Category: devotional

Simply Still Series: What can we Learn from Children about Rest?

As we wrap up this series, I want to accomplish 3 things: briefly summarize previous posts in the series; leave you with a gentle word of caution; and, finally, impart final words of encouragement.

Now, here’s the simplest part.  Lets review the topics covered in each of the 6 parts published so far (all are hyperlinked for easy reference):

Part 1

An Introduction to Being Still explored how being still is an imperative from God. In this way, being still isn’t a form of weakness; there is boldness in the obedience and stillness.

Part 2

Emptying Our Plates provided some advice on how to go about emptying already full plates. How can we be still if we are too busy to be still? Remember, we will be able to accomplish infinitely more for those entrusted to our care and for the kingdom if we surrender to God’s will for our lives. Sometimes less is more!

Part 3

Living it Out attempted to put my own advice and the Word of God into practice. Instead of spending more time on writing than I reasonably had to give during the busy holiday season and while my family quarantined; I opted to share some of the best content ever created: Scripture. Verses focusing on the need to rest were highlighted as I took a step back for a few days.

Part 4

Saying No offered additional examples of life application as related to being still, specifically on how to say, “No.” The latter skill is key if we want to keep our schedules balanced once we get them to where God would like them to be.

Part 5

Is Keeping the Sabbath Still for Real? established the Sabbath rest as part of God’s design for creation. God set the standard and the example for us, his creation, when he, the Creator, rested on the 7th day. Creation was incomplete until it encompassed the act of resting.

Part 6

Finally, Resting Better suggested an antidote to our restlessness: trusting in the Lord more during the times when we are asked to slow down. A biblical example from Exodus set the backdrop for this important and sometimes sensitive discussion.

Now, speaking of sensitive discussions, here is that promised word of caution I mentioned earlier: be wary of keeping “sabbath” rest for purely legalistic reasons.  While I understand we all have seasons where we need to “fake it until we make it,” Sabbath rest should be more of a mindset than something we feel obligated to squeeze into our schedules.  Once rest becomes something else to check off we are missing the point. Yes, we are to be obedient and be still, but its a heart change as much as it is either a scheduling or cerebral change.

The essence of the Sabbath (and being still) is to cease, stop striving and trust in Him.  As long as you are doing this intentionally out of a pure heart, you are doing just fine! Do not get hung up on the exact day you are keeping your Sabbath.  Doing so can push up against some dangerously legalistic territory!

Now that we have recapped the series as a whole and have received our loving dose of caution, let me share some final words of encouragement.

But first…

Do me a favor, and scroll up for a quick second.  See that picture?  That’s my 8-year old daughter, Kaleigh, laying on my lap during church two weeks ago.  Do you know what else she is resting on?  There’s something between her head and my lap…My Bible! The Word! She is literally and figuratively at rest on and in the Word during a worship service! 

Next time I need to be grounded and be still, I’m going to think of the simultaneously simple yet profound truths portrayed in that picture. The Word is around her; she’s soaking it in as she peacefully listens to the message. The Word is in Her. She loves Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is alive in her! The Word is touching her. She is literally touching it, but it is also moving her heart! This 8-year old had not a care in the world that Sunday: she just needed to be still while existing and absorbing His Word.

After looking at the picture some more I started to wonder what light a childlike faith could shed on the idea of resting on God. It is that simplicity and pureness of heart I’d like to leave you with today, which is why I asked each of my three children what resting on God meant to them. Here’s what they said:

Following what He says.

Kaleigh, age 8

Believing in God and putting faith in God.

Keira, age 10

Relying on His Word. Relying that He is there when you need Him the most. Relying that he is just there.

William, age 14

Right out of the mouths of babes, am I right?! Do you have a child in your life you could ask the same question to? See what they say! Perhaps their answers, lacking any pretense whatsoever, will provide you with a refreshing perspective: a perspective that can’t easily come from many well-read or even well-intentioned adults.

Friends, although I’ve now spent several weeks recounting scriptural truths and practical how-to-style advice, please know that resting on the Word of God doesn’t have to be difficult; but it does take our willingness.

As our pastor pointed out this morning during service, “we need to step back and step toward God.” Go to Him…be still…and find rest. It will change you.

