Be Still: Daily Devotional

Today is July 17.


The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.  
 
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”   
  
Today’s reading is from the book of Titus, chapter 3.  
 

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.  
  

This passage juxtaposes what it refers to as ‘at one time’—foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved …. With ‘when the kindness and love of God our savior appeared…’ –washing, rebirth, renewal. There’s a looking back to a past without God, followed by an awareness of a radical change. Think about the phrase ‘at one time,’ and think about your past. What was your life like apart from Christ? What words would you use to describe that experience?   
  
As you hear the reading again, notice the incredible change that happens between what was an what is. Listen for what you are grateful for today because of Christ’s presence in your life.   
  
Are there any areas of your life where you still feel foolish, disobedient, or enslaved? As you come to prayer today, are you aware of places in your heart or behavior where you again need the interruption of God’s mercy and grace? Talk to God about those places as we end our time of prayer.  
 
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Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

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Today is July 16.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.    
 
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”    
   
Today’s reading is from Psalm 142.  
 

      I cry aloud to the LORD;  
         I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.  
      I pour out before him my complaint;  
         before him I tell my trouble.  
       When my spirit grows faint within me,  
         it is you who watch over my way.  
         In the path where I walk  
         people have hidden a snare for me.  
      Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;  
         no one is concerned for me.  
         I have no refuge;  
         no one cares for my life.  
       I cry to you, LORD;  
         I say, “You are my refuge,  
         my portion in the land of the living.”  
       Listen to my cry,  
         for I am in desperate need;  
         rescue me from those who pursue me,  
         for they are too strong for me.  
      Set me free from my prison,  
         that I may praise your name.  
         Then the righteous will gather about me  
         because of your goodness to me. 
 

I love the psalmists poetry. These words speak to my heart today as I read them: when my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way. Would you take some quiet time now to reflect on the state of YOUR spirit? How are you feeling? As my daughter used to ask a friend of hers when they were little: how’s your soul?  
   
Listen again to these words and pay attention to one or two that stand out to you. You might consider writing a few things down and carrying them around today.  
   
… because of your goodness to me. The nearness of God is my only good. His goodness and mercy are never ending. He is not only holy, He is forgiving. He is not only just, He is kind. He is not only powerful, He is gentle. Please, Lord, make us more like you…

Music: My Soul Finds Rest - Vineyard Columbus - (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

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Today is July 15.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. 
 
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”    
   
Today’s reading is from the book of Acts, chapter 21.  
 

When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!” 
 

The book of Acts tells us origin stories from the early church – and this one is daunting, unsettling. This is a theme that you see throughout the book of Acts. When the Gospel is preached, when God’s kingdom comes, it is received by many as God’s peaceable kingdom bringing about a new order. For others it is resisted with hostility and anger. Think about your own spiritual journey. When you first heard the message, how did you respond? With anger, hostility, resistance, or with open arms, and an experience of joy and peace? 
 
In another place in the book of Acts, Paul was criticized as “turning the world upside down” with his message. I love that. The Gospel turns the world, and our lives upside down. As you hear the passage again, think of one person that you know who needs their world turned upside down by the Gospel, and pray that they may have an open heart toward God and the good news.   

There was so much oppression, so much opposition, to the way of Christ. If you don’t experience that in your own life, consider that this is a normal experience for many followers of Christ around the world. Would you pray today for God’s grace over the gospel message in your life, in our city, and for those followers of Christ around the world who are persecuted for their faith? Pray for protection, for favor, for good soil, and for soft hearts as they share the upside down message of the gospel of Jesus.

Music: You Make All Things New - Vineyard Worship - (YouTube) 

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

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Today is July 14th

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the book of 1st Timothy, chapter 6.

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

How are you feeling as this week comes to a close? This passage speaks of contentment, and the pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness…. Vs the pursuit of a lot of other things that might come out of a lack of contentment… As yourself: am I in a place of contentment today? If not, why?

It seems like Paul is saying that the good fight of faith can be seen as the pursuit of the right things… kingdom things instead of worldly things… eternal life instead of living-in-the-moment… and contentment, instead of the search for bigger, better, faster, and more. Listen in again for what Paul is calling ‘great gain’…

I think that in order to maintain a spirit of contentment, we need proper perspective. We need to focus on ‘have’ vs ‘want’. If our eyes are always set on our ‘wants’… we lose perspective and live out of unmet desires, or lusts. If we are, on the other hand, content with our ‘haves’ we can live out of a place of sufficiency and enoughness… but God’s. What are your eyes on more? Wants, or haves? End prayer today by asking God to give you His perspective, and to help you focus on those things that Paul would call ‘great gain’ for your faith.

Music Credit:
Surrendered In Praise - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

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This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.

1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

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Today is July 11.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.   
 
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”   
  
Today’s reading is from Psalm 26.  
 

      Vindicate me, LORD,  
         for I have led a blameless life;  
         I have trusted in the LORD  
         and have not faltered.  
      Test me, LORD, and try me,  
         examine my heart and my mind;  
      for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love  
         and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.  
  

When I first hear this text, I’m astonished by the psalmists self-assuredness: “I have led a blameless life; I have not faltered…” I’m even more astonished when I recall the life of the psalmist, the shepherd king David… slayer of giants, man of courage, and also adulterer and betrayer. How do you hold all of that together? As you come to prayer today, do you yourself feel like a mix of self-assuredness alongside the reality of your own shortcomings?  
  
