Roof

Proverbs 14:23  All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

I walked by a house yesterday that had a large dumpster in the yard.  I heard hammering and assumed that the house was getting new shingles.  I glanced up and discovered that there was no roof at all on the house.  The dumpster was full of the wooden beams and decking.  I glanced back as I passed the duplex and saw the exterior wall of a room on the back of the house was also missing.  Since the home looks similar to its neighbors, I could only guess that the property had been let go for so long that drastic measures had to be taken to save the house and at much greater cost than if necessary repairs had been made all along.  I’m a great believer in the saying, “A stitch in time saves nine.”  This happens sometimes in people’s lives, too.  They let things get so out of hand that their lives fall apart – like this house.  A successful person is attentive and proactive in managing their lives. Ask God for help each day.

Help us to keep things together Lord when we feel something in our life is falling apart. We know that you are a constant source of strength.  In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Blessings,

Paige

Tuesday’s Devotion: Hitting the Wall

 

Isaiah 40:31(CEB) But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will fly up on wings like eagles; they will run and not be tired; they will walk and not be weary.

I bought a new pair of running shoes yesterday. I had about 500 miles on my old ones and though they seemed like new, the gel begins to break down between 400 and 500 miles.  In the interest of full disclosure those shoes see more walking than running. I do know from past experience and conversations with runners that when really running, after a while it’s not uncommon to hit what is commonly known as “the wall.”  At that point your lungs and body say to stop. But if you dig down a little deeper and get through the wall, you actually get a new burst of energy and can go on much further. Runners who train diligently expect this and persevere.  We may hit many walls in our personal life, too. If we have trained spiritually we too can persevere.  Hitting the wall doesn’t have to be the end of the road. It can lead to winning the race if we don’t give up. 

Dear Lord, help us to keep our trust in you so that when we face the impossible, we can know that with you all things are possible.  We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a blessed day,

Paige

 

Monday’s Devotion: Step by Step

Colossians 1:11-12 (NLT)  We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,  always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.

Do you ever just get overwhelmed by things you think you need to do?  It happens many times to us.  I don’t keep to-do lists because they make me feel that way sometimes.  I may make a mental list of what I might want to accomplish each day – I can handle that.  I learned a long time ago about small steps.  In accounting, if something is out of balance, we go back to the last time it was in balance and work forward entry by entry.  In choir to learn a new song, one perfects it in sections. We pay off debt bit by bit.  In our faith walk, we learn to trust God a little at a time.  Sometimes we have to take baby steps towards our goals, but it is important to have those goals and to keep moving forward. Ask God to help you and step by step, little by little you will reach your destination.  As the old saying goes, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

Holy God, we begin a new week today.  Please give us strength and keep us moving forward.  Help us to finish the old before taking on the new.  Give us wisdom and discernment, energy and excitement about the precious life we wake with each day.  In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Paige

Friday’s Devotion: Whatever is Pure

1 John 3:2-4  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

We have a bonus scripture this morning because I couldn’t choose between the two. My thoughts are really about simplicity.  To be pure means to be free of the extraneous.  Pure gold is simply gold.  A pure heart is so filled with Godly intentions that there is no room for the other. I’m working on that.  In other areas of my life I also have a need to remove the extraneous.  I don’t think I would ever be good at meditation but I do try to quiet my mind for prayer.  I find that numerous short prayer times during the day work better for me because extraneous thoughts tend to break in after a while.  Clutter gets to me.  Cleanliness is next to Godliness as they say.  I can’t work on a cluttered desk and have worked on decluttering my home. I learned from an efficiency expert years ago that taking time to put things in order actually saves time in the long run.  After putting this in practice, I’ve found it to be very true.  Scripture points to the simplicity of children as examples of who will find a place in the Kingdom.  Living simply in order to have more time for God is a spiritual discipline.  What can you do to “purify” your home, your activities and your heart?

Lord, help us quiet our minds and come to you simply with our prayers and praises.  Let nothing of the world come between us.  Help us to simplify our environment so that we can remove distractions that burden our lives and hamper our activities. Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me. Amen.

Happy Friday!

Paige

 

Thursday’s Devotion: Me First in my Prayer Life

James 5:13-14 (GW) Prayer Is Powerful  If any of you are having trouble, pray. If you are happy, sing psalms.  If you are sick, call for the church leaders. Have them pray for you and anoint you with olive oil in the name of the Lord.

