Be Still: Daily Devotional

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 the 21st day of Lent.
 
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 1st Samuel, chapter 15.

 
Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
    as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
    and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
    and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
    he has rejected you as king.”
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.”

 
Throughout scripture God condemns hypocrisy in our worship—when the outside form of worship doesn’t line up with the inward reality of our lives. We sometimes think that means that our inside feelings should match our outward worship—that when we sing to God, that we should have passionate feelings about God. But Samuel says that’s doesn’t solve our problem of hypocrisy. He says that what God delights in isn’t having the right feelings about him, but being obedient to him, doing the thing that he says. Consider for a moment a place in your life where you are being obedient to the Lord.

Now, consider for a moment a place where you are being disobedient to the Lord. Is there a place where God is asking something of you but you feel resistant to obey? Maybe out of fear of what it may cost you. As you listen again, ask God for a spirit of courage to trust and obey the Lord in what he is asking of you today.
 
As you continue through your day, ask for a soft heart to God’s voice and be obedient to one thing that he speaks to you. It could be a small thing that feels insignificant, like saying a kind word to someone in a moment of frustration. Whatever the Lord places on your heart, ask for grace to be obedient to him in that moment.
 
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 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

More at pickerill.casa

Today is the 20th day of Lent.
 
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. 
 
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 23.  
 

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
 

This King James version of Psalm 23 is familiar to many. The Shepherd takes us on a journey in these short few verses. From green pastures of abundant grazing to still restful waters, along arduous paths of righteous obedience, through the shadow of death’s mountains. As you consider your life’s journey at the moment, how would you describe the view? Is it peaceful or tumultuous? Are you full and abundant, or in deprivation? Are you protected, or is danger lurking?
 
David took comfort in the Shepherd’s rod and staff. The Shepherd’s rod warded off danger when David threw it at attacking predators. And the staff was a tool of rescue, pulling the sheep from precarious and dangerous situation. As you hear the passage read in a different version, think of a situation where you need God to ward off danger, to rescue you from a precarious situation.
 

(CEV)
You, Lord, are my shepherd.
    I will never be in need.
You let me rest in fields
    of green grass.
You lead me to streams
of peaceful water,
and you refresh my life.
You are true to your name,
and you lead me
    along the right paths.
I may walk through valleys
as dark as death,
    but I won't be afraid.
You are with me,
and your shepherd's rod
    makes me feel safe.
You treat me to a feast,
    while my enemies watch.
You honor me as your guest,
and you fill my cup
    until it overflows.
Your kindness and love
will always be with me
    each day of my life,
and I will live forever
    in your house, Lord.
 

The last scene is one of a homecoming after a long journey. You arrive safely at home, savor an abundant feast, and you enjoy God’s presence forever. As you walk with God today, allow this picture of homecoming to give you energy to walk with him in trust.
 
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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.

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 the 19th day of Lent.
 
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 Jeremiah, chapter 2.  
 

“Go west and look in the land of Cyprus;
    go east and search through the land of Kedar.
Has anyone ever heard of anything
    as strange as this?
Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,
    even though they are not gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God
    for worthless idols!
 The heavens are shocked at such a thing
    and shrink back in horror and dismay,”
    says the Lord.
“For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
    the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
    that can hold no water at all! 


God regularly speaks to his people about “living water”. It’s an interesting expression. But think about how important water would have been in that environment for survival. Much of the Holy Land was desert. The closest body of water to Jerusalem was so full of salt that they called it the Dead Sea; no plants or living creatures could survive in it. And God speaks to his people again and again and, in place of dead water or having a lack of water, he offers them abundant, living water. The scriptures speak of this living water flowing from God’s throne in heaven. How do you think people would have felt when they heard this offer of living water?

At the same time, the scriptures speak of people turning away from this living water. Digging their own wells. Storing water in cracked containers. Becoming sick on the water they drink. That’s a powerful image. As you hear the passage again, think about the wells you have dug to find life rather than drink from God.
 
As you continue through your day today, try and hold a simple phrase in your mind—“I’ll drink from you, Lord.” And throughout the day today, repeat it quietly to the Lord. “I’ll drink from you, Lord.”
 
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Music: Mighty River - 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

Today is the 18th day of Lent.
 
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 1 Corinthians chapter 10.
 

I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. 


The Apostle Paul is reminding us that we are a part of a much bigger story than we could imagine. Aren’t you in awe when we read the stories of what God did with those people? But Paul says, It’s not just their story; it’s your story. Those people who passed through the Red Sea, who followed the cloud, who miraculously survived in the desert on the way to the Promised Land, they didn’t know it at the time, but it was Christ who was with them. And the same is true for you and me today. In your journey from bondage to baptism, from wilderness to promised land, it is Christ who is there with you every step of the way. How does it make you feel to be connected to this story that lives through the ages?