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Simply Still Series: Top 6 Stillness Verses

Well, with my first full week of seminary behind me and almost a full semester left to go, I am definitely feeling the need to rest! How hypocritical would it be if I wrote about being still but did not also live it out?! So…although I am leaving you with very little content today, in all the ways that matter it’s all that you need: God’s own Words. Here are some verses to pray over which reinforce the biblical imperative to be still:

Be still, and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Exodus 14:14

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.

Psalm 37:7

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.

Psalm 23:1-2

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.

Hebrews 4:9-10

Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!

1 Samuel 12:16

The Lord continues to do remarkable things, just as He did in the time of Samuel. Awe-inspiring works in those around us and in you. Follow me this week in being simply still and let’s see what divine works we can notice! What may He change or soften in us?! How much more will we be restored this time next week?!

As as a closing devotional, here today’s Jesus Calling which seems to be especially fitting:

Let my love enfold you in the radiance of My Glory. Sit still in the light of my presence, and receive My Peace. These quiet moments with Me transcend time, accomplishing far more than you can imagine. Bring Me the sacrifice of your time, and watch to see how abundantly I bless you and your loved ones.

Through the intimacy of our relationship, you are being transformed from the inside out. As you keep your focus on Me, I form you into the one I desire you to be. Your part is to yield to My creative work in you, neither resisting it nor trying to speed it up. Enjoy the tempo of a God-breathed life by letting Me set the pace. Hold My hand in childlike trust, and the way before you will open up step by step.

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, January 25

Missed other posts in the series? I got you… ❤

Simply Still Series: How to Forego What is Good for What is Best

In a short video for my first post, I mentioned how I didn’t want to start this blog unless I knew that God willed me to write it.  Over the years I learned that one of the most significant contributors to burnout is piling responsibilities on top of responsibilities, without ever considering if those commitments were actually willed by God to be a part of my life at that time.  Of course, we will experience burnout if we fill up our time with things that were never meant to be there to begin with!

Today’s post in the Simply Still Series will focus on shifting away from being overcommitted. If you didn’t check out the first post in the series from last week, please be sure to do that!

Here’s a gentle warning: even commitments which are “for God” or which are “good” and “healthy” are generally not worth the trouble if they are not aligned with God’s will for our lives at that point.  That means praying through some hard choices.  It also means possibly foregoing what is good for what is best. 

If you struggle with being overcommitted and a general lack of stillness, there could be a number of contributing factors.  Maybe there is a value system which does not prioritize time and resources the way God would prefer? Maybe there is apprehension around saying, “No.”. The possibilities are endless, none are mutually exclusive, and I have been guilty of most!  Regardless of why you are overextended, today, I’m going to offer two pieces of advice on how to reduce your current commitments:

1st Piece of Advice

Make a list of everything on your plate right now.  What can you outsource (i.e., shoppers at the grocery store or pick up options)?  What can a spouse or significant other do or be taught to do?  An older child?  What can you do away with all together? What needs to be put on hold for a period of time? Sometimes seeing things on paper can help make sense of what stays and what goes.  Of course, pray on it!

2nd Piece of Advice

If you are really struggling (or even if you are not), consider clearing as much as possible from your schedule. This may sound like a silly or extreme idea, but I LOVE doing this each winter.  We live in the Poconos and although I love looking at the snow, I don’t necessarily love being in it.  It also gets dark very early in the winter…very, very early. 

Needless to say, winter in the Poconos really lends itself very well to a homebody seeking to lessen their load.  Also, with all the hustle and bustle of beginning a new school year finally far enough behind us, it really is an opportune time to deliberately press pause on activities. 

Maybe those expensive gymnastic lessons lose some appeal after taking a break from them?  Maybe that ministry you are serving in will be able to open the door for someone else to come in and serve in your absence? Only move toward reintroducing or introducing a commitment once you are certain it is meant to be there. More on this in a future post!

Now, as I’ve mentioned in other posts, I will never offer advice that I don’t follow myself or that is not a product of my own experience.  Here is one example of how God worked through my commitments, or lack thereof, about a year ago. 

I found myself in school (yet again!), only this time for my Doctorate. At the time, I really sensed God wanted me back in school to open up new doors with a higher level of education. I was right about the school part, but wrong about the focus area. You see, I was pursuing a Doctor of Public Administration to supplement my Masters in the same subject area. I was about a semester or two in when I sensed God gently pressing me to stop. I had no idea why; nor did I know what else He might want me to pursue.