My solitary morning walks are my most productive prayer time.  I pray best outside in nature. I’ve shared before that my prayers take different forms. Sometimes I pray or praise God through the alphabet.  Other times I pray for those on our prayer list and for people I know whose homes I pass.  Other times I pray for special concerns going from my immediate family to the larger world. This scripture reminds me to take time to actually pray for myself – something that I often skip other than a simple request that God keep me healthy in mind, body and spirit. . I remember that when flying the attendants always instruct adults to put on their oxygen masks first then to put them on their children.  Good advice for our prayer life, too.   I thank God for the day when I get in bed at night but don’t always ask God to help me get organized and productive when I get out of bed.  Instead of, “Good morning, Lord,” it’s more like, “Good Lord, morning.” Instead of letting myself feel so overwhelmed at all that needs to be done at home and at church that I put off tackling things, perhaps I should ask God to help me take on the tasks I need to accomplish include those I’ve been procrastinating on.  It’s one way to get myself in order so that I can devote more time to praying for others. What have you been putting off that you need God’s help with?

Lord, this day we pray for ourselves first.  Help us to determine what really needs to be done and give us the strength and energy to accomplish that. Then we ask for those moments of joy so that we may be happy and sing psalms. 

God Bless,

Paige

Wednesday's Devotion: God Knew What I Needed to Hear

Yesterday morning as I approached the house of a young woman battling cancer, I encountered one of her friends getting out of her car.  We talked for a moment. I told her that I pray for her friend, the daughter-in-law of one of our members when I walk by her house.  This young woman told me several other friends were coming over and they were having a girl’s day in – staying in their pj’s and eating snacks.  She indeed had on her pj’s.  I said that is just what I wanted to do when I got up that morning but I had a lot that needed to be done at church.

When I woke up my body felt out of sorts and I didn’t want clothes binding me.  I felt better as the day progressed and in the evening a friend posted this on Facebook.  It was as if God knew what I needed to hear after almost a week of going non-stop. I wanted to share it with you.

I cupped my hands and held the Word, a measureless basin in which my prayer rested.
He asked four words my soul thirsted for, "How are you, really?"  
I'm weary.
"I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10b
I feel alone.
"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20b
I'm tired.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28b

I poured out, He poured in.
An ebb and flow more natural than the ocean's tides.
My soul needed His words; needed Him: the Word.
My soul's deepest need: friendship with the Lord.
I inhaled deeply with delight: I’m friends with God.
He's asking, "How are you, really?"  --Adapted

 

Lord, thank you for sending a comforting, reassuring Word when we are tired and seeking your strength.  Bless us today and keep us in your care.  We ask in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Tuesday’s Devotion: This is the Day!

Psalm 118:24 (NLT) This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

In our connect group gathering Sunday night the conversation turned to the fact that some of us wake up with a song in our head.  Sometimes the song sticks with us all day.  Today I woke up to Call Me Maybe.  I try not to wake up thinking about all the day’s challenges. This morning I thought about the fact that each new day is a gift.  The challenges bring opportunities.  What we did before today is in the past and the future lies ahead beginning with this moment.  Each day gives us the chance to rectify wrongs and to do good with God as our partner in that.  I love the Common English Version translation of this verse, “This is the day the Lord acted; we will rejoice and celebrate in it!”  The NLT version has been set to music – This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made.  We will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it …etc.  Wouldn’t it be great to wake up singing this song and then to live it out.  This is the day God has created for us – let us rejoice and celebrate!

You’ve given us a new day O Lord and filled it with moments of wonder and opportunity.  Open our eyes and hearts that we may find them and rejoice in them. Help us to seize each new day and make the most of it for ourselves and for your Kingdom.  Amen.

Have a blessed day!
Paige

Monday’s Devotion: Snapshot Judgments

Luke 6:37  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

I think I’ll look for a support group of people who have bad drivers’ license photos.  I went to renew mine last Friday.  Because this was my first renewal since the new requirements were put into place I couldn’t renew online.  I chose the color of my top carefully, styled my hair, put on what I thought was enough makeup and fretted over earrings.  After all, I would have this license for a long time.  Armed with a folder containing documents that told my name’s life story and then some I set out for the DL office nearest me.  I had heard stories on the news of 4 to 5 hour waits because of the confusion over the new requirements so I brought a book.  Surprisingly the entire process took me less than an hour.  I was saying, “Praise the Lord” until I looked at the photo on the temporary license they gave me. OMG – I almost cried.  Do I really look this bad?  I thought if that were the case I should just crawl into bed and cover up or maybe wear a burka. I’ve seen mug shots that looked better.  My husband tried to assure me that like all drivers’ license photos it was just a bad picture and not a good representative image. 

