Be Still: Daily Devotional

Today is August 23rd

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 2 Samuel, chapter 11. 14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

15 In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die. 26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the LORD.

The last line of this translation feels pretty understated to me. David lusted after his friend’s wife, so he sent his friend to the front lines of fighting, abandoned him on purpose, and left him to be killed. When I listen to this passage, I feel angry. Angry at David and angry at the way human beings can be so callus and hurtful. Angry at how even God-followers have hearts full of evil. Angry even at myself… because I know I have this same thread of sin in my own heart. Often, when we come to prayer, we feel like we need to hide our anger, or other ‘negative’ emotions. Take some time to examine your own heart. What feelings are you holding onto today?

Our translation says that the Lord was displeased. The actual Hebrew word is much stronger. It means distressed by that which is dysfunctional or evil. It has connotations of that which is broken or crushed. What David did didn’t just make God angry like it made me angry. David’s actions had a crushing, a breaking impact. Because God is just. God is good. God saw what David did and saw that it was evil. Listen to the passage again with this more robust translation in mind.

It is easy to read about this horrid episode in the life of David and call it egregious sinfulness. But I wonder where it is that I have done something that has displeased the Lord. I wonder: what have I done, or what am I doing, that has a crushing or breaking impact on God’s character. This is not easy to consider! It’s not something I like to think about! But as we end our time of prayer, can you ask God for grace to show you if there is anything happening in your own life, or heart, or actions… that is displeasing to Him? Talk to God about these things.

Music Credit:
"Kyrie Eleison" - 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 August 22nd

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 Philippians, chapter 3.

4 If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.

St Paul had what we might call a stellar resume’ when it came to religious zealousness. He had, he wrote, lots of reasons to be confident in his own achievements. But of course WE know that all of these things he did – all of these human achievements, accomplishments, were aimed at a prize he realized was – as he calls it – garbage. He came to realize that his achievements actually were working contrary to the purposes of God. Before he met Christ, he was a persecutor of Christians. Take a moment and imagine the feelings Paul may have wrestled with emotionally and spiritually when he considered who he was before he met Christ.

So often, we listen to scripture as though it’s a play, not a description of reality. Paul is St Paul, the Apostle Paul, Saul the Pharisee… but Paul is also just an ordinary guy. Some 1st century guy with a radical call from God that totally interrupted everything he had been so convinced was true. Listen to the words of this letter again, and ask God to make you attentive to what Paul may have been feeling as he wrote these words.

When I listen to Paul, I hear a man rescued. A man who had his certainty interrupted by faith, and who had his religion interrupted by grace. When I listen to Paul, I have a feeling that I need to be interrupted, yet again, by a vision of Jesus. That I need to remember that so much of what I hold dear is pretty much garbage. That gaining Christ isn’t some religious acquisition, but an entrance into a radical, life-changing, soul-charging, eye-opening, heart-filling life with God. If you feel tired, worn out, or weary today… end your time of prayer talking to God about what it means to come to Him, and to learn His ways, and to experience the same knowledge of Christ that Paul himself had.

Music Credit:
"All Who Are Thirsty" - 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 August 21st

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 Gospel of John, chapter 17.

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.

This reading records the words of Jesus of Nazareth himself praying for me. Praying for you. As God-in-the-flesh-himself is preparing to go to the cross, what seems to be on His heart in this prayer is that you and I would be as knit together in belonging and in unity as God the son is with God the father, through God the spirit. It is difficult – impossible really – for our human minds to grasp the unity that Jesus is praying about here. He’s not just praying about a unity of mind…. A common way of thinking or being in the world. He’s not just praying about an emotional unity: all for one, and one for all. He’s praying about an existential unity: a unity that defines our very being. As you come to prayer this morning, how unified to you feel with God the father, son, and spirit? Take time to slow down, and settle into awareness of God’s with-ness not just with you, but inside of you, right now, wherever it is you find yourself?

The unity that Jesus prays for between believers is, I think, impossible to achieve if we are not ourselves keenly aware of what it means to abide with Christ. To abide in the vine. It is only out of this ‘oneness’ with God, through Jesus, by the spirit of God… that we can ‘be brought to complete unity’ with other believers. Listen again, and mediate on this unity that Jesus prays for…

Are you abiding in God? How long does it take for you to forget to ‘remain in Him’ – and become distracted by the demands of the day, or your frustrations, or all the things that divide and separate? What habit might you want to build into your day that will help you return to a practice of ‘abiding’? Perhaps an alarm to remind you to slow down and pray? Perhaps a bedtime routine of examine? The more our world speeds up, the more we need to resist the chaos and return to abide in Christ. My prayer for you today is that you are reminded by the gentle voice of your God to ‘resist and return’ to Him over and over, and that you would find unity with Him in a deeper way, today.

Music Credit:
"Reign In Me" - 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

More at pickerill.casa

Today is August 18

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 the book of Joel, chapter 2.

