Be Still: Daily Devotional

Today is November 19.
  
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 Hebrews, chapter 10.   
  

32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For,  
“In just a little while,  
    he who is coming will come  
    and will not delay.”   
38 And,  
“But my righteous one will live by faith.  
    And I take no pleasure  
    in the one who shrinks back.”   
39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.  
  

The writer of Hebrew is exhorting the Christians following a sobering caution for those who fall away from faith in Jesus. Then, he turns toward encouragement for those who are hanging on in their faith through obedience. As you come to prayer today, take a moment to reflect on the condition of your faith. Are you demonstrating the fruits of the spirit? Are you practicing obedience to the way of Christ? Are there areas where you are shrinking back?  
    
A major theme of the letter to the Hebrews have been the need to "hold fast" during suffering and hardships. The original audience of this letter were most likely persecuted Jewish Christians of the early church. Most had already experienced some level of hardship for the sake of their faith. Sometimes we listen to scripture and forget the real suffering and persecution the early church lived through. Listen again and consider how these words would sound if you were suffering for your faith in prison.  
    
Are you facing such challenges? Hardships? Even suffering for your faith in Jesus today? If not now, do you remember facing such opposition for your faith in the past? We don’t need to look far than the very grace of God which carried us through those challenging moments. Recount them today as you come to the Lord in prayer today.   
  
Thank God for the grace given to us. Pray for those who might be suffering for their faith today. If someone comes to mind today, would you reach out to them and share an encouraging word? 

Music: "You Don't Have to Lose Heart" - 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 November 18.
  
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 Psalm 3.   


1 Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!  
2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”  
3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.  
4 I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.  
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.  
6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.  
7 Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.  
8 From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.  
  

This Psalm is David’s heart cry to God as his own son, Absalom, began a violent revolution sending a 12,000-man army to kill his father David and take his throne. Imagine the deep pain of betrayal that David felt in that moment. Have you ever experienced a personal betrayal? Consider what you felt like in that moment?   
    
In David’s moment of deep pain and betrayal, when he was most exasperated about his circumstances, he cried out to God. Not only does he cry out to God, but he declares his faith that God will rescue him, God will deliver him. As you listen to the passage again, listen for David’s faith in God and ask God to increase your own faith.  

What challenges are you facing today? Even if it’s not tens of thousands people are assailing you, sometimes if can feel like ten thousand challenges are assailing you. Today, can you respond like David to the growing opposition you face? Today, can you call out to the Lord and as for his protection and deliverance?  

Music: "My Soul Depends on You" - 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 November 15  

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy 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 15, read from the MSG version.  
  
Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch, teaching and preaching the Word of God. But they weren’t alone. There were a number of teachers and preachers at that time in Antioch. After a few days of this, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit all our friends in each of the towns where we preached the Word of God. Let’s see how they’re doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John along (the John nicknamed Mark). But Paul wouldn’t have him; he wasn’t about to take along a quitter who, as soon as the going got tough, had jumped ship on them in Pamphylia. Tempers flared, and they ended up going their separate ways.  
  
This text brings to mind two seemingly unrelated things: first, the importance of scripture and good teaching… and second, how easy it is to experience relational breaks. Paul and Barnabas went separate ways, and John Mark, called a ‘quitter’, had walked away from followership.    
   
Can you relate at all to these church leaders, committed followers of Jesus, teachers of God’s word… missionaries, even! And yet still finding themselves in a situation in which ‘tempers flared’? Which ended in them going separate ways? If you can relate to that scene of a relational break with a sister or brother in Christ, bring that before the Lord right now…  
   
The work of Christ is found in reconciliation: us to God, us to ourselves, and us to those around us. Sometimes it’s easier to have a great quiet time, to study God’s word… than it is to do the things we read inside of it. Is there a relationship in your life that is broken? Talk to God about what His word says to you about the continual work of ‘coming back’ from separate ways of conflict. Ask God for wisdom about any relationship you are in that needs repair.  
  
Music:  "Make Us Like Jesus" - Vineyard Worship 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUKCzy6Q0TE  

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 November 14  

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 37.   
  
      3 Trust in the LORD and do good;   
         dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.   
      4 Take delight in the LORD,   
         and he will give you the desires of your heart.   
       5 Commit your way to the LORD;   
         trust in him and he will do this:   
      6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,   
         your vindication like the noonday sun.   
   
God is faithful, and trustworthy. As you come to prayer today, take a bit of time to reflect on your experience of God’s faithfulness. Can you recall a specific memory where you saw God’s faithfulness to you? Take some time to sit with and remember that experience.  
   
The Psalms remind us time and time again to keep our eyes on God, and His character. We often come to prayer distracted, minds full or anxious. Can you slow down, and focus deeply on your time of prayer? Can you listen to the Psalm again, paying attention to each word. You might want to rewind, and play it back several times today.  
  
God is faithful, and trustworthy! He is our all in all, the bright morning star, the bringer and redeemer of life and truth and beauty and goodness. We can trust in Him. Right now, I sense an invitation for you to ask the Spirit to increase your faith. To deposit in you a faith that is a gift of grace, not something you muster up…… take time as we close to intercede for the church to grow in faith, hope, and love. Pray for your local church, and for other faith communities in your city.  
  
Music: "All The Ways" - Vineyard Worship 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TzLh0Za5jg  

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 November 13 
 
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 Isaiah, chapter 26.   
  
      7 The path of the righteous is level;   
         you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth.   
      8 Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,   
         we wait for you;   
         your name and renown   
         are the desire of our hearts.   
      9 My soul yearns for you in the night;   
         in the morning my spirit longs for you...   
          