This made me think about how many times we judge people by quick snapshots – little segments of their life.  Someone makes a bad first impression, or has a bad day and makes a gruff remark or messes up in some way and snap – that moment is indelibly etched in our mind.  I threatened to “lose” my license so I could get another picture made.  That probably won’t happen, but you and I can give others opportunities for do-overs.  Maybe there’s more to them than can be caught in a snapshot of one moment in their life.

Holy God, help us to use more than snap judgments in making decisions about other people.  And Lord, when we’re feeling bad about ourselves, remind us that we are your creation and loved by you.  We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a blessed week!
Paige

Friday’s Devotion – Lessons From Wonderland

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

I watched Alice in Wonderland the other night.  It was the new version with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. Alice kept saying that she must be in a dream.  The creatures and situations she was encountering were just too unbelievable to be true.  Pinching herself didn’t wake her up. Eventually she understood that no matter how surreal her situation it was very real. Once she did that Alice was prepared to move forward and accept the job of defeating the evil ones.  Sometimes we fall into troubles so bad we can hardly believe they’re real.  But we must face the facts then shoulder the responsibility of trying to find our way back to happiness.  Alice had a magical sword.  We have the power of the Holy Spirit.  If we hang in there and believe, we like Alice can and will claim the victory.

We need you every day Holy God, in our joy and in our darkest hours. Give us strength and wisdom as we trust in you.  We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a great day and weekend!

Paige

Thursday’s Devotion: Why Worry?

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Alice Rice wrote “It ain’t no use putting up your umbrella till it rains.” The bible contains numerous scriptures about worry.  While we know Jesus wants us to have peace and be free from worry, I know I have a ways to go.  I’m better at letting go and letting God rule in my life but sometimes I still get anxious about getting all my tasks done or worry about someone who is sick or a situation I can’t help get better.  Jesus asked, “Who by worrying can add a single hour to their span of life?”  Actually worry can shorten our lifespan. I may not know how to solve all the world’s problems or even all my problems but I do know this – that in the end God wins.  Sometimes to put things in perspective it helps me to ask if the thing I’m fussing over will amount to a hill of beans ten years down the road.  All we can really do is to get up each day, give that day to God and do the very best we can do with what resources we have.  It doesn’t hurt to carry an umbrella, though!

Heavenly Father I ask that you remove all anxiety from us today and give us the peace promised us in scripture.  Show us your hand in our lives and help us with things that challenge us.  We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a great day,

Paige

Wednesday’s Devotion: Weeding Someone Else’s Garden

Ephesians 4:2 (CEV)  Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other.

My mother taught me to have great respect for the life of plants. While we thin and prune, it’s difficult for me to kill a plant or tree without good reason. I have no problem, however killing vines that are entangling trees and bushes. When I walk around the neighborhood I see many instances of this in people’s yards.  They have failed to trim their bushes and have allowed vines to grow up in them.  I want so badly to get in there and fix things, but I know I can’t.  No matter how bad the situation is, it’s their situation, not mine.  That happens elsewhere in life, doesn’t it?  Sometimes we want to barge into someone’s mess and help straighten it (and them) out.  But we must show respect and restraint.  The scripture says it well, “Patiently put up with each other and love each other.”

Holy God, help us not to be so judgmental of others.  We never know the entire situation.  Yet, Lord please do show us where we can and should help our brothers and sisters.  Help us to do that with kindness, patience and love.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Have a very blessed day!
Paige

Tuesday’s Devotion: Barking at the Church

Ephesians 4:18 (GW) They can’t understand because they are in the dark. They are excluded from the life that God approves of because of their ignorance and stubbornness.

When Joe and I went for a walk last night we came upon my doggie friend Hank who was walking his owner.  Hank growled and barked furiously at Joe. My attempts to show Hank that Joe was a nice man didn’t work.  Hank doesn’t know Joe and ignorant of Joe’s sweet, dog-loving nature he barked and barked. 

