Be Still: Daily Devotional

Today is February 5.

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 Kings, chapter 4.


One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.” Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!” But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.


I recently heard a story of someone who went on a mission trip to serve a church in a different country. And he was blown away at the hospitality he was shown. He arrived to a host family of modest means who opened their home to him. Not only did they welcome him into their home and family, they insisted that he sleep in their bed, while they slept on the couch. The story in today’s reading is similarly a story of radical hospitality, where a couple made a room for Elisha to stay whenever he passed through town. Think about a time where someone showed you hospitality to you in a way that caused you to pause and say, “Wow this is really extravagant!”

In this story we see that biblical hospitality isn’t just about the details—not just about cleaning the bathroom or sweeping the floors, planning a special meal, or preparing a room for a guest. When we make space for others and when we serve others, we make space for God, and we serve God. As you listen to the passage again, pay attention to how a simple act of hospitality made room for God, and how it changed a couples’ life forever.

Being hospitable doesn’t require you to offer up a nice room in your home or even prepare a fantastic meal. Think less of it as a formula and more of an invitation. As we close our time today, ask God how he might be inviting you to show hospitality to someone in your life. Who is one person who God is highlighting?

Ask him to speak to you about how you can extend the grace of hospitality. And as you do, remember that you are making room for God to move.

Lord God, Almighty and Everlasting Father, You have brought me in safety to this new day. Preserve me with Your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin nor be overcome by adversity. And in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of Your purpose through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Music: All The Same - 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 Tuesday, February 4.

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 Psalms, chapter 56.    
   

3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 
4     In God, whose word I praise— 
in God I trust and am not afraid. 
    What can mere mortals do to me? 
  
5 All day long they twist my words; 
    all their schemes are for my ruin. 
6 They conspire, they lurk, 
    they watch my steps, 
    hoping to take my life. 
7 Because of their wickedness do not let them escape; 
    in your anger, God, bring the nations down. 
  
8 Record my misery; 
    list my tears on your scroll— 
    are they not in your record? 
9 Then my enemies will turn back 
    when I call for help. 
    By this I will know that God is for me. 
  
10 In God, whose word I praise, 
    in the Lord, whose word I praise— 
11 in God I trust and am not afraid. 
    What can man do to me? 
  

The psalmist begins by declaring: "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you". This verse highlights a fundamental choice we face in moments of anxiety. Do you turn inward and let fear dominate, or do you, like the psalmist, intentionally choose to place your trust in God? The psalmist acknowledges the reality of human threats and schemes, but immediately redirects his focus to the power and faithfulness of God. Can you identify any place of fear that God is inviting you to re-orient, away from fear and towards trust in God? 
   
The psalmist is vulnerable and honest with God. He asks God to notice his suffering, and declares that God will turn back his enemies when he calls for help. Do you believe that God sees your suffering, and that he will fight for you? As you hear the scripture again, consider a place in your life where you feel vulnerable, or even under attack, and trust that God is fighting for you.  
 
Take some time today to actively praise God, either through singing or spoken words, even if you don't feel like it. If you are feeling overwhelmed or afraid, write down the things that are causing your fear and ask God to notice your pain. Make a choice to trust in God’s power and presence. Ask God to show you how to rely on his word and to quiet your fears.

Music: Great Are You Lord - Vineyard Worship

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 February 3rd

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 1 Corinthians 16

"13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love."

This is a short reading, set at the end of Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. In between greeting individuals, Paul gives these imperatives to the young church: Be on your guard. Stand firm. Be courageous. Be strong. Do everything in love. The first four of these instructions sound like words a coach might offer their players: both offensive and defensive instructions. When you hear these kinds of exhortations, how do they make you feel? Does one of the four feel particularly relevant to you right now?

Do everything in love. Imagine being on your guard, standing firm, being courageous, and being strong… all wrapped up in demonstrations of love. Does this feel possible to you? To be strong and courageous… and loving? To stand firm and be on your guard… in a loving way? As you hear this brief passage read again… think about what comes most naturally to you. Are you more naturally ‘on your guard’, or ‘loving’. Which do you need to practice with more intentionality?

"13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love."

Jesus himself is our model for strength, courage, and love. And it is only through the Holy Spirit that we are able to follow in His way…. Bring to mind a specific situation or relationship in your life in which you need strength, courage, or love—or possibly, all three! As we end, pray and ask God to give you the ability to demonstrate Christlikeness.

Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music Credit:
Make Us Like Jesus - 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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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.

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 January 31st.

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 Gospel of John, chapter 16.

“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going? Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

In this passage, Jesus is talking with his disciples. He is warning them of fearful things to come, and He is telling them that He will be going away… referring to his coming crucifixion. We know now that Jesus is referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit, but the disciples were confused and afraid about what was happening. What would your reaction have been to hearing Jesus’ words of warning?

Jesus says that it is for our good that He went away: that the Holy Spirit, our advocate, is God’s presence with us and in us. As you listen to the reading again, listen for the urgency and compassion in Jesus’ words?

God is Father, Son, and Spirit, three persons, one substance. And Jesus himself said that it is for our good that He returned to the Father, and that we have access to God through His Spirit. It is through the Spirit that we can know Jesus and the Father. We pray: “Come Holy Spirit” not because the Spirit is not here, but because we need to continually turn our attention back to Him, and we need to continually invite Him into our lives.

Can you pause, take a deep breath, and pray “Come Holy Spirit” throughout your day? Ask the Spirit to grow in you a knowledge of God: Father, Son, and Spirit.

Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music: As Children - 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 January 30th.

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 Psalm 43.

Vindicate me, my God, and plead my cause against an unfaithful nation. Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked. You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

The writer is moving between hope and anxiety, faith and doubt, in this psalm. He asks God to vindicate and rescue him from his enemies. In both this Psalm, and the one right before it, the writer is describing a sort of spiritual depression: the sense that God is far off. How do you feel, knowing that even the writer of this Psalm experienced the feeling of being rejected by God?

Does that knowledge feel like a consolation or desolation for you? As you hear the passage read again, pray along with the psalmist.

Can you make verse three of this psalm a prayer for yourself today? Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me. Do you know someone in a time of spiritual depression who might be encouraged by this passage? Who might need the faithful care of God? Pray for them today as well.

Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music: You Don't Have To Lose Heart - Vineyard Worship, Joshua Miller - (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

More at pickerill.casa

Today is January 29.

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.


Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.” 26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

This passage reminds me of the demands that are placed on us by other people. People are coming to the Apostle Paul and placing extraordinary demands on him, saying “If you want to prove yourself faithful to God, you need to do this… you need to do that.” Consider for a moment an extraordinary demand that is being placed on you today by someone else... from a family member—a parent or sibling or the demands of parenting a child. Or the demands from your job… from a boss or coworker. Can you allow yourself to feel the pressure of those demands for a moment?

Bring all of that to the Lord today and tell him how you feel. How does Paul respond in that moment? We know from his writings that he was motivated by Christ’s love. Not by people pleasing. Not by his own reputation. In other words, if he ever goes above and beyond, it’s because of Christ, not because of some external demand. Listen to the passage again, and ask yourself where Christ is in the midst of the demands you are facing.

As we close our time of prayer, remember this: You have the same Holy Spirit as the Apostle Paul. If you don’t know how to respond to a demand from someone on you, if you are confused about a decision you need to make, remember that the Holy Spirit lives in you and guides you. Ask him to guide you by his Spirit and through his Word. And trust that he will show you what to do today.

Lord God, Almighty and Everlasting Father, You have brought me in safety to this new day. Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin nor be overcome by adversity. And in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose through Jesus Christ, ou Lord. Amen.


Music: "If You Say Go" - 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 January 28.


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 119, beginning in verse 89. 
 

Your word, Lord, is eternal; 
    it stands firm in the heavens. 
90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; 
    you established the earth, and it endures. 
91 Your laws endure to this day, 
    for all things serve you. 
92 If your law had not been my delight, 
    I would have perished in my affliction. 
93 I will never forget your precepts, 
    for by them you have preserved my life. 
94 Save me, for I am yours; 
    I have sought out your precepts. 
95 The wicked are waiting to destroy me, 
    but I will ponder your statutes. 
96 To all perfection I see a limit, 
    but your commands are boundless. 
 
     
 This psalm in it’s entire is the longest psalm in the bible, and it’s focused on glorifying God and his word. The words for word… sometimes ‘law’, sometimes ‘precepts’, sometimes ‘statues or commands’ – together build a picture that the psalmist is glorifying God’s revelations, God’s discernment, His instructions. The psalmist is saying than in a world where everything changes, where rules change where values change, where people change… God’s word is stable. It’s the only stable thing we have, actually. As you come to prayer today, think about all of the ever-changing things in the world around you. Does that ever feel disorienting?  
   
