Daily Thoughts about God

“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” 1 John 4:13

God created you. He loves you and wants to spend time with you. Each day should include time to pull away and be with Him.

One of my favorite hymns says, “Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord; Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.” William Longstaff, the writer of this hymn was neither a pastor nor a songwriter. He was an English businessman who took his faith seriously.

As the world rushes on around us, we need to pull apart and take time with the Lord, not just on Sunday, but every day of the week. We need to spend time in secret with Jesus alone.

Then He directs our paths and makes the crooked road straight. We should not run before Him, but rather let Him be our guide and let Him calm our soul. As we abide in Him, the Lord surprises us by making our work more fruitful than we expect.

Will you abide in Jesus today?

Lord, lead me deeper with You. Help me to grow as I pull apart for quiet time with You. Lord, I want You to be a part of all I do. I want to live for You.

Thought:
Think through the significant decisions you are facing. Are you including God in the decision process, intentionally seeking His wisdom. Bring these decisions before Him today. Renew your commitment to take time for prayer and to meet Him through His word.

By John Grant
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

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“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God . . . For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”
Exodus 20:8-11 (NLT)

Why is resting so hard for us to do?

It seems we always need to do, do, do and go, go, go. Even when we’re relaxing or on holidays we can’t seem to let go of the agenda.

If we’re not doing, going or achieving, we feel like failures. We see ourselves as lazy. Unproductive. Fruitless. We take pride in our busyness. We boast about how long and hard we work.

And we ignore the fourth commandment.

Do you realize that this commandment is right up there with not committing adultery and stealing?

But aren’t we more likely to admonish adultery and stealing than we are taking a day of rest? Why is that?

We justify and excuse our lack of obedience and rationalize that working seven days a week isn’t really wrong, it’s what we have to do to survive. Wasn’t this really just a suggestion, a recommended way of living?

I confess this is one of my biggest areas of weakness. I find it difficult to stop and rest. It seems there’s always something calling my name that needs to be done.

But as I reflect on this passage, I can’t help but see this resting command as a gift from my Heavenly Father who knows what I need better than I know myself. I just need to receive it and use it!

Sabbath rest isn’t a suggestion or a good idea, it’s a command from our Heavenly Father who loves us deeply. Will we hear and obey?

Heavenly Father, I confess my lack of obedience and rationalization with this command to rest. I’m sorry for excusing my disobedience and justifying myself because I keep the other commandments. I want to walk in ALL Your ways not just some of them. Amen.

Thought: Remind someone you love to take some time to rest this week. Remember, it’s not just a good idea, it’s a commandment.

By Kristi Huseby

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/?p=42381

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