Be Still: Daily Devotional

Today is June 26

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 1st Thessalonians, chapter 4.

13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

This passage speaks to death, grief, and the resurrection of all believers. It’s a passage filled with hope, and a heavenward view. How do you feel, thinking about such things?

Holding a mixture of grief and hope is a uniquely Christian experience. As you listen to the passage again, think about which side of that mixture feels most real to you today: the side of grief? Or the side of hope?

Can you recall a time when you experienced a deep sense of hope – a kind of hope that you know is a gift from God, because perhaps your circumstances weren’t that hopeful? As we end our time of prayer, remember that your hope is grounded in the reality of the resurrected Christ, who will come again.

Music Credit:
All Things Rise - 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 June 23rd

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 Gospel of Luke, chapter 18.

10 Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Can you place yourself in this familiar story. We all KNOW we’re meaning to share the heart attitude of the tax collector... but very often, we don’t. Very often we develop into accidental pharisees. Our ego rises up, and our judgment of others does, too. Holding onto true humility is a discipline – it does come naturally to most. Think about your own heart. Think about how both show up in you.

Many of us don’t often reflect on our own sinfulness. Many of us don’t regularly say: have mercy of me, God – I'm a sinner! Well, we might say the words. But all too often, in our hearts we actually feel like we’re pretty good people. Living pretty good lives. Doing pretty well with our spiritual disciplines. Listen again and pay special attention to the one sentence the tax collector speaks.

Mercy is a wonderful thing. Mercy is when, instead of being given a punishment that is deserved... the punishment is withheld. Mercy is NOT getting what we deserve. And Grace is GETTING what we do not deserve. This is the nature of God’s kingdom because it is God’s nature: mercy triumphs over judgement. Consider those words as we end our time of prayer, and in particular... consider how they might help to form your own heart, your own ego, and your own proclivity toward judgment.



Music Credit:
Have Mercy - 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 June 22nd

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 Acts, chapter 8.

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed, or lame were healed. 14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

The early church was marked signs and wonders … both the proclamation of God’s kingdom through words, and the demonstration of HIs kingdom through miraculous wonders. These things were signs of God’s proximity... that where God’s presence is, His power also is. Take a moment to become aware of God’s presence with you right now.

In this passage the Apostles find that “the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them…” Consider for a moment, how have you experienced the Holy Spirit in your life? Have you had an experience of the Holy Spirit falling on you, filling you? Consider what that might be like as you hear the passage again.

The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to the world: Jesus came to a particular time, a particular geography, and a particular people. He chose, in his human form, to be limited by our human world. But the Holy Spirit is not limited. He is everywhere and he makes God available to us. As we close our time, invite God’s spirit to open the eyes of your heart to receive him.

Music Credit:
Ready - 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 June 21st

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.

1 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. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 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 THE DAY...

Music Credit:
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.

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 June 20th

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.

1 Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: 2 “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.’ 3 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. 5 The LORD will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. 6 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.” 7 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. 8 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 Credit:
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 June 19

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 afterPresident 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.

1 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 Credit:
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

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 June 16

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 Joshua 23.

After a long time had passed and the LORD had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man, 2 summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them: “I am very old. 3 You yourselves have seen everything the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the LORD your God who fought for you.

14 “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.

Joshua, this scripture tells us, is a very old man who is preparing for his transition. He speaks to all of Israel words of consolation. He reminds them what they already know: God is faithful. Sometimes – oftentimes – being reminded of truth by one who goes before us is profoundly encouraging. Is there a sage in your life – someone older – who brings you great courage?

There are a few sages in my community who regularly send me notes of encouragement through the post, pray for me, or take me to lunch. My parents, as well, speak encouragement to me about who God is. This intentional presence in my life of sages is incredibly meaningful. Listen to the words of Joshua again. Imagine all he’s seen and done. Imagine his massive failures. Imagine the time God passed right in front of him! Imagine yourself, as a very old person – some might be closer to that than others - reflecting on everything the Lord has done for your sake...


Joshua says to them – and to us - : you know heart and soul that God’s good promises do not fail. But sometimes, it doesn’t feel like we know that! Sometimes, we need a word of courage to remember who God is, and all He’s done. As you end your time of prayer, remember some of God’s good promises to you, and see if you can find the sort of ‘heart and soul’ knowing Joshua talks about.

Music Credit:
Faithful One - 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 June 15

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 108.

1 My heart, O God, is steadfast;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise you, LORD, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.

My heart, o God, is steadfast... writes the psalmist. Steadfast is a word we don’t use much anymore. It means loyal, committed, faithful. How does your heart feel today, as you come to prayer?

Do you ever have a difficult time finding words to describe how you feel? Do you stick with words like: angry, sad, happy, fine? The psalmist is a master at writing out his emotions: the positive ones, and also the ones that feel negative: like fear, anguish, grief, lament, anger. The Psalms are full of a whole range of emotion. Listen again to this celebratory Psalm, and try to find some words to describe how you would describe the condition of your heart.

Sometimes, we avoid finding words for our emotions because we don’t want to dig deep. We think we’ll be happier if we ignore the difficult things, or if we just push through. Instead of doing that, take the words that describe your heart condition, and whisper them to the Lord as a prayer. Say: My heart, o God, is.......... what?

Music Credit:
Patient Work - 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