You know people often bark when they’re ignorant of something or are stubborn.  They bark at the church – “I don’t want any of your organized religion” in ignorance of the blessings of participating in the body of Christ.  They bark in the church at stewardship programs – “My giving is between me and God” ignorant of the fact that God has already spoken saying the first fruits of their earnings belong to him.  They bark at pastors. One pastor I had spoke of moving people out of their comfort zones and into a deeper spirituality.  One woman barked, “Stop talking about moving us out of our comfort zone. We’re quite happy in our comfort zones.”  She was ignorant of the blessings of a closer walk with God. They bark at others, too. They bark at people with different political views. “I don’t want to hear your views.  My mind is made up” often ignorant that there can be good and bad on both tickets or that things they’ve heard about certain candidates were media distortions.   They even bark at their loved ones when there’s a misunderstanding.  Bark, bark, bark!  We may not bite but we can sure bark up a storm. The people in this scripture were missing out on the life God had planned for them because they were ignorant.  What can we do, to better understand the things and people who inhabit our lives?

Holy God, we seek wisdom and understanding from you. Help us to receive the information we need to keep from speaking out of ignorance.  In all things bless us with your guiding touch.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday’s Devotion: Thinning the Crops

Psalm 38:4  My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.

It’s getting towards apple season.  Each year Joe and I love to ride up into the north GA mountains to go to one of the apple houses. Joe eats an apple every day but they are one of my least favorite fruits.  We both do love the fried apple pies!  Two people here in Hapeville have apple trees in their front yards.  The boughs are weighed down with the apples.  It makes me think of how we can be weighed down with worries, responsibilities or even guilt like the Psalmist writes about in this scripture.   Professional apple growers know to thin out the crop by removing young apples.  This allows the others to grow better and it relieves some of the weight from the branches. I think it would be difficult for me to prune away healthy looking fruit but it is necessary.  What do you need to remove from your life?  Maybe it’s something that you enjoy, but it adds the burden of time and expense from which you need relief. Take a good look at your activities this week and see if any are weighing you down.  We can’t always eliminate the difficult stuff (work) and keep the fun stuff. We have to set priorities. Good luck!

Blessed God, help us to set priorities in our life; to trim off branches that weight us down.  Keep us healthy in mind, body, and spirit.  We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.     

Have a blessed week!

Paige                  

Friday’s Devotion: God Didn’t Invent Clocks

Psalm 104:19  He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.

In the beginning God marked time with the sun and moon and the tides and earth responded to them. Little by little humankind developed more sophisticated ways to mark time. The study of the development of calendars is interesting. In a college class on diversity I learned that different cultures still treat time differently even though we all now count the seconds, minutes, hours, etc. the same.  There are times when precision is important and there are times when we need to go with the moment.  At church sometimes worship runs over into Sunday school time or lunchtime or our Wednesday night program runs over into choir practice time.  While we always try to be attentive to schedules, sometimes it’s more important to stay in the moment.  Sometimes our hearts are being touched in ways that don’t warrant jumping up because the hour has ended.  Sometimes a friend’s need to talk trumps what we think we should be doing at that moment.  That doesn’t excuse people who are habitually late – that shows lack of consideration for others but on the other hand those who point to their watches constantly remind me somewhat of the Pharisees who missed the concept of love and grace in their attempts to focus on the minutia of religious tradition.   My hope for today is that I can slow down and spend time in God’s company and let my heart, not my watch mark the time.

Holy God, forgive our hurrying.  Help us each day to “stop and smell the roses” whether that be the beauty of nature or of other human beings. Help us to stay in the moment yet be considerate of others as we try to meet obligations.  In all things help us feel your care and guidance.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Have a great day and weekend!