Nonetheless, I obeyed and withdrew.

Within a few weeks, God was igniting a long-dormant call to pursue ministry. Within a few more months I started down a path which could culminate in ordination, and just this week I begin a new higher education journey in seminary. What a whirlwind! Do you think I could have been able to identify what God wanted my next steps to be if I didn’t create margin by first relinquishing some responsibilities on my plate? Maybe. Probably not.

You see, I LOVED going for my doctorate! I thrive when I’m surrounded by minds brighter than my own, pushing me to think beyond what I’m currently capable of. Is pursuing a higher education bad? Nope! But here’s the thing: those were my plans, not His. Once I sensed that God had different plans for me, I adjusted my course. I didn’t know why or to what end. I simply obeyed.

God took care of the rest of the details and revealed some of the missing pieces once I was open to seeing them. I still don’t have all the pieces in front of me, but I trust Him and now I know through Spirit-led affirmations that I am indeed on the right path this time…at least until God gives me new directions.

Our stories will look different, but there will be a common dominator between you and I:  we can accomplish infinitely more for those entrusted to our care and for the Kingdom if we surrender to God’s will for our lives.  Sometimes less is more!

Don’t get me wrong, I can still overcommit, but I am getting better about consulting with God while I decide what to take on. 

Now that we have reviewed some ways to think about and actually create more time in our busy schedules, we will spend the next posts delving into some ideas around how to keep our schedules manageable.  Without that, we will be back to square one in no time at all. Think of it as the maintenance phase in weight loss. That juice cleanse won’t help much if we drive to Starbucks for some creamy, caffeinated goodness as soon as the cleanse is up!

Pray:

Father God, in your infinite wisdom, help me to discern which responsibilities are really mine and mine alone.  I feel comfortable when I am in control so I don’t delegate as often as I should, but I know this is not your desire for me.  It can’t be!  Trusting you is more than enough. When I feel led to transition out of participating in an activity in some capacity, I will trust that you know what is best for me and the others around me.  I will humbly follow where you lead.

In Jesus’ Holy & Precious Name,

Amen

Simply Still Series: Tired of Being Tired?

Why do we let ourselves run so ragged? I mean think about it…why do we let ourselves become so depleted? No one is forcing us to chair that fundraiser. If we have kids, no one is asking us sign them up for yet another extra curricular…except perhaps the kids themselves. So why do we do it? Surely we have the capacity to take on or not take on the vast majority of activities which vie for our time and money. Yet, here we are.

Running on empty is clearly not God’s intention for us.  He could never want this lifestyle of perpetual exhaustion and restlessness for us, His children whom He delights so much in.

So again I ask, “Why do we let this happen?” Do we think we know better than God does when it comes to what’s best? 

Over recent weeks I have had different versions of the same conversation with various friends.  These conversations are what prompted me to address the topics we are covering over the next few weeks together. “I just don’t know how to say, ‘No’,” said one.  “I don’t even know myself anymore,” said another. 

In fact, we know from David that our Almighty Father desires the complete opposite of this for us:

Be Still and Know I am God. 

Psalm 46:10a

Be Still. This is not just a mere suggestion. It’s an imperative straight from the Lord, calling upon us to take up stillness as a part of our very being. This is more than acting still or desiring to be still, or thinking about being still.  It’s actually a state of being.  A state of being still. But how do we get there?

I don’t pretend to know all the answers, or even a fraction of the answers.  However, I do know what it is like to experience burnout and have nothing left for the people I should have the most for. I know what it’s like just going through the motions, too worn and defeated to even know I was worn and defeated.  I know what its like giving God my leftover time and energy, if anything at all, and not my very best.

I know what it’s like to try and remedy this imbalance on my own.

Once I got clued in that my body was keeping the score, I knew some changes were in order.  I read the books.  I did the things (think yoga, breathwork, and other practices).  None of these are bad things! In many ways, they are quite helpful, especially when they promote self-healing. However, they won’t sustain us, and they shouldn’t be done apart from a larger framework defined and ordained by God.

