With all the noise in the world, do you hear the voice of God? Your calendar tells you what to do, but do you remember who you are? Being comes before doing. This is a call to put first things first. Return to the Lord with this daily pattern of prayer and devotion. Set aside this time as a sanctuary. Find a space free of distraction and follow this pattern.
Show grace to yourself and others.
Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. Melt me. Mold me. Fill me. Use me. Amen.
(from the hymn, Spirit of the Living God)
Word
For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. (II Cor. 1:8-9)
“Come to me all you who are weary all you who are weary and heaven laded, and I will give you rest. “ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Meditation
Stress reveals our limits. You might notice that you haven’t been as productive as you want to be during this time. You get a full night’s sleep and you still wake up tired. Exhaustion is a normal response to crisis. Stress in the mind becomes stress in the body. And vice versa.
In our limits we realize that we are weak . . . but God is strong. We are empty, God alone is our fullness. In fact, emptiness is the only state in which God can fill you. Rather than being frustrated or dejected over your emptiness, embrace it. Because you have a God of grace. He shows you grace. His love for you is not based on your productivity or your success. It’s grace. It’s a gift.
So, show grace to yourself, because God does. Give yourself a break. Recalibrate and don’t worry about getting everything done that you want to get done. And then, show grace to others too. We share a common situation. Be patient with others.
In stress, remember Paul’s words: “That was to make us rely not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead.”
Benediction
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7)