The following are 4 devotions I recently used for our Women's Ministry Simply Still event. It was a blessed time for reflection and relaxation during this busy Christmas season. I pray that they touch your heart as well.
Psalm 46:10
He
says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I
will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalms 37:7
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
If you’re a lover of coffee swirled with oodles of cream, then
you understand how crucial it is when you order coffee at a restaurant. Or maybe you’re at a friend’s house and when
she gently pours fresh brewed coffee into your mug, you politely stop her from
filling it up too far. Some of you would
even go so far as to say you like a little bit of coffee with your cream! In
that case, you are really careful
about not filling your cup up too much. But
then it happens. Your server completely forgets you need room for cream,
pouring freshly brewed coffee all
the way to the brim of your cup. It’s so full, some of it even
splashes out, making a nice little puddle right smack in front of you. Ughh!
What a mess!
What a powerful picture of what our lives can be like! When we don’t leave room for
any margin– cramming our schedules to the brim–everything splashes out and
before we realize it, we have a huge mess right smack in front of us. We keep filling our lives up
with more and more. We say yes to every request without thinking it through. We
scurry around with a sense of urgency, afraid we’re going to miss out on
something. And just like that server who thinks we like black coffee, we keep
on pouring until there’s no room left.
But instead of coffee creamer, in that moment we realize we have no room
left.
No room to just rest. No room to sit still and read a book. No
room to have even a five-minute conversation with our spouse. No room to let
the kids just play outside. No room to listen to our teen or friends unload
about their bad day. No room to be refreshed. No room to be still in the
presence of God.
It’s especially easy to find ourselves in this overflowing mess
during the Christmas season. We say we
want to leave room for cream, yet we keep on filling the cups of our souls to
the brim.
Gotta send out those 100 Christmas cards! We already have three parties scheduled, but
I think we can fit this one in too. We’ve already reached our limit of
spending, but a little more won’t hurt. I wasn’t going to buy anything for that
friend, but now that they’ve given me something I need to get them something in
return. I wanted to have a simple
Christmas at home, but they’re expecting us
to be there! We really want to go to the
Christmas Eve service, but we have so
much to do. My house isn’t decorated like hers,
so I’ve got to go out and buy some more stuff to keep up. And
the list goes on. What’s the one thing
that causes your schedule to overflow? Have you left room for anything else?
The thing about a cup of black coffee filled up to the brim is
that there are only two ways to make room for any cream. You can either drink the black coffee until
you have enough room, or you can pour it out. Either way, it’s going to be
inconvenient. If you’re used to sweet cream, the black coffee can be bitter to
the taste. And if it’s really hot, you can’t quickly drink it down to where you
want it without burning your mouth. If
you attempt to pour it out, you’re most likely going to make a mess as it drips
down the side of your cup. Believe me, I’ve tried this many times!
If
the cup of your soul is filled to the brim, and it’s too crowded for the peace
of Jesus to flow through, what can you do? Sometimes we may have to drink the
bitter cup we’ve poured. It’s not pleasant. Maybe we get burned and experience
grueling pain. But going forward, we’ll know better. We’ll know next
time not to make a rash decision. We’ll know next time to think through a
situation, asking God for wisdom. Even when we make a mess of things, God’s
grace is always available. We humbly learn that the next time we will leave
room for cream.
What about you, dear friend? Are you leaving room for His peace
and rest this Christmas season? Are you intentionally slowing down and keeping
your focus on Him? Or do you already feel your cup getting too full? Are you
allowing others to fill your cup to the brim without saying stop?
Relax
with your family. Celebrate your friendships. Rest in His presence. Enjoy your
cup of coffee, but whatever you do…….leave room for some cream.
Dear Lord,
I pray
that I would be still and know that you are God right here, right now. So often
I let my hurry or someone else’s hurry fill my mind causing me to strive
harder, to worry, to be impatient. I
pray that you would still my mind and that I would contemplate only YOU. I pray
that I would rest in your peace. That I would rest in your unchangeable nature
and promises. That I would rest in your complete control over all that happens
in my life. I pray that I would rest
easy throughout this day knowing you are a good, good God. In Jesus’ name, amen.
No
Room
John 110-14
He was in the
world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize
him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive
him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he
gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural
descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling
among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came
from the Father, full of grace and truth.
If you
have ever been in a busy tourist town during peak season, you may have noticed
"no vacancy" signs in front of many motels. These signs simply mean
that the motels are full.
Sometimes
motels and inns don't have room for people, but sometimes people don't have
room for others in their hearts. Maybe a group at school won't make room for
someone who isn't as smart or athletic or physically attractive as they are.
Maybe at church a group of friends stands around talking after the service but
won't make room for newcomers--people who are hurting and longing for a friend.
Luke
tells us there was no room for Mary and Joseph in the inn at Bethlehem. Jesus
was born into a world of people that had no room for him. And later in life he
was hated and rejected. "He came to that which was his own, but his own
did not receive him."
In this
Advent season, is there room in your heart for the Lord Jesus?