Our world, for many people, feels like a sea filled with waves, storms, and winds blowing in opposite directions. It doesn’t feel like anything has a firm foundation: even truth. Or virtue. It feels like nothing is enduring. Cultural rules change faster than we can keep track! So do allegiances. The psalmist is describing what we feel – that sense of homelessness, the sense of confusion, the same that we don’t ever have a firm foundation for truth. Listen again for the consolation that the psalmist has found in God’s enduring revelation. God doesn’t change. God always loves mercy and justice. God always is compassionate. God always is willing and wanting to forgive. God always, always, always, offers grace.  
   
Many of us grew up in religious environments where God’s word felt like a bunch of arbitrary rules. Or we grew up in secular environments where cultural norms felt like a bunch of arbitrary rules! Either way, the revelation God brought to the world in Christ is that God’s word isn’t a list of rules…. God’s gracious revelation to us is in Christ, our brother. The spirit, our helper. And they are an ever-present foundation, a tall strong tower to find protection in. I would love for you to, this year, work to read scripture with these sorts of eyes… to read the Bible looking not for a list of rules, but for the steady, firm, and consistent presence of your good and gracious Father God. If you don’t read the Bible regularly, would you consider giving yourself a time each week to sit down, read, journal, and pray. If you don’t understand what you read, look for the passage on a web resource called The Bible Project and there’s a good chance you’ll find a video that will help you understand what’s going on in the book or text you’re looking at.

Music: Dwell - Vineyard Worship

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 January 27th   
  
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 71, The Message Version 
  
You got me when I was an unformed youth, 
     God, and taught me everything I know. 
Now I’m telling the world your wonders; 
     I’ll keep at it until I’m old and gray. 
God, don’t walk off and leave me 
     until I get out the news 
Of your strong right arm to this world, 
     news of your power to the world yet to come, 
Your famous and righteous 
     ways, O God. 
God, you’ve done it all! 
     Who is quite like you? 
You, who made me stare trouble in the face, 
     Turn me around; 
Now let me look life in the face. 
     I’ve been to the bottom; 
Bring me up, streaming with honors; 
     turn to me, be tender to me, 
And I’ll take up the lute and thank you 
     to the tune of your faithfulness, God. 
I’ll make music for you on a harp, 
     Holy One of Israel. 
  
The Psalmist considers his own life with God: from his youth to the end of his life… in times of trouble and in times of honor. Take a moment to orient yourself today: how old are you? How long have you been following the Lord? Do you feel like you are ‘staring trouble in the face’, or ‘streaming with honors’, or somewhere in between? 
  
Reading the Psalms helps us to remember that God is near to us in every season of life: young or old; troubled or encouraged; full of doubt, or full of faith. As you hear the passage read again… listen for a word or phrase that helps give words to the season you find yourself in today. Remind yourself that even now, God is with you.  
  
You got me when I was an unformed youth, 
     God, and taught me everything I know. 
Now I’m telling the world your wonders; 
     I’ll keep at it until I’m old and gray. 
God, don’t walk off and leave me 
     until I get out the news 
Of your strong right arm to this world, 
     news of your power to the world yet to come, 
Your famous and righteous 
     ways, O God. 
God, you’ve done it all! 
     Who is quite like you? 
You, who made me stare trouble in the face, 
     Turn me around; 
Now let me look life in the face. 
     I’ve been to the bottom; 
Bring me up, streaming with honors; 
     turn to me, be tender to me, 
And I’ll take up the lute and thank you 
     to the tune of your faithfulness, God. 
I’ll make music for you on a harp, 
     Holy One of Israel. 
  
The Psalmists are often turning their attention from ‘looking at trouble’ to ‘looking at life’. The Biblical writers don’t deny trouble, darkness doubt, or pain… but, at the same time, they show us how to broaden our attention to include the faithfulness of God, and to the news of His power to save. Is there a situation in your life where you are forgetting to turn your eyes to God’s faithfulness? As we end, remember a time where you’ve seen God’s provision in a time of trouble. Ask God to help you keep your eyes turned toward Him. 
  
Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   
  
Music: Invitacion Fountain - Vineyard Worship/Steve Jones Invitacion Fountain (feat. Steve Jones) (Live) 


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

More at pickerill.casa

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.

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

More at pickerill.casa