It Could Be Better

Question to think about: Could you live better than you lived yesterday?

We don't have a home phone, just cell phones. In theory, that works well . . . until a cell phone doesn't work. I spent the last couple of days being able to make calls and hear others; however, no one could hear me. Kind of misses the point of communication don't you think?

Last night I was at a meeting with a friend who knew just want to do . . . he took all the parts out of my phone . . . blew on each component . . . arranged the parts back into the phone . . . turned on the phone . . . let it reboot . . . and . . . now . . . the phone works better than ever.

There are times that we are so focused on the circumstances of the day and what we need to do that we become tired, exhausted, stressed, or even burned out. We need to have time to be still and know God. How is it possible to be still when the pressures of life seem to be coming at us from every direction?

We need time to reboot to think, feel, speak, and act in the way of Christ.

Be still and know (Psalm 46:10).

Let's be honest . . . sometimes we need a good rant to get it all out before God: tell God everything . . . actually it is the process we need to go through to surrender everything we have a tight grip on . . . turns out God knows . . . the process of an honest exchange with God changes our perspective.

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10).

After letting our emotions, feelings, and thoughts out, we need to take a breath: sit down, relax, and lean into the heart of God. There is a moment in time when we decide if we really want to keep in control of everything or if we are willing to trust God to direct our thoughts, words, and actions.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).


Listen. Be quiet. Take time to be in the presence of God . . . to be aware of love that surrounds and invades you . . . to be overwhelmed in the awareness of God . . . to receive the peace of Christ . . . and to be grateful.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15).

Then what?

Get up. Follow God.

Nothing is wasted in God's economy. Circumstances become stepping stones to do what God has purposed for you and I to do.

John described a situation that at first glance would seem that Jesus left the countryside of Judea because the Pharisees were pressuring him. Turns out, the circumstances were stepping stones to going where the work needed to be done.

Jesus realized that the Pharisees were keeping count of the baptisms that he and John performed (although his disciples, not Jesus, did the actual baptizing). They had posted the score that Jesus was ahead, turning him and John into rivals in the eyes of the people. So Jesus left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee. (John 4:1-3, The Message).

Learning with you to live better,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)