So many
things can fill our lives and make us busy: family, friends, careers, sports,
and the general business of life. But do we have room for the Lord Jesus, and
for others who need to know his love? Perhaps
this Christmas you could make room for Jesus and let him stay in your life.
Lord
Jesus,
Your
love, Your grace, Your mercy astounds me. The lengths You go to make Yourself
known to us is staggering. Teach us the necessity of reciprocating that
relationship — to make room for You in our hearts, making time to seek You
first. So often we do not make room for you and others. Fill our hearts, and
by your grace help us to accept others who need love and friendship. You came to earth so that we could know You.
Help us to take time to listen and feel your presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.
The Work
of Being in Wonder
Luke 2:19-20
But Mary treasured up all these things
and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising
God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had
been told.
Someone
once said that after God created the world and assigned various tasks to the
elements of his new creation, there was one job that remained unassigned: the
work of being in awe and wonder. It’s not a task of doing. It’s a task of
delighting (or simply being in awe)! God then gave that important job to the
crowning element of his creation: humankind.
In the Scripture verses we find Mary engaged in this awesome work. She
“treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” There was certainly a lot to treasure and
ponder: a miraculous pregnancy; a healthy baby; a surprise visit by some
shepherds; and a report of angels in the skies over Bethlehem! A few months before these events, Mary had
found someone to join her in the work of wonder: her cousin Elizabeth. Together
they had delighted in what God was doing for them and through them.
Are you
ready for this assignment from God? There is so much for you to ponder! You’ve
awakened to a new day, to a world filled with beauty and delight. Above all,
God has given you the awesome gift of his own Son to reshape your future. Can you slow down today—enough to reflect,
remember, and recall?
Lord Jesus,
I
long for joy in my heart and peace in my soul. Bless me with contentment,
so I may know what it feels like to love this life entirely. I desire to be
near You every moment, and I know if I am, I will be able to receive the joy
that is waiting for me. Hold my hand, guide me, and let me live in Your perfect
will. Wrap Your Spirit around me, so my every breath is in sequence with
Yours. Let peace envelop my thoughts and encompass my body. May I never, ever
pull away. Help me put away the idol of busyness. Prepare me for this assignment,
the work of being in awe at you and at all you have done. Help me see your
wonders. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Are You Ready for Christmas?
The closer we get to Christmas Day, the more you’ll hear this
question: “Are you ready for Christmas?” What exactly does this
question mean to you? “Have you finished your shopping?” “Have you wrapped all your presents?” “Have you bought all the food you’ll need for
that perfect Christmas dinner?” “Have
you finished buying those last-minute stocking stuffers?” I think these are the thoughts
that pop into our head when people ask, “Are you ready for Christmas?”
But deep down in my heart, I’m never comfortable answering this
question. If Christmas is truly about the coming of Jesus to save us from our
sins, then perhaps the question we should really be asking is this: Are
we ready for Christ? Are we ready to humbly
admit our need for a savior? Are we ready for Jesus to
continue refining the rough places of our ugly flesh? Are we ready to surrender that
one area of our lives that keeps tripping us up?
Are we ready to say yes to Him when our fear
compels us to say no?
I’d
much rather answer the questions about whether my shopping is done and if the
girls’ stockings are ready. It’s easier to smile and say I still have that one
last gift to wrap and those last few items to get at Walmart for our Christmas
brunch. But it’s much harder to admit
that my flesh is still fighting against selfish pride. Every. Single.
Day.
I need a savior every moment of every day! It’s hard to confess
that there are several rough places in my soul needing a gentle touch and
smoothing out by the grace of God. I need Jesus to not only be my
redeemer, but my holy refiner! It’s
hard to own up to the fact that I’m fearful of the unknown and what lurks
around the corner of the next phase of my life.
I need the peace of Jesus to calm my fears! Am I ready for Christ?
I’m ready for Him to take all the yucky, ugly, shameful, fearful
things in my flesh and make them into something beautiful that only HE can
accomplish. Yes, I’m ready. Because my way of doing things–apart from
Him–doesn’t usually turn out very well.
On Christmas Day, the gifts will be unwrapped, the stockings
will be emptied, and the food will be gobbled up. And afterward the tree will
come down, the Christmas decorations boxed up and the after-Christmas sales
will expire. Nobody will ask you again
until next year, “Are
you ready for Christmas?” But
each and every day after Christmas, we must answer this question: Are you ready for Christ?
Ready for Him to interfere with your plans? Ready for Him to lead you out of your comfort
zone? Ready for Him to take you to the
next step of his purpose for you? So
dear friend, I ask you to answer honestly……Are you ready for Christ?
I pray God’s richest blessings upon you and your families. May
you have a Merry Christmas! But most importantly, I pray you will embrace Jesus
Christ every day of the year.
Lord Jesus,
We thank you for this time together and for this opportunity to focus our attention on the true reason for the season. Jesus! We pray that tonight will be filled with laughter, joy, and peace as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. God Bless everyone here and may everyone feel Your presence this Christmas season. In Jesus’ name, amen.