I was recently asked to give a devotional for a women’s Bible Study group. As I pondered what to say to this group of women who ranged in age from young mom’s to women in their 70’s I found myself sensing the need for us to return to the basics of the faith. I rarely speak with anyone these days who is not busy. It seems to be the word of our lives that defines us, but is that really what we want to define us? No matter what season of life you’re in, juggling the demands of life with grace is challenging. So how do we make some changes? How do we make certain that the busyness of our lives, even if it revolves around good things, has not become a substitute for cultivating an inward life with Jesus? Over the next few weeks of my blog I would like to look at some basic principles that I have found helpful in my own faith journey. I pray that they will encourage you in yours.

           
           Faith Lesson #1
      Spend time with Jesus
              in His Word 
       and prayer every day.






Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark1:35

        This practice begins our day with God’s perspective and set’s our hearts in a place of intimacy with Jesus. Don’t give up if you miss your morning time with the Lord or if it simply doesn’t work in your schedule. 

                       No time spent with Jesus in His Word is ever wasted. 

        There are plenty of people willing to offer you advice on how to live your life, but Jesus, the Savior and King of the universe left you a love letter with His instructions for life in the Bible.
                                                  Why would we want to miss that?

        Purpose to read His instructions. I have found that unless I am intentional about forming the habit of meditating and studying God’s Word, the day will slip away and I will have missed the opportunity. God’s Word is meant to be cherished as your soul’s delight. 

"Our love (for God) is shown by love for His Word. You cannot separate a person from their voice. If you love a person you will love their voice, and God's Word is His voice to us."  
                                                    Campbell McAlpine, Alone with God

The study of His Word should always be partnered with time in prayer. 

Prayer for a teachable spirit,
                         prayer for an expectant and listening heart,
                                                                 prayer for wisdom and discernment,
                                                                                            prayer for direction and transformation
                                                                                                                                         prayer.............

        Throughout the Scriptures we are exhorted to meditate on God’s Word. It is a spiritual discipline that has been practiced for centuries by believers who understand their need to "put on the mind of Christ." I like to think of Scripture meditation as a habit of the heart . It can help me answer the call to intimacy and devotion to Jesus as I ponder, contemplate, and reflect on His words of life to me.

           Meditating on God’s Word goes against the cry of busyness in our lives so it may take some practice if you are not accustomed to this spiritual discipline. Quieting the competing voices and agendas in our head can often be challenging. Meditation builds the skill of hearing God at the heart and soul level. It is a formational approach to Bible study in which we invite the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and draw us into a divine encounter for today that will transform our character so that we reflect God’s character. 
In Scripture meditation we let the text ask questions of us. We learn to wait and listen for God to speak.

         Of course meditating on the Word doesn’t need to follow a formula, but you may find it a way to begin. I have found the method listed below helpful in discovering the joy of this “holy habit” in my own journey.  It is based on a book by Jan Johnson entitled “Savoring God’s Word”. This method of Scripture meditation is called Lectio Divina.

Please consider choosing one or two verses from the Psalm 119:11-15 above or choose another verse and set aside a few minutes to meditate. You'll need your Bible and a piece of paper or journal. Feel free to copy and paste this for later use on other verses as well.

1. Find a quiet place where you can be alone and listen for God to speak. 

2. Take a moment and relax your body and mind. Breath in and out slowly. If you find your mind is full of distracting or interrupting thoughts jot them down for later reference so that you can let go of them at this time.

         Surrender you heart and mind to the Holy Spirit’s control.
         Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a fresh perspective on the Word today as you read.

3. Open your Bible to the Scripture you have chosen for meditation today and read.

     Is there a word or phrase that emerges as you reflect on this passage of Scripture? 
     Write it down.

Reflect - could there be something in this passage today that the Lord is offering to enlarge you understanding? Write it down in your journal.

        What do you need to know from this passage?


4.  Pray using the Scripture as a guide.                                         
      Ask God what He wants to show you.
      Tell God what you sense at this time.                                                                                                                         
      Thank God for His revelation to you.


5.  Contemplate the Scripture.                                                                    
     Enjoy His presence.                                                                                 
     Ask and listen for what the Lord wants to say to you at this time.


