Today is May 2nd.
   
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 Ezekiel chapter 34.  

   
 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd.  I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken. 
 “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety.  I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.  The trees will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.  They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid.  I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations.Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are my people, declares the Sovereign Lord.  You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’” 
   

This Old Testament passage is painting a picture for us of God’s shalom: His peace, His sufficiency, His justice, His leadership, and His provision. The world around us is often so fast moving, so full of pain, and so unsettling. Take a moment to examine the state of your soul today. Do you feel at peace? If not, choose some words to describe how you feel.  
   
Sometimes it’s difficult to give space to our emotional reality. Lots of us never learned how to identify our feelings. Some of us prefer to ignore them. As you listen to the passage read again, pay attention to all of the “I” statements. That’s God talking about what He will do, and about who He is. Pay attention to how His “I” statements make you feel.  
   
One of the reasons we do the Be Still podcast is because learning to slow down and abide in God’s Holy presence  - despite our circumstances – is of immeasurable importance to a Christian faith that is mature, emotionally healthy, and sustainable. God’s shalom is present to us through His Holy Spirit, but we are surrounded by so many distractions. As we end, could you consider a few ways to practice ‘being still’ and listening to God’s voice, abiding in God’s shalom, throughout your day. Something as small as taking three slow, deep breaths before each meal can help you learn to continually reorient yourself to God’s shalom.  

Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   

Music: "Be Still" - Vineyard Worship - (YouTube)