I also do not pretend to live the most balanced life at all times. Nonetheless, by the grace of God, I also know what it’s like to surrender a worn-out body and mind to Him. This allowed Him, not I, to re-prioritize how I spend my time and who I spend it with. 

The Lord had a great deal of heart work to do within me (and he still does). That is not something anyone but God can do for you, and will only come from abiding in Him. That said, I also learned a lot along the path toward balanced living where the Lord is prioritized above all else. When doing so, believe it or not, I still had more than enough time and energy for anything which followed Him.

In 2021 I published a similar series, Be Still. I have taken that content and reimagined it, additionally applying what I’ve learned between then and now. Snippets of content may be the same, but I don’t know about you but I forget A LOT and need gentle reminders even more than I forget. So what about it, will you join me?

Over the next few weeks, let us seek out simplicity.  We will explore priorities, commitments and boundaries so that we may be obedient in Being Still. We will see what God has to say about all this since our actions and thoughts must be grounded in Truth…His Truth…if they are to be sustained and done for His glory.  In doing so we will be set free from what we were never intended to take on to begin with. Is there a bolder way to enter the new year than declaring that our time and priorities are His?  Don’t be fooled!  There’s boldness in the obedience and stillness. 

Pray:

Father God, Help me to slow down.  I am tired of doing things my own way.  Literally tired. Mentally tired.  Spiritually tired. At times, I have nothing left for my family, myself or you.  I know there must be another way. I know you desire me to be still.  Can you help me with that, please?  You are far wiser than I, and I seek to do your will! 

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen.

              

There’s a Gift Waiting for You Today

Silent night, holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
radiant beams from thy holy face
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Silent Night, verse 3

I remember the first time I perceived the holiness of God.  I was simultaneously in awe and disgusted.  In awe of the beauty of God’s holiness and disgusted by who I was in comparison.  I didn’t want God to see-but you can’t hide from God.  I didn’t think I deserved the love and grace-but God decided to give it.  I didn’t think I could stand in his presence, but Christ made it possible.  Then everything changed.

Today we celebrate the day that everything changed.  

Silent night, holy night! Son of God, loves pure light… Nothing compares to the purity and holiness of God.  But if we wanted to get a picture: it is the difference between the fresh mountain spring and a browned, murky creek.  Its the freshly fallen snow compared to the mess it becomes once it melts.  God’s pure love does not compare to your most romantic or finest familial love.  It is untarnished by the human conditions of sin.  Unsullied by malice, envy, and strife.  The love of God is the purest love that is offered or encountered.  This love is given to us in the Christ child.

This pure love is reflected in the redeeming grace.  The grace that takes your tarnished life and makes it luminous. Your sin, your shame, your darkness-redeemed.  

Will you receive this gift?  Today, will you give your life and soul to the one who redeems it by grace?  This gift is incomparable.  It is offered freely, willingly, and with perfect love.  

May this Christmas be different for you.  

May it be new and stunning.  

May it be life-altering.

And may you know the redeeming grace of our Lord Jesus Christ at his birth.

Scripture References

1 John 4:16, Luke 2:11-12

Action Step

Make some time to find someplace quiet and reflect on the birth of Jesus.   When you are ready, you may pray this prayer.

Jesus, your perfect loves purifies my soul.
I trust in your holy sacrifice that made me new.
You are more Lord forever. Amen.

Accompanying Playlist

All hymns referenced throughout the series found in one spot. Some versions are traditional. Others…not so much. Enjoy!

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A Not-So-Silent Night

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar,
heav’nly hosts sing, Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior, is born!
Christ, the Savior, is born!

Silent Night, verse 2

As a mom of 4, I often long for the silent moments. Who can relate? Silent nights, morning, mid-day. I’m not picky, just some peace and quiet. During those moments of reprieve, I find myself just stopping to take a breath. I think about the need and longing for silence, to sit in a space where I can just simply exist without expectations, needs or thoughts. The quieting of my soul. To just simply be.

Shifting my thoughts to this song and this particular Silent Night, I think about the grandeur, and the holiness but also the truth that this night was not silent as we see it at all. The angels were singing “Alleluia”, the Shepherds hearing the angels sought out the manger to find Jesus as they glorified God. Mary treasured and pondered these things within her heart.