As you listen to the psalm against, consider this: David was actually less self-assured than he was GOD-assured. He’s assured in God as vindicator, God as trustworthy, God as unfailing, and God as faithful. Try to listen with an emphasis on who GOD is, and not who David is.  
  
To live in reliance on the faithfulness of God is to be very assured of two things: first, that you are in desperate need of God. Second, that God is unfailingly faithful. Which do you feel more aware of right now. As we come to the end of our prayer, bring that awareness to the Lord and invite Him to be present to you.  
 
Music: Your Love Endures - Vineyard Worship: YOUR LOVE ENDURES [Official Lyric Video] | Vineyard Worship feat. Samuel Lane 

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

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Today is July 10th

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the book of 1st Samuel, chapter 1.

9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the LORD’s house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” 15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD.

Hannah was heartbroken. She was in anguish and was praying desperately to the Lord for a child. Many of us know the anguish of infertility. Some have walked through the valley of the shadow of death during the illness or loss of a child. Hannah calls herself ‘a woman who is deeply troubled’, and she is pouring out her troubles to the Lord. Eli, if we’re going to be honest, is a troublesome interruption. He doesn’t notice her pain, and even makes an accusation against her. Think about Eli's response to seeing pain that he didn’t understand. How do you feel about it?

As you listen to the scripture again, consider who you feel more connected to in this story? Are you like Hannah feeling miserable, or bargaining with God for an answered prayer? Or are you like Eli, quick to overlook or dismiss emotions or anguish? Don’t put a value on one vs the other, and don’t judge. Just be curious about yourself.

I imagine that many of us came to prayer today with profound needs, or deep desires. Some may have come filled with deep troubles. Maybe someone listening is right now bearing the weight of infertility, or loss. For whatever pain you are holding today, I am deeply sorry. As we end our time of prayer, let’s hold one another before the Lord. Consider all those who are listening right now, and all the heartbreak they may carry. Ask God to draw near, as He promises He will, to the brokenhearted.

Music Credit:
I Am God - Vineyard Kids (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Today is July 9.
 
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.    
 
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”    
   
Today’s reading is from the book of James, chapter 5.  
 

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.”  
 

Are you feeling impatient about anything today? Are you suffering? Is there any bit of grumbling in your heart? Talk to the Lord about how you feel. What’s the state of your heart, and of your attitude, as you come to prayer?  
   
I think that many of those listening need to hear these words: The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. He is merciful while you wait. He is compassionate as you struggle to use self-control. He is near to you, and He will bless you in a time that requires patience. Listen to the passage again, and let the words drop into your heart and shift your attitude.  
   
James says, about Job, that ‘the Lord finally brought about’…. Something good. Finally. After a long time of suffering. Finally, then, Job experienced God’s compassion and mercy. Is this difficult for you to understand? It is for me! It is easy to grow impatient, and to grumble. As we close our time of prayer, ask God to increase your trust in the goodness of his character as you wait to see him move.

Music: Patient Work - Vineyard Columbus - (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

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Today is July 8.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. 
 
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”    
   
Today’s reading is from the book of 2 Corinthians, chapter 11.  
 

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 
 

Welcome to prayer. We boast in a lot of things, don’t we? Paul is boasting to the church in Corinth of his great need for grace. He says that he will boast of his weakness. How are you feeling today? Are you more aware of your areas of weakness or your areas of strength?  
   
Listen again to Paul’s description of his trials. Consider, as you listen, your expectations for ‘the good life’. Do your expectations conflict at all with Paul’s realities? He lists all sorts of profound challenges, listen for one that stands out to you today. 
   
The line that stands out to me is ‘I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak… and do I not feel weak?’. Perhaps you, like me today, feel the weight of the care that you extend to those around you. Paul celebrated his weakness only in order to elevate our expectation of the strength of Christ. Where in life are you feeling weak, or weighted down? Invite God to abide with you there. Think of the simple children’s song: little ones to Him belong, we are weak, but He is strong…. 

Music: You Are With Us - Vineyard Worship - (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Today is July 7th

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from Psalm 18.

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

There are so many consolations in this short text: God reaches down to you, God takes hold of you and rescues you. God supports you. God brings you into a spacious place. And finally: God delights in you. As we begin our time of prayer today, can you close your eyes, and prayerfully imagine that the God of the universe is looking on you with love and delight?

Was that difficult to imagine? Imaginative prayer is simply a way of praying that takes scripture, and considers it not just intellectually, but imaginatively. In the same way a good book draws us into it’s larger story… and isn’t just a bunch of sentences strung together… scripture is meant to draw us into it, by the spirit’s presence, and breath life into us. As you listen again, imagine yourself, in your minds eye, as the object of God’s rescue, attention, and care…

Many people struggle to believe or experience the reality that God delights in them. What about you? When was the last time you felt – emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually – a sense of God looking on you with love and delight? Can you take time right now to be a bit vulnerable, and to ask God to draw near to you, and to fill you with His spirit of love and affection? Can you pray, as the Psalmist did: Lord, Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings…

Music Credit:
Father of Lights - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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