Morning Devotion for March 17
Good morning friends,
It has been a tumultuous few days, and I am finding that even with the spiritual practices in place of Scripture before phone, and limiting how often I check the latest news I am struggling to resist anxiety and unrest.
So this morning we turn to two Psalms that elder Russ Dow relies on. Russ writes:
“Here are my short verses: Psalm 91:1,2: Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD : He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. (For me these two verses cover a lot of needs, including comfort, rest, and peace.) I also have an unusual favorite. I like to tune in to the 23rd Psalm, on YouTube, sung by the Ray Conniff singers. I sing along and it is very meaningful, to me to do so.”
In his book Life Without Lack – Living in the Fullness of Psalm 23, Dallas Willard writes:
The Lord is my shepherd.
“In other words, I’m in the care of someone else. I’m not the one in charge. I’ve taken my kingdom and surrendered it to the kingdom of God. I am living the with-God life. The Lord is my Shepherd.”
The events surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak have made it fairly obvious that “I’m not the one in charge”! The place where my faith is being exercised is that next line: “I’ve taken my kingdom and surrendered it to the kingdom of God.” When it feels that ‘my kingdom’ is being besieged by recent events, Willard’s words remind me to surrender instead to Jesus’ good care. No earthly power can take away a kingdom already surrendered to God in Jesus. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him.” (2 Timothy 1:12)
In Christ, with you,
Laurie
It has been a tumultuous few days, and I am finding that even with the spiritual practices in place of Scripture before phone, and limiting how often I check the latest news I am struggling to resist anxiety and unrest.
So this morning we turn to two Psalms that elder Russ Dow relies on. Russ writes:
“Here are my short verses: Psalm 91:1,2: Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD : He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. (For me these two verses cover a lot of needs, including comfort, rest, and peace.) I also have an unusual favorite. I like to tune in to the 23rd Psalm, on YouTube, sung by the Ray Conniff singers. I sing along and it is very meaningful, to me to do so.”
In his book Life Without Lack – Living in the Fullness of Psalm 23, Dallas Willard writes:
The Lord is my shepherd.
“In other words, I’m in the care of someone else. I’m not the one in charge. I’ve taken my kingdom and surrendered it to the kingdom of God. I am living the with-God life. The Lord is my Shepherd.”
The events surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak have made it fairly obvious that “I’m not the one in charge”! The place where my faith is being exercised is that next line: “I’ve taken my kingdom and surrendered it to the kingdom of God.” When it feels that ‘my kingdom’ is being besieged by recent events, Willard’s words remind me to surrender instead to Jesus’ good care. No earthly power can take away a kingdom already surrendered to God in Jesus. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him.” (2 Timothy 1:12)
In Christ, with you,
Laurie
Posted in Devotions