This night was not a silent one in the way we think or the quietness I long for in breaks from life; rather it was a busy, holy, glorious night. One that brought a silencing of fears, the ushering in the dawn of peace between God and mankind. A night where we can simply exist, and find rest, peace, and joy in the midst of chaos.

The times that I seek to simply be, I find the greatest peace and rest found in Jesus. The holy ushering in of the Savior has come. I can sit in this chaos of life and join in the praises of the angels, sharing this amazing news with others while treasuring and pondering all that Jesus is. I can simply exist in chaos because of Jesus while finding rest for my soul.

Scripture Reference

Luke 2:1-20

Action Step

Prayerfully read the scripture passage. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about this story giving you a fresh perspective. Then treasure and ponder what He has spoken to you.

Accompanying Playlist

All hymns referenced throughout the series found in one spot. Some versions are traditional. Others…not so much. Enjoy!

Missed a day? We got you! Access here!

You can also access this series by following our facebook page!

Nothing About This is Normal

Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace,
sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent Night, verse 1

Let’s revisit an idea we explored way back in our first week together.  Remember the discussion of proper nouns?   Such a distinction may seem inconsequential, but they really do provide added insight.  Take a look at “Holy Infant”, above, for example.  If this were just any child, it would read “holy infant” but He’s not…so it doesn’t.  Not only that, but the term “Holy” also reiterates this notion that this baby is special or set apart.  In fact,  that’s what holy means. 

So here we have a baby of significance which is to be set apart.  This baby, due to arrive just three days from now, is depicted as being “tender and mild.”  Make no mistake though: as this child grows, His humility will lead to his exaltation, and the message He bears will not be for the faint of heart.  He truly is set apart, not only as God’s son incarnate, but in that he flips all prevailing understandings of what it means to be a child of God and how humanity  should think about eternity.

As a result, Jesus’ holiness also beckons us to be set apart as a response.  How so? Consider the following:

We are to be broken to be whole

We are to mourn to be happy

We are to be humbled to exalt

We are to be emptied to be filled

We are to be helpless to be empowered

We are to be weak to be strong

Do these examples sound like the way of the world?  Not at all.  They are His ways.  They are the ways in which we, too,  can be set apart.  He did it first.  Now, we must follow His example. We must be set apart. 

Scripture References

2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Peter 1:16

Action Step

Today, ask God to show you one way in which you can act so as to be set apart from the norms of our culture yet also lead you closer to Him.

Accompanying Playlist

All hymns referenced throughout the series found in one spot. Some versions are traditional. Others…not so much. Enjoy!

Missed a day? We got you! Access here!

You can also access this series by following our facebook page!

Renamed

He rules the world with truth and grace
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love.

Joy to the World, verse 4

You ever been pushed to the edge or pushed over the edge?  When people violate your boundaries, like in the 1940 German Blitzkrieg. Each person responds differently to these offenses, but in our sense of right and wrong, we almost always want the offending party to pay for their wrongs.  How does the Holy One of the universe feel if that is how we feel?  

He rules the world with truth and grace. There is a divine tension at play here.  The tension of truth and grace.  It is easy to understand truth and grace exclusively, but for them to live simultaneously in the same space means we must adopt God’s view on the subject.

God rules in a state of perpetual and perfect truth.  Jesus declares, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Truth is also associated with laws that are to be followed and enforced.  The ten commandments give us a set of truths to follow, and Jesus establishes the law of “Love God and love other people.”  

Religious leaders in Jesus’ time (and even today) felt the response to the law should be condemnation and judgment.  On the other hand, Jesus does not condemn the sinner but offers grace when the law is broken.  He holds to the truth and acknowledges when laws have been broken, but instead of condemning offers an opportunity for redemption.  He offers grace.  

Grace is unmerited forgiveness.  We have done nothing to earn grace, and the only part we play is receiving the gift that is offered through the sacrifice of Jesus. I heard author and pastor Andy Stanley declare that Jesus is “All grace and all truth, all the time.”  

Truth creates the boundaries which give us life, and grace restores us to those life-giving boundaries when we have strayed from them. This beautiful principal proclaims “the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love.”  And even more powerfully, Christmas declares the advent of this kingdom and invites us to participate in its life-giving truths.

