Be Still: Daily Devotional

Today is June 21.


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 Galatians, chapter 6.  
 

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load. 
 

Have you ever experienced a personal restoration? Maybe in relationship? Or spiritually? How did that feel to you? 
  
Paul tells the Galatians to restore one another gently, and with some caution. He encourages humility, as you listen to the passage again pay attention to what stands out to you 
  
What might it mean for you to carry someone else’s burden, today? Look for a way to practice the carrying, or gentle restoration, as you go about your day?.As we end our time of prayer, ask the Lord to guide you throughout your day. 
 
Music: You're Carrying Me - 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 June 20.


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 Deuteronomy, chapter 31. 


Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’ The LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the LORD said. The LORD will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  
 

When someone tells me to NOT be afraid or terrified, I usually shift right into fear & terror! I take that as a cue that whatever I’m getting myself into, it’s going to be frightening... going to stir up my anxiety with ‘what if’s’. Is there an area of your life right now that is making you feel afraid?  
  
Imagine being Joshua. Moses summons you in front of all the people. You’re watching Moses – this old, faithful leader who you trust. And you’re listening to the stirring of people whispering: “Joshua? He’s going to lead us now?” Your heart is pounding. Moses is telling you to be strong and courageous, which until this very moment, you thought you were. But now your anxious thoughts are spinning, your body is coursing with adrenaline, and your hands are trembling. Listen again, imagining Joshua’s experience in the scene.  
  
Is God calling you toward something that feels too big? Too difficult? Too impossible? Too complicated? As we end, consider that God always provides for what he invites us into. Perhaps you want to make this your prayer today: he will never leave me, or forsake me.... 
 
Music: Breathe In, Sing Out - 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 June 19th.
 
Today, we commemorate Juneteenth. Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when a group of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned that they were free from the institution of slavery, almost two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.  
The first Juneteenth in 1866 was celebrated at church with food, singing, and the reading of spirituals. We celebrate Juneteenth today to recall how far we’ve come, and also to remember how far there’s left to go in the work of freedom and justice for all.  
 
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 71.    
 

      In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;  
         let me never be put to shame.  
      2 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;  
         turn your ear to me and save me.  
      3 Be my rock of refuge,  
         to which I can always go;  
         give the command to save me,  
         for you are my rock and my fortress.  
      4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,  
         from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.  
       5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD,  
         my confidence since my youth.  
      6 From birth I have relied on you;  
         you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.  
         I will ever praise you.  
      7 I have become a sign to many;  
         you are my strong refuge.  
      8 My mouth is filled with your praise,  
         declaring your splendor all day long.


The Psalmist calls out to God for rescue and deliverance. Be my rock of refuge, he writes, to which I can always go. Consider what it might have been like to live in an age with little physical protection from the elements. Consider being pursued by an enemy and not having a place to go, or a lock on the door to your home. The psalmist writes plainly of his sense of vulnerability. Think about how such profound vulnerability, and such a righteous cry for deliverance has been repeated throughout history. 
  
As you listen to the psalmist’s words again, think about how it would have sounded to those in captivity: Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel. Listen to the weight of this cry for deliverance, and for the prophetic hope found in God as refuge. 
  
As we end, consider what it means that God is our rescuer, our liberator, and our deliverer... both personally and through history.... and what those things mean for the work before followers of Jesus today. What does it mean to extend those parts of God’s character in your own life? What might it look like for you to take up the Kingdom work of justice?  
 
Music: The Lord Is My Shepherd - 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 June 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 Jeremiah, chapter 21.  
 

“Moreover, say to the royal house of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says to you, house of David:   
         “ ‘Administer justice every morning;  
         rescue from the hand of the oppressor  
         the one who has been robbed,  
         or my wrath will break out and burn like fire...”  
           

It’s always so interesting to me to hear God’s passion for justice, for rescue, and for restitution. And on the other hand, to hear about the wrath associated with injustice and oppression. The very frame of justice and mercy and fairness and goodness comes from the character of God Himself. God is offended when His character isn’t expressed in this world. And not just offended, but God’s wrath burns toward injustice. This is why, as Christians, we are called to be kingdom people. Our work is to partner with God as He ushers in the coming kingdom... and to resist the ways of the world like injustice and oppression. Talk to the Lord about His heart for true justice, and take a moment to allow Him to speak to you. 
   
Listen to the text again and consider what it is instructing you to do when it tells us to ‘administer justice every morning’. What space are you in that you might be able to ‘administer justice’? It’s not just judges that do this. Is there any space in your life where you have authority to administer justice towards the vulnerable or oppressed?  
   
Perhaps you feel like you’ve got no way to be an ‘administer of justice’ in your life. Perhaps you do: you're an employer, you manage a team, you work in areas of social policy, your work in housing. As we end our time of prayer, ask God to speak to you about what it is for you to ‘administer justice’ in your normal day-to-day life and work.