6.  Write down any thoughts or prayers.

       This week as you seek to juggle the demands of your life, I encourage you to spend time studying and meditating on Jesus' Words of life for you. In His Word you will discover how to walk out your days with His grace. Engage your mind and heart in the written and spoken Word of God and watch how the Savior uses it to draw you into a deeper relationship with Himself. In my own life there have been times when I let the busyness or tyranny of the urgent rob me of my time in the Word and prayer. There have been seasons when it seemed I lost my passion and yearning for God's Word and I had to pray for Jesus to restore that desire in my heart. Below is a quote by Geoffrey Thomas from Reading the Bible that I have returned to over and over to encourage me in the journey.

When we think of a "sanctuary," what is it that our mind visualizes?  Perhaps you think of your own home church.  It's interesting that every denomination has it's own particular style of architecture.  One can almost identify and name it on site!

Webster defines it as a place of refuge or safety.  It can also be a nature reserve.  It can also be a church or temple.  The root word sanctus is Latin, meaning "holy." The inmost recess or holiest part of a temple or church, containing the high altar.  Ultimately, it is set aside (sanctified) for a particular and revered purpose.  

I love studying the Old Testament and about the tabernacle.  So many details contained in its construction; moving from tent to building.  So many regulations to insure it's holiness.  Even within the tabernacle/sanctuary is an inner sanctuary.  The place of the presence of God!  A place of reverence, power, instruction. The Holy of Holies.   A place to intimately worship God Almighty!  I like to think of the Garden of Eden as the first sanctuary.  A beautiful, colorful place where Adam and Eve communed with God.  Not in a building, or even a tent; but at the very heart of Creation!  

This morning I took some extended time to visit the sanctuary right outside of my front door.  Yes, my porch!  It has been some time since I've had the opportunity to visit this sacred place.  Today, I'd like to share my experience and time of musing and wonder.

Sanctuary

Cool, brisk breeze.
Stillness.
Sweet music as birds lift their voice into the vast morning sky.

A sanctuary of peace.

Green, brown, gold and orange.
Blue, white, grey, and lavender.
Above, ahead, all around.  Texture a many.

A sanctuary of oeuvre…serenity.

Water trickles from a bubbling fountain.
I cannot see it, but I hear it sing out a never-ending rhythmic song.
Wet.  Splashing.  Full of movement.  Refreshing.  Alive.

A sanctuary of gentle motion.  Beckoning.

A fast pitter, patter along the fence tops as squirrels scamper, playing chase.
Then again up the old pine tree, and round and around.
Playful.  Energetic.  Carefree.  Unaware.

A sanctuary of dance and frolic.

Slow-motion atmosphere filled with cirro-stratus clouds.  Alto-cumulus reflect the rising of the sun.
Limitless expansion of open space.  A gently changing canvas of beauty.
Baby blue backdrop full of wondrous light.

A sanctuary of muse, wonder and tranquility.

The smell of sweet olive, green dampness, and a cooked breakfast from far beyond.
Aroma that journeys throughout the area where I sit and then carried away.
A distraction.  Sweet.  Deep inhale, slow exhale.  Filling my nostrils with delight.

A sanctuary of fragrance…harmony.

Now…
In the distance, noise pollution increases as humans are now awake and stirring.
The drone of roaring motors at interstate speeds, and passing vehicles disturb the quiet.  Birds, as if now angry, screech!  The beauty of the sky has turned into a simple palette of nothing but soft blue, no longer filled with varied hues or clouds.  Doors slam and the sound is amplified and carried amidst.  Savoring smells have past.  Heaviness now seems to fill this realm.  Early morning has past.  I cannot hear the fountain any longer and the squirrels have disappeared.  The stench of car fumes invade my lungs.  

Man!  Destroyers of peace, creation, tranquility and rest.  

Yet, “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him?” Ps. 8:4 and Heb. 2:6.
“What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him, visit him every morning…”  
                                                                                                                                              Job 7:17-18a

As I sat and compared the difference a simple 30 - 40 minutes can make, my heart became sad.  The heaviness that I now felt in the air began to rest on my shoulders as I began to think about the day ahead and the responsibilities for the week.  Most days, I am also guilty of rushing through the morning.  Disturbing the peace and rest of my own home!  And the scripture above kept replaying and looping in my mind as though God was trying to tell me something important!  Sherry, I am mindful of you.  I care and tend to you because I have set my heart and my affection on you. 
I visit you every morning!  "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." - Proverbs 8:17

