Finding Calm in a Busy Day. Abingdon
current faith may sustain you very well, or it may just keep you afloat on an endless sea of uncertainty. It may be time to drink more deeply and receive greater refreshment.
There is a beautiful beach, a place where you can play and hang out in the sun. All you have to do is ask and you’ll be there, filled forever with the cool, refreshing Spirit that will never leave you thirsty again.
Seek to drink from the satisfying Spirit of God.
QUIET THE WAVES
Lord, thank you for being the only living water that quenches the thirst of your children. Thank you for giving us all we need. Amen.
It All Begins with You
I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
—Matthew 25:35
It’s easy in our culture to gloss over the needs of our neighbors and those who are still strangers to us in the world. We can pass by the homeless and imagine that they just weren’t very good at managing their money or they really should join AA or some other “will somebody else please fix them” program. We may even give to United Way or some other such agency through the places we work. That makes giving so easy we don’t even have to think about it. To us, it’s just a loss of income anyway.
So how can we recognize the opportunity we have to act like Jesus? How will we differentiate the mindless-though-helpful giving from the kind that causes us to stop and notice what we’re actually doing? When you give with a full intention, from the heart, isn’t that more of the idea that Jesus had in mind?
Giving is always a choice. Whether you put your heart and mind into it is also a choice. Feeding others is not simply a matter of buying a meal. It’s a function of inviting them to the feast of a gracious God who gave everything for our good.
Giving begins with you. It keeps you in the flow of blessing in ways that nothing can measure. Is anyone thirsty in your midst today? Be their blessing.
Give from the heart with cheerful and loving intention.
QUIET THE WAVES
Lord, show me how I can open up my heart and be more generous to others. I know that you have been more than generous to me. Amen.
Now That’s a Mouthful!
Your speech should always be gracious and sprinkled with insight so that you may know how to respond to every person.
—Colossians 4:6
You’re speechless! Someone has just done something that surprised you and disappointed you so much, you hardly know what to say. Your first impulse is to charge in and make your appeal, let them know they crossed the line, totally messed things up, and yet . . . that isn’t really the response God is looking for.
When you take a little time to breathe, to rethink the issue, you might be able to come up with a reasonable explanation for the incident, something that will give you a place to start in repairing the relationship before a major meltdown happens. You might be able to ease up on the resentments and see a glimpse of what God sees, even in this messy bit of drama. You can choose to be gracious, to take time to think through your response so that what you say can make a positive difference to the whole situation.
When you’ve been surprised by someone’s actions or comments, it’s not easy to do the right thing, and yet, God would have you try to do so. We’re all still growing, and all we can do is thank God that he gives us room to do so. Let’s give each other that same space even when we’re tempted to give out a mouthful.
Think—pray—before responding to hurtful comments.
QUIET THE WAVES
Lord, you know it isn’t easy to be quiet when my feelings are hurt. Please help me remember your incredible kindness to me when I’m tempted to say more than is gracious to someone else. Amen.
Live Without Fear
You didn’t receive a spirit of slavery to lead you back again into fear, but you received a Spirit that shows you are adopted as his children. With this Spirit, we cry, “Abba, Father.”
—Romans 8:15
Do you ever feel less than thankful for a situation you find yourself in, situations that give rise to fear? Maybe your son just quit college without giving you a reason why, or you lost your job without any notice or severance. Maybe you just got diagnosed with a serious illness, or you’ve been told you won’t be able to have a baby.
When everything feels topsy-turvy and you wonder what you’re going to do next, the answer is simple. You’re going to run to your Father in heaven and explain everything you know about the issue you face. Then you’re going to thank him. You’re going to thank him for helping work out a solution that’s perfect for you. You’re going to also thank him for his Spirit that he gives you so generously to help you in any situation.
Hang in there with God. He won’t let you down, and he’ll make sure you have what you need. Be thankful you have him to face whatever happens to you today.
Look for comfort from the Holy Spirit during fearful times.
QUIET THE WAVES
Lord, thank you for being there with me no matter what happens today. I put all my worries, all my joys, all my heart and life into your merciful hands. Amen.
Simply Divine Conversation!
When all the people saw the column of cloud standing at the tent’s entrance, they would all rise and then bow down at the entrances to their tents. In this way the Lord used to speak to Moses face-to-face, like two people talking to each other.
—Exodus 33:10-11
These days it’s pretty easy to connect with the people you love. If you’re near, you stop by. If you aren’t, you get on the phone or you pull up Skype or a similar app and in a matter of moments you can be talking face to face. When we’re talking to God, we might have a feeling that our prayers are more like getting on the phone. We may not always hear what God is saying from the other end, because if there’s a bad connection, it’s probably our system that is causing it.
We might wonder what it takes to have direct communication with God. We might ask ourselves why we’re always in the fog. The truth is that even though it will be exciting when we’re able to see each other clearly, we aren’t at a loss; we aren’t left without a way to be closely connected.