Music: Restored - 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 June 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 1 Samuel, chapter 14.  
 

One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.  
Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.  
 
Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”  
“Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”  
Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands.”  
So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.”  
So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel.”  
  
  
Welcome to prayer. As you orient yourself to the Lord today, consider Jonathan and his armor bearer. Young, impetuous, full of faith, ready to take a risk and trust in the Lord’s provision. We might even call them: unwise. How is it that you come to prayer today? Are you full of faith? Ready to step out into mission? Talk to the Lord about how you’re feeling right now. 
   
Listen to the story again and pay attention to my favorite line: Jonathan says to his servant: come on, let’s go over to that enemy encampment. ‘perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf’. I love the ‘perhaps’ in this story.  
   
This is a story about courage, risk, and trust in the provision and providence of God. Jonathan has a sense of God’s power that compels him toward the enemy. Compels him toward the place of risk and total dependency on God. Ask God for the gift of courage today as we end our time of prayer.

Music: We Come Alive - 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.

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 June 14.

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 Gospel of Luke, chapter 23. 
 

There was a man by the name of Joseph, a member of the Jewish High Council, a man of good heart and good character. He had not gone along with the plans and actions of the council. His hometown was the Jewish village of Arimathea. He lived in alert expectation of the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Taking him down, he wrapped him in a linen shroud and placed him in a tomb chiseled into the rock, a tomb never yet used. It was the day before Sabbath, the Sabbath just about to begin. 
 

This text says many things about Joseph of Arimathea: he was a member of the High council. He had a good heart, and good character. He had resisted the plans to kill Jesus. He lived in ‘alert expectation’ for the kingdom of God... and when he saw Jesus, he begain to follow him, perhaps quietly, perhaps in total secrecy. And then: he took responsibility for the proper burial of Jesus. Try to put yourself in his place... how do you feel, taking the body of Jesus down from the cross?  
  
Followership of Jesus can look like a lot of things. As you listen again, think about what Joseph’s followership looked like: 

Joseph’s faith in Christ was quiet, but it motivated him to take action in this tender space. After the death of Christ, and before the resurrection... in the quiet, in between space, Joseph demonstrated a tender faithfulness. Contemplate that as today’s time of prayer comes to a close.  
 
Music: Bless Your Name - 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 June 13.
 
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 Acts, chapter 14.  
 

In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. 
 

This passage is one of many miraculous physical healings found in the book of Acts. Often times we Christians – even though our faith is full of mystery and miracle – struggle to understand the miraculous. What thoughts does this passage bring up for you?  
  
This story, after the section we heard, the crowd begins to worship Paul and Barnabus as gods themselves. The disciples spoke against the worship that was directed toward them, but even then, scripture says... they had a hard time getting the crowd to stop. They had been convinced by what they saw – and thought that something sacred was going on. Listen again to what the crowd was eyewitness to.  
  
As we end our time of prayer, can you sit with the Lord and consider the state of your own faith? Do you feel full of faith today? Or perhaps, empty? Can you be honest with the Lord about the condition of your faith?  
 
Music: Healing Presence - 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 June 12.

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 Ezekiel 17.  


“ ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender spring from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. All the trees of the forest will know that I the LORD bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.  
“ ‘I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.’  


There is so much hope to be found in these words. Do you need a word of hope today as you come into prayer?   
  
I have seen a plant that looks 100% dead come back to life... first, a single brown stalk, totally dry... and then a bud, and again: a leaf! Listen to the scripture again, and think about the difference between something that is dead, and something that is simply dormant: that which is dormant holds deep within it both the power for and the presence of life.
  
This scripture reminds us that nothing is beyond hope. No season is too dry, no heart is too hard, no soil is too infertile for the Lord. It also reminds us that our hope comes from the Lord. Only he has the power to restore that which looks lost to hope. As we come to a close, pray for God’s hope to come alive in you. If there is a situation in your life that feels beyond hope, ask for God to give you the gift of intercession towards it.  
 
Music: You Speak - 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 June 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 the book of 1 Kings, chapter 18.  
 

Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.” “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again. “Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!” 
  

This story sounds strange to our ears... a trash-talking battle between prophets... and then, after a lot of drama that feels straight from an HBO miniseries.... a miraculous demonstration of power from God, ‘so that these people will know God, and so that they will know God wants their hearts to turn back to him’ from idols. Is there any place where you are praying: “answer me, Lord, answer me....”? 
   
Listen to the story again, and allow the Lord to draw your attention to a simple word or phrase. 
   
Demonstrations of the power of God always points us to His presence. End your time of prayer today contemplating God’s presence and power in your life and thanking Him for his faithfulness to you.

Music: You Are Worthy Of Our 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

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