“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house,and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” Mark 1:35, NAS
No matter how busy Jesus got, He would always retreat to a quiet place and pray. Prayer is a huge stress reliever: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) Someone said that stress is the gap between the demands placed on us and the strength we have to meet those demands. Our generation is described in these three words: hurry, worry, and bury. It is not a sin to be stressed, but it is wrong not to seek the Lord and find the decompression chamber of the quiet time. Tell Him what presses your life and weighs on your mind. After all, Jesus said, “I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.” (John 8:28) I was totally stressed out as a young college student, maintaining a full course load, pastoring a church, and maintaining an active social life. My immune system was breaking down with about eight infections a year. Then Isaiah 40:31 became so precious: “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.” The word “gain” or “renew” is a Hebrew word that literally means to exchange strength, my puniness intertwined with His power. Wonderfully, the Christian life is not only the changed but the exchanged life. I give God my so-called strength (which is really my weakness) and receive His power. QUESTION: Are you willing to take time in prayer today to “wait on the Lord?” Yes? No? How much time? Like Jesus, maybe you need to go “off to a solitary place.” Where do you sense the greatest weakness right now?
Todays Daily Devotion from Sheridan House Family Ministries
For more go to: http://www.sheridanhouse.org/Resources/Devotions/daily_devotions.aspx
No comments:
Post a Comment