Scripture References

John 14:6, Matthew 22:37-39

Action Step

What grace have you received from God? What grace do you need to extend to someone else today?

Accompanying Playlist

All hymns referenced throughout the series found in one spot. Some versions are traditional. Others…not so much. Enjoy!

Missed a day? We got you! Access here!

You can also access this series by following our facebook page!

When the Punishment Doesn’t Fit the Crime

No more let sins and sorrows grow
nor thorns infest the ground;
he comes to make his blessings flow
far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.

Joy to the World, verse 3

Have you ever been punished for something you did not do? As a kid, I had a couple of incidents in which I had gotten in trouble for things my siblings said or did. It was frustrating because I genuinely strived to be obedient because I hated getting into trouble. (Where are my enneagram 9’s?!)

I remember this one time, in particular, I got punished for something my brother did. The punishment was being grounded for a week. On Day 3 of my grounding, my mom called me to the kitchen table to let me know that my brother had confessed that he was the one who had broken my mom’s favorite vase. My 10-year-old self was so excited that I had been vindicated that I literally ran into my front yard and did a somersault!

 As a parent now, it can be so hard to discern “who is to blame” when the kids bring up an argument with me. I admit that I have done a one size fits all punishment where everyone gets into trouble and has to take a time out. It was a means to make sure the one who was to blame received punishment. In both childhood and parenting, I have experienced flawed justice through the giving and receiving of punishment. I’m sure you all can relate.

When I think about these moments of injustice now, I can’t help but think of Jesus. Jesus took on the penalty of sin and death for us willingly out of His love for us. The depths of His love for us are unfathomable. Jesus was sinless (1 Peter 2:22), the lamb without blemish (1 Peter 1:19), the perfect sacrifice. God saw our sin problem, with great compassion, mercy, and grace sent His Son Jesus to be the propitiation of our sin. (1 John 2:22) 

We didn’t deserve such great kindness. We deserve death. (Romans 6:23) What joy fills my heart over Jesus’ sacrifice! To know-how deeply loved I am. That Jesus would take on my sin so I could have everlasting life in an intimate relationship with Him. (John 3:16) This is so overwhelming that I weep with joy over this truth. He is the greatest love we will ever know.

Scripture Reference

 Romans 5:12-21

Action Step

Take some time to write out a prayer of thanks to God for the beautiful gift we have been given.

Accompanying Playlist

All hymns referenced throughout the series found in one spot. Some versions are traditional. Others…not so much. Enjoy!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7qe0Kz7PAFkMRRzIx9drKb?si=ac3d1d1a59eb46ca

Missed a day? We got you! Access here!

You can also access this series by following our facebook page!

Audience of One for the King, Please?

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

Joy to the World, verse 2

When we think of someone who reigns, a condition of that reign is usually one of duration and/or proximity.  For example, the reigning world champions of some event will only maintain such a status until there is a competition to name the subsequent world champion.  In terms of proximity, even the most tenacious of conquerors has an end to their governed territory and thus their reign only extends so far on the globe.

That all changed with baby Jesus, and we have a new kind of reign: one which is bound by neither geographical nor temporal constructs, and one which the world has seen neither before nor since. Jesus, our personal savior, is also the savior of the ENTIRE world for ALL eternity! He reigns in Heaven…right now…as I type and as you read. 

The battle has already been won!  No wonder we sing for joy!

And do you know what else sets our Savior apart from other rulers?  Traditionally, one has to seek an audience with someone of authority.  The subject may or may not be granted a visitation and, if so, they are typically heard on a singular topic.  A subject certainly can’t expect a standing coffee date so as to cultivate an ongoing relationship with the ruler. 

But, our Savior is different. His ways are not our ways.  Thank goodness! 

Not only is He available 24/7, He actually wants to spend as much time with you as possible and to cultivate a personal and profound relationship with you.  Amazing! Friends, find joy in this miraculous reality! 

Scripture References

Psalm 148

Action Step

Today, spend time in your Lord’s presence just because you can.  Delight in Him and praise Him for being so accessible to you and your loved ones.

Accompanying Playlist

All hymns referenced throughout the series found in one spot. Some versions are traditional. Others…not so much. Enjoy!

Missed a day? We got you! Access here!

You can also access this series by following our facebook page!