Paige

Thursday’s Devotion: Adjusting our Pace USED

Modified and used 9-15-21

1 Corinthians 14:4-5a (NLT) Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way.

I ran into my new friend, 89 year old Martha Grace at the ball fields yesterday morning.  We were walking in opposite directions so I turned around to walk with her.  She urged me to go on, she didn’t want to slow me down but I stayed with her.  She stopped several times to let her ankle rest but really did well.  I didn’t mind adjusting my pace in order to enjoy her company. After we parted I ran a ways with another friend.  He’s training for a marathon and in order to talk to him I had to match his pace.  On the way home I came upon my most regular walking partner, Pascal.  When we walk our pace is dictated by Hank, his little black Chihuahua---or rather by Hank’s nose and his desire to mark everything!  While it would be more efficient for me to just power walk my four miles, it’s a matter of consideration for others that makes it ok to adjust my pace to theirs.  That happens in many ways in life.  When we’re with a mentally challenged person, we naturally adjust our pace of conversation.  It’s a little more difficult when a friend or family member becomes slow of mind due to dementia, senility or Alzheimer’s because we’re not used to that slower pace with them.  When friends get married and we’re single or vice verse or they have their first child, the pace of our relationship changes.  Sometimes in life we get to set the pace and sometimes we must adjust our pace to someone else’s.  Spiritually we want to adjust our pace to Jesus.  He never powered by people.  He felt the touch on his robe, saw the blind beggar by the roadside and the inquisitive person in the tree.  He wasn’t too busy or self-important to turn little children away.  As the old hymn goes, O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee.

Holy God, thanks for all the people in our lives. Help us to not be so impatient and hurried that we fail to take time to be with them.  Help us to slow down and notice those who might need an encouraging word or helping hand.  We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a blessed day!
Paige

Wednesday’s Devotion: Adjusting our Stride USED

Modified and used 9-14-21

Romans 6:4  Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Some translations read, “so that we may live a new life.”  I saw a magazine ad yesterday for running shoes that were designed to help the runner move the foot strike forward on the foot.  When we strike first with our heels, the stress to our bodies is greater than when we strike first with our toes or mid-foot.  I tried deliberately walking that way and it’s really difficult to maintain without a lot of conscious effort. Trying to walk in a new way literally or to live in a new way doesn’t always come easy.  It takes determination and effort.  An instructor told a class I was in that we should stretch ourselves into new behavior and if we did soon our stretch would be our comfort zone. Where do you need to stretch in your life? – In your walk with God?

Holy God, give us courage to try new things, go new directions, and change our behavior.  Give us the faith of Abraham to leave the familiar behind and strike out for a new place. Give us the rashness of Peter to step out of the boat onto the water. We ask for the wisdom to know when to stay on the proven path and when to blaze new trails. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Tomorrow I’ll talk about adjusting our pace.  Stay tuned…

Blessings,

Paige

Tuesday’s Devotion: Keeping our Clay Moist USED

Isaiah 64:8  Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Have you ever watched a potter at work?  It’s an interesting process.  If you haven’t seen it in person you might remember a particular scene from the movie Ghost. One thing that is obvious is that the clay must be kept moist during the process in order for it to be malleable. It the clay dries out it would be stiff and would crack as the potter tries to shape it.  So here’s the question:  If we are the clay, what keeps our clay moist?
What makes us ready for the touch of the Master Potter? For some it could be prayer, for some repentance, for some trust in God, for some daily Bible reading, for some meditation.  What is it for you?

Holy God, help us to always be ready for your shaping touch.  Show us what we need in order to keep our clay moist.  Mold our lives into something pleasing to you as we know that will bring us pure joy.  We ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Have a great day!
Paige

Monday’s Devotion: A Prayer for Labor Day

 Used the prayer 9-2-19

Exodus 34:21 Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.

I hope that everyone is enjoying their Labor Day Holiday.  Rest is important. You would think that most people would recognize that and take time to rest.  Yet I’ve known many workaholics.  They not only worked hard, they played hard.  On the other end of the spectrum are couch potatoes.  They must believe that every muscle move wears out the body a little more thereby they are “saving” their bodies for old age. We know now that exercise doesn’t wear out the body if not done to the extreme, it actually keeps the body young.  On the spiritual side, my very wise pastor told me that one cannot minister to others from an empty cup.  He also says that when our cups are filled to overflowing we are able to minister from that overflow.  Take time to rest today.  Then have a very blessed week.

I found this prayer for Labor Day and wanted to share it with you:

Lord on this Labor Day,
we celebrate the work we do,
and we thank You for the blessing of our jobs.
We ask for those seeking employment that
You guide them in their search for work.

We ask for guidance when we are confused.
We ask for patience when working through conflicts.
We ask for strength to complete each day.
We ask for rest when we are weary.

We ask that You be with those whose faces
we might never see but who work tirelessly
each day for the good of us all.

'Lord, support us all day long until shadows lengthen,
evening comes, the busy world hushed, the fever of life
is over and our life's work is done.

Then, in Thy tender mercy, give us safe lodging, holy
rest and everlasting peace at your side for eternity.'

Amen