Be Still: Daily Devotional

Today is July 25.


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 3.   
  

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  
   

John tells us that Nicodemus, who was a member of the ruling council, approaches Jesus at night. He was a curious man, and had several observations and questions for Jesus. Why do you think Nicodemus came to talk with Jesus in the quietness and hiddenness of night?   
   
John shows us how Jesus reacts to those who are curious, who ask difficult questions. Are you surprised at Jesus’ answers? Are you surprised that Jesus doesn’t mind the questions? Listen again, and pay special attention to the back and forth of their conversation. 
   
This conversation reminds me of two men playing chess in a park. There is a respectful rhythm to their dialogue. There also seems to be a mutual recognition that they are talking about something beyond this world: something of the spirit. Do you bring any questions to Jesus today? Do you trust Him to answer you with kindness and generosity? End your time of prayer by placing a question before the Lord. Then sit quietly, and wait for his response.

Music: As Above, So Below - Vineyard Music: As Above So Below 

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 24.

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 Nehemiah, chapter 2.   
  

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”   
I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” The king said to me, “What is it you want?”  Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”
   

This short passage from the Old Testament story of Nehemiah is full of a wide range of emotions: sadness, curiosity, fear, courage…  Nehemiah was sad, and – as the saying goes – he was wearing his sadness on his sleeve. So much so that the king even noticed, and inquired. As you come to prayer today, can you get present to the emotions swirling inside of you?  
   
Nehemiah’s heart was saddened because something dear to him had been destroyed, and was in ruins. He longed to see the thing that had been damaged, be restored. As you listen to the passage read again…. Think about this: Is there anything in your past, or even in your present, that feels damaged or destroyed? Perhaps a friendship? A relationship with a parent? A hope you held close to your heart? Is there anything that is causing you a ‘sadness of heart’?  
 
The king’s question to Nehemiah is ‘what is it you want?’. It reminds me of the types of questions Jesus asks in the New Testament: questions that seems obvious. He asks a sick person: what do you want? And we think: Jesus, they want to get well! The king asks Nehemiah: what do you want? And it seems straightforward – I want to rebuild the thing that was lost! In our relationship with God though, there is something connecting about these patterns of questions and answers. There is a vulnerability that comes by admitting what we want. There is a courage we demonstrate in asking. Can you come before God today in vulnerability and courage, in response to God’s question: “what is it you want?” 
  
Music:  You Make Everything 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 23.


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 61.  
 

      From the ends of the earth I call to you,  
         I call as my heart grows faint;  
         lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  
      For you have been my refuge,  
         a strong tower against the foe.  
       I long to dwell in your tent forever  
         and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.  
      For you, God, have heard my vows;  
         you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.  
       Increase the days of the king’s life,  
         his years for many generations.  
      May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;  
         appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.  
       Then I will ever sing in praise of your name  
         and fulfill my vows day after day. 
  

I’m struck today how often the psalmist refers to himself as ‘growing faint’. He writes about eyes that are weak with sorrow, a soul that yearns, a heart that is dismayed. The psalmist here models a wonderful sort of strength that is a combination of emotional vulnerability, humility, and resilience and persistence. As we begin our time of prayer, could you take a few moments now and, in vulnerability, bring yourself before the Lord?  
   
Do you struggle to share negative emotions with the Lord in prayer? Do you often come to God feeling like you’ve got to put a happy face on? As you listen to the psalm again, consider his constant impulse to share his thoughts and feelings – good and bad – with God.  
   
That line strikes me: “For you, God, have heard my vows.” Could you take a few moments and ask God if there is something that he wants from you, something he wants you to give your word to in your life? Some act of sacrifice, or obedience? Maybe something you’ve already made a commitment to that is not yet fulfilled? As we close our time of prayer, could you again affirm your word to the Lord and trust in his grace to enable you to fulfill it?

Music: Invitation 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 July 22.


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 Hebrews, chapter 13.  
 

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.  
 

Well, this might feel like a tricky one for way too many people: have confidence in your leaders. Some of you might find that simple, but others have been hurt by bad leadership. Can you orient yourself to your own reaction to the word ‘leader’? Do have you a good example of a leader in your life you can thank God for?  
   
This text teaches us something incredibly important about a Christian definition of leader. A leader is someone who ‘keeps watch over you AS someone who must give an account’. In other words: leaders care. They protect. They nourish. And they lead. And how do they do those things? As folks who will have to open their books – to be accountable – for everything they do. Listen again to the text and consider any area of leadership you have in the faith community…   
   
Leadership, for me, is a joy. It is a joy to care, to protect, to nourish, and to lead. And it is also weighty. Leadership means I am accountable, and not just to anyone. I am accountable to God. I reflect on that often: those I care for belong to God. They are His flock. The sheep of His pasture. My work is to tend well to those He loves. Including myself! As we end our time of prayer today, think of some leaders in your faith community who model attentive, accountable, and joy-filled leadership… and pray for them. Perhaps you might even send someone a note of encouragement. 

Music: We Say Yes - 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.

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Today is July 19.

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 2nd Corinthians, chapter 1.  
 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  
 

How are you feeling today? Is there anything happening around you which is causing YOU to feel a need to be comforted? Where is it that you need the compassion of God? 
  
The Greek work for comfort in this passage refers to a “holy urging” and is used of the Lord directly motivating and inspiring believers to carry out His plan. It means not only to comfort, but to encourage, to console. You might imagine a husband helping his wife through labor and delivery, quietly and compassionately whispering words of courage and guidance to the mother-to-be. Listen to the passage again, and consider what it means that we can receive God’s comfort in this way… 
  
Most of us live or worship among people who are bruised and aching. There is a weariness in our culture. There’s a growing sense of isolation and disconnection. How might you enter into your day as a comfort-bringer? Can you ask God to give you His eyes through which to see the world around you? Can you ask God to draw your attention to someone, and to give you a prophetic word of encouragement to pass along? 
 
Music: Fix Our Eyes - 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 18.


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 Ezra, chapter 6.  
 

In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:  Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site. Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God: Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, 10 so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons. 
  
  
Can you imagine what it would be like to follow a religion that demanded burnt animal sacrifices on a daily basis? For most of us, it’s is a very strange thing to think about. How do you feel about that? 
  
Consider that today, you’re coming to prayer not in a temple, and not with any sort of sacrifice. You’re coming as you are, covered by God’s grace, following in the way of Christ who was the last sacrifice needed, and who gave Himself up for us. Listen to the text again and think about how different your experience with God is, from the one we’re reading. 
  
In the Old Testament, God tells His people that the kind of sacrifice he desires are those that bear the fruit of justice, humility, and mercy. Are there ways that you can, today, made sacrificial decisions in your own life that bear such fruit? Talk to God about this as we end.

Music: I Am Yours - 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 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.  
 
Music: Saved - 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 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.

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 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.

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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