Scripture Standout: "Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
Morning thoughts: I wake up at 4:42 a.m. three mornings a week to run. My first thought each day is, "I don't want to get up, dang it, I want to sleep." Sometimes, like this morning, I'm not fully awake until I reach the duck pond to meet Running-Partner-in-Crime. But after we get going and my brain starts turning over, the desire for sleep passes. This scripture stood out to me because I have found through this experiment that you can't do God's do-gooding when you sleep, or when you're napping — or when you're praying for bedtime to come quickly . You have to be out there — on and engaged. Listening. Responding. The paradox is, rest is important. You can't get yourself out there and be on and effective when you're dragging a%$! I like the idea of entering God's rest. So today, as I drag #$! to get it all done by bedtime, I'm going to pull up the covers, rest in God and see what happens.
Here was today's meditation from Forward Day by Day. Good stuff:
It’s hard-working people who get things done, and much of what they do (not everything, of course) makes life better for us all. We’d hate it if everyone were cool and laid back all the time. Work is godly. Too much work, however, is not godly, and living in an activist, frenetic, task-driven, work-oriented culture can destroy your soul.
Rest is also godly—God rested on the seventh day after Creation, as this chapter reminds us. The faithful, the obedient, enter into God’s sabbath rest. Sabbath is not merely time away from work, an opportunity to catch up on household chores, run errands, pull weeds, and transport the children from place to place. Sabbath is a time for doing nothing. Taking time off from doing things refreshes the soul. We are like a field that needs to lie fallow now and then (and apparently, God is like that, too). When someone asks you what you did today, do not be embarrassed to say, “I did nothing. I sat still, napped, looked out the window, and marveled at the goodness of God.” Times like that keep us focused, alert, and attuned to God. Keep a sabbath time, and do it regularly. It’s a part of godly living.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
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