The people of God have always done the work of walking in His ways, waiting for His presence, and longing for more of Him. This is the way of the ‘now and the not yet’. It is a way of both faithful obedience, and a faithful longing for more of His kingdom to come. What is it that stirs up your sense of longing for God’s kingdom to come?  
   
I feel very aware of the places of violence and pain in our world – the struggle in families – the experience of loneliness that pervades our culture. These realities make me long for the righteousness of God, for His presence, and for the shalom – the peace – that only He can bring. These realities also make me come alive to my own sense of calling to participate in the work of God’s kingdom. Listen to the reading again, and ask God to stir up in you a holy longing for more of Him.   
   
Where the presence of God is, is His power as well. We are called to wait on Him, to walk in His ways, to be people of His kingdom. Take time today to intercede for a new empowering of the church by the spirit of God, and for a fresh wave of his kingdom in the world around us.   
  Music: "No Rush" - Heaven & Earth 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1v0I-02AJA 


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 November 12.
  
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 Genesis, chapter 24.


12 Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 14 May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”  
15 Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. 16 The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.  
17 The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”  
18 “Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.  
19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.”  
26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, 27 saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”  
  
  
The servant in this passage prays to the God of Abraham. He asks Abraham's God to give him success in this mission for Abraham in finding a wife for his Son Isaac. This servant asks that God would, in doing so, show his kindness and faithfulness toward Abraham. Is there something in your life that you would like to ask for God to bless? A situation where you need wisdom, or you need God’s provision for you or someone else?   

The prayer that Abraham’s servant prays is so humble, and so full of simple faith. “Lord make me successful today. And show kindness to my master Abraham.” Is that a prayer that you could pray for yourself? And for someone that you love? Do you believe that God would hear your prayer, and answer your prayer? As you hear the passage again, could you pray that prayer for you and for someone you know?   
    
The prayer is not just full of simple, humble faith, but also a prayer that is specific. On a very particular day, in a very particular situation, in a very particular moment, he prayed for particular things to happen. As you go through your day today, look for a very particular situation that you or someone you love are facing, and take a step to pray a very particular prayer for them, and ask for a particular outcome. And watch and see what the Lord does. 

Music: "Invitacion Fountain" - 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 November 11.
  
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 Psalm 113.


1 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord.  
2 Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.  
3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.  
4 The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.  
5 Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high,  
6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?  
7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;  
8 he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people.  
9 He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children.  
  

Psalms 113-118 are often known as the Egyptian Hallel, mainly because of their connection with Passover celebrations which commemorate Israel’s deliverance from Egypt in the Exodus narrative. The psalms were sung as part of the Passover ceremony by all the Jews thereafter. There is no doubt that these exact words were sung by Jesus and his disciples during the Passover meals. As you come to prayer today, consider that you are entering into the presence of ‘a great cloud of witnesses’ in the faith. Take a moment to become aware of the long history of our faith.  
    
Listen to this Psalm once again – the very words that Jesus himself sang: consider how Israel – the poor, needy and lowly are lifted by God who is over all things. Think of where you might feel poor, needy and lowly and think of the God who sits enthroned on high above heavens and the earth.  
    
The Psalmist declares that the unchanging God never becomes unworthy of our praise. For the child of God with open eyes, time only reveals even more reasons to praise God. For the Psalmist, what amazes him is that God is exalted so high that he stoops low to see not only the earth but also the heavens, and yet at the same time he cares for the every day person. Can you receive this truth in your heart today? In whatever areas you are feeling poor and needy, express your heart to God and know that this almighty God knows you and cares for you.

Music: "You're Worthy of My Praise" - 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

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

Today is November 8 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy 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 Psalm 22.  
 
 
      1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  
         Why are you so far from saving me,  
         so far from my cries of anguish?  
      2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,  
         by night, but I find no rest.  
       3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;  
         you are the one Israel praises.  
      4 In you our ancestors put their trust;  
         they trusted and you delivered them.  
      5 To you they cried out and were saved;  
         in you they trusted and were not put to shame.  
       6 But I am a worm and not a man,  
         scorned by everyone, despised by the people.  
      7 All who see me mock me;  
         they hurl insults, shaking their heads.  
      8 “He trusts in the LORD,” they say,  
         “let the LORD rescue him.  
         Let him deliver him,  
         since he delights in him.”  
       9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;  
         you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.  
      10 From birth I was cast on you;  
         from my mother’s womb you have been my God.  
       11 Do not be far from me,  
         for trouble is near  
         and there is no one to help. 
      
This is a Psalm of lament, full of emotions, grief, and pain. It is a messianic Psalm, and we hear these words repeated from Jesus on the cross. And yet, this line: “from my mothers womb you have been my God; do not be far from me”. We know that on the cross, Jesus laments the loss of the Father. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, he cries. Allow yourself to consider places of lament in your own life. Can you invite God to ‘not be far from you’ right now?  
 
Are there places where trouble feels near to you? Do you feel alone – as though there is no one to help? Can you use the words of this psalm to pour out your heart to God?  

“…in you they trusted and were not put to shame”. We know that Christ was ultimately not put to shame. He was vindicated through his resurrection from the dead. But he first experienced deep humiliation through the cross. As we end our time of prayer today, what might it mean for you to put your trust in the Lord? Is there a specific situation or person that you struggle to trust God for? Something that feels like a humiliation or a loss? Take time now to ask God for the grace to trust in Him and to await his vindication.  
 
Music: "My Soul Depends On You" - Vineyard Worship  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB7b2SQ4cKw

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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