As you hear this short passage again, ask God to show you the ways that he has been miraculously involved in your life up until now.

Think of someone you know who is journeying through life but doesn’t know Christ, or maybe they have lost their way in the wilderness. Maybe it’s been some time since they’ve seen God’s miraculous provision in their life. As we close our time today, pray for Christ to reveal himself to them.
 
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Music: The 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

More at pickerill.casa

Today is the 17th day of Lent.   
 
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 81.


“Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings.
    O Israel, if you would only listen to me!
You must never have a foreign god;
    you must not bow down before a false god.
For it was I, the Lord your God,
    who rescued you from the land of Egypt.
    Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.
“But no, my people wouldn’t listen.
    Israel did not want me around.
So I let them follow their own stubborn desires,
    living according to their own ideas.
Oh, that my people would listen to me!
    Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths!
How quickly I would then subdue their enemies!
    How soon my hands would be upon their foes!
Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him;
    they would be doomed forever.
But I would feed you with the finest wheat.
    I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock.”
 

The season of Lent is a time for us to turn back to God with all our hearts. This psalm tells the repeating tale not just of the nation of Israel but about our own personal lives. God has shown his power by rescuing Israel from Egypt, by rescuing us from sin, yet we continue to turn away from him. We follow our own ideas and pursue our own paths instead of following and pursuing God’s path. How would you characterize your own life right now? Are you pursuing God or have you been drawn to other paths?

Another song writer put it this way, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love: Take my heart, oh, take and seal it, with thy Spirit from above.” As you hear the passage again, consider how your heart is prone to wander from the God you love, and ask God to seal your heart with his Spirit again.
 
The Psalm ends with a reminder of what God wants for you: he wants to bless you! He wants to deliver you, he wants to feed you and to satisfy you! As we close our time of prayer, remind yourself that your path will be full of blessing as you choose to follow God.
 
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Music: Restore - Samuel Lane/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 the 15th day of Lent.
 
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 95.
 

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
For the Lord is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.

 
This psalm describes the bigness of God but also the tenderness of God. He holds the depth of the earth in his hand. Imagine that—the earth in his hand. And the seas are like droplets of water in his hand. He fashioned the mountains like an artist fashions clay. As you think about the vastness of creation, of the cosmos, and how God created everything, how does that make you feel?

If you feel insignificant, you shouldn’t. Because the psalmist says that God isn’t just big, but he is tender. He isn’t just the Maker; he is our Maker. He isn’t just any God; he is our God. And he isn’t just a king, but he is a shepherd. You are like a sheep under his care. As you hear the passage again, can you feel both the bigness and the tenderness of God?
   
The psalmist says, “Come, sing for joy” “Shout aloud”. As we close our time today, respond to the psalm by singing for joy, even shouting aloud to the Lord, for his greatness in your life.
 
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Music: Thanks and 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 the 14th day of Lent.
 
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. 

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 Colossians 1.
 

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.


Do you ever wonder, What is God like? I think we often wonder that, especially when we are walking through confusion, or through pain, or when we don’t sense God’s presence. Is God good, is he loving, does God even care? The Apostle Paul reminds us of something incredibly important—we can know what God is like because we know what Jesus is like. “The Son is the image of the invisible God.” Imagine Jesus in the room with you right now. What would he say to you? What would he do for you?

We can know what God is like because we know what Jesus was like. Paul says here that Christ has reconciled all things to himself. As you hear the passage again, think about how he has reconciled you to himself and thank him for the peace you now have with God.
   
“In him all things hold together.” As you continue your day today, thank God that he holds your life together. Thank God that he holds the universe together. And continue your day in a posture of trust in his goodness and faithfulness.
 
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Music: Nothing Is Too Hard For 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

More at pickerill.casa

This is the 13th day of Lent.
 
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 John, chapter 8.

 
Then they all went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
 

Take a moment and place yourself as a bystander in the scene. You are there in the Temple courts as an ordinary person wanting to hear from this popular teacher, Jesus. And with great commotion, the teachers of the Law, people who love God fiercely, bring in a woman caught in Adultery. What do you hear them saying? How do you feel about what you hear?

Think now about the woman who is there. What do you feel when you look at her? Embarrassment, judgment, compassion, anger at what’s happening to her?

Now look at Jesus, bending down. What do you think he was writing on the ground? As you hear the passage again, think about someone in your life who you find hard to forgive. Or someone who needs to experience God’s mercy, and ask to see them with new eyes.
 
The older ones went away first. That tells us something about wisdom, but it also tells us something about how God wants our lives to increasingly be marked by mercy. As we close our time of prayer, think of one person that you can show mercy toward today.
 
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Music: O My Soul - 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