28 “And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

Do you feel thirsty for God’s Spirit today? Is your cup overflowing? Instead of a lot of words today, let’s lean into a prayerful abiding with the Lord. We’ll take the next thirty seconds to quietly sit with the presence of God. If you’re able to, sit down or stand quietly with your eyes closed. You may open your hands to the Lord, or put one hand over your heart, or simple find a comfortable posture. Focus on taking a few, slow breaths, and pray… Come: Holy Spirit…

We are people of the presence of God, and while we know that He abides with us, we very often lose our sense of Him. Throughout your day today, bring your attention back to God and ask him to increase your hunger and thirst for His spirit. Be attentive to His presence with you, and the gift he has to give you.

Music Credit:
"Breathe On Us" - Heaven and Earth (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 August 17

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 book of 2 Samuel, chapter 5.

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 19 so David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” The LORD answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.”

22 Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. 24 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” 25 So David did as the LORD commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

Welcome to prayer today… our scripture this morning describes King David’s reliance on God’s guidance. The refrain to notice is: ‘David inquired of the Lord…’ Take a few moments to orient yourself right now to situations in your life where you need to seek God’s guidance. What is one specific question you have to bring to the Lord today?

There’s one particular phrase in this text that stands out to me: Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them… That feels resonant to the ways that God so often leads us: not straight … but often in ways that feel circular. Listen again to the scripture and let the Lord draw your attention to a word or phrase…

Examine for a moment what your followership of God feels like: does it feel like straight path? Or like a bit of a circle? Doe you feel the Lord speaking clearly to you, as he did to David? Or are you having a difficult time discerning His voice? Take time as we end and talk to God about these things…

Music Credit:
"If You Say Go" - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Today is August 16th

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 112.

1 Praise the LORD.
Blessed are those who fear the LORD,
who find great delight in his commands.
2 Their children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
7 They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn will be lifted high in honor.

As I pray for you, I am struck by this verse: they will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. As you take some quiet with the Lord today, are there places of fear, or of bad news that you might bring before Him? Take a few moments to talk to God about those things.

Consider the word ‘steadfast’. It means to be ‘firmly fixed’. Now consider the condition of your own heart before the Lord. Before we read the scripture again, ask God to share with you some words or descriptions or realities about the state of your own heart…… Be honest with God. He is near to you whatever the condition of your heart….

Now, take a deep breath…. And listen again to the words of the psalm:

Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous… Today, if you bring fear, or bad news, or darkness to this time of prayer, take a moment now and allow the light of God to break over your heart like a new dawn, for his light to flood you throughout the day.

Music Credit:
"You Are God" - Vineyard Soul (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 August 15th

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 14.

12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Jesus is talking here with his disciples… those he called his friends. Sometimes, when we read this passage, we might think about it in an exacting way: ‘does this mean, if I pray for anything I want, and then say ‘in Jesus name!’ I’ll get it? Instead of thinking about this scripture in an exacting way, can you think about the depth of what Jesus is trying to communicate to his friends? He seems to be trying to get them to understand that even when he is gone to His father, when he appears far off, that he wants them to continue to ask him for things… Are there any requests that you have for Jesus, as you come to Him in prayer now?

Throughout scripture, God teaches His people that He is their provider. He is our good shepherd. And He says that not only can we ask for His provision, but also that we can hear his voice. Listen again to His words, and as you do, try to consider what it was like for the disciples to hear Jesus say these things… Imagine His gentle and earnest tone of voice, and how it would have felt to them that Jesus would say such generous words to them.

Think, as we end, about what it means that Jesus says to you… “you may ask me…” Take some time to quiet your heart, and bring your requests to Jesus.

Music Credit:
"Heaven's Work" -Vineyard Soul (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 August 14th

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 Romans, chapter 14.

1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? 13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul is guiding the church in Rome about their posture with one another when they disagreed about ‘disputable matters’. Disputable matters would be those practices we have as Christians that we follow according to our own conscience. They aren’t over primary matters of orthodoxy, but things that are of secondary importance. In this case, he’s talking about certain dietary limitations some Christians put on themselves, but that other Christians didn’t feel were necessary. Paul is helping to define their posture of love, service, and humility toward one another… even when they disagreed about certain things. As you come to prayer today, search your heart for any places where you feel ‘in dispute or disagreement’ with a Christian sister or brother.

In some ways, it’s comforting to remember that Christians through the ages have struggled with disputable matters, quarreling. In other ways, it’s a frustrating truth that even those of us who confess ‘Jesus is Lord’ can disagree about so many things! We live in a cultural climate of great dispute. Great disagreement. Listen again to Paul’s exhortation and ask the Holy Spirit to draw your attention to the posture He calls us to as His followers.

I pray that we followers of Jesus would have great spiritual sensitivity to ‘know when we are no longer acting in love’ toward one another. Are there ‘matters of dispute’ in today’s church that you find particularly distressing? Bring those concerns to God and ask for his people and his church to be marked by love and unity in Christ.

Music Credit:
"All The Same" - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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