I found the Lord this morning.  He was displayed throughout all of creation as I sat quietly and absorbed all He had to offer me.  Yes, there was a period of distraction and self-reflection.  The early rush hour crashed in and then drifted out again like a giant ocean wave.  As the early morning settled into late morning, I noticed the sound of the splattering fountain once again.  The squirrels filled my yard and when I looked up at the sky, beautiful shapes and colors of clouds began to scroll past again.  There was still a soft drone of traffic in the distance, but the cheerful birds drowned it out as a chorus of praise belted out of their little bodies!  
And like David my heart cried out,
                       "O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You..." Psalm 63:1
                       “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; 
                                       in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up” - Psalm 5:3

Yes, I visited the sanctuary today!  I stepped into the Holy of Holies.  That inner place where the presence of God sits and waits for us to enter in.  That special and intimate place of communion between God and man.  A place of refuge, safety, and worship.

If it has been a long time since you have intentionally taken extended time to hear from the Lord and be with Him, I encourage you to do so.  You won't be disappointed and He will honor and redeem the time you took away from your busy schedule.  He is mindful of you.  He cares and tends to your needs because He has set His heart and affection on you.  He visits you every morning.  Won't you rise a little bit earlier in the morning to meet with Him?  Take paper and pencil with you.  Write your own Psalm to the Lord.  Reflect on His goodness.  Share and proclaim His great deeds to others (Ps. 105:1)

From the Sanctuary,
Sherry

       We’ve recently returned from a trip to England and Ireland. I love to travel for many reasons - for the beauty of it, the fun of it, and for the experiences and knowledge that we can learn from people of other cultures.  This trip began with a fairytale wedding of a dear friend's daughter in England. She married an English man and Ken helped officiate the ceremony in a church built from the ruins of a castle. One man’s tomb in the floor of the church dated to 688AD! We were astounded at the privilege of being part of the history of a church that has persevered throughout the centuries. 

     It was a celebration of two people deeply in love, two cultures and families joining together. This dear couple has worked in disaster relief to help rebuild countries and meet the needs of children across the globe. People came from all over the world to celebrate this sacred event. It was such a delight to share such treasured memories with dear friends and we loved the opportunity to make new ones as we visited over wonderful food, music and dancing for 3 days of celebration! The joy and abundance of the Lord poured over us. We left forever changed and richly blessed! 

     
        In the charming villages and inns I was reminded again of the value of stopping to have a cup of tea.  My husband Ken and I spent the first year of our marriage studying music in Europe and it was there I was first exposed to the ritual of afternoon tea.  You see the ritual which usually takes place in the late afternoon is about much more than the tea. It’s about resting a moment, the conversation, a break from the pressure of the day, and a bit of refreshment to carry you through the rest of the evening.
        We stayed at guesthouses or B& B’s rather than hotels on our two week trip. Each day when we arrived, no matter what the time, we were always offered a pot of tea with a cookie or light snack.  It was a loving offer of hospitality. I loved watching what the ritual did for the guests. 

        My youngest daughter discovered early in her life that when she wanted some uninterrupted time with me to say, “Mom let’s have a cup of tea and chat!” 
                  Who could resist that invitation!

       Last weekend while I was still grieving having to leave Ireland, she sent me this picture from Oklahoma City with the text 

                “Beautiful crisp afternoon with Jesus.
                               Love and miss ya’ll.”
                              
        
        Maybe today if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed with everything but Jesus, you need to give yourself  permission to pause and be still, enter into His presence, come out of the busyness and enter into relationship and savor the moments of your days. 

It’s a choice each of us can make 

                          Still the voices - the distractions  - 
                                                            the tyranny of the urgent... 
                                                                                         relax and think......
                                                                                                              adjust our priorities with God’s, 
                                                                and Breathe.......

       Call out His name,
                                 pray for your loved ones, 
                                                                   or listen to the heart of a friend.

Let me encourage you this week to purpose to live a little differently - 
                                                        take a moment to pause and savor a cup of tea. 
                                                                                        More importantly, savor all that comes with it.

 “Communion in His presence is always the gift the present moment offers.”     Ann Voskamp 

Oh, what a picture God gave me!  It is not His will that any should perish, however; God gives us a choice.  We must call on His name.  Those that call out are the chosen ones.  Although they may be beautiful, broken, and unique, God gently scoops us up from where we are and tenderly cradles us in His hand, carrying us a short journey through this land and on to His home.


Romans 10:13  
 All who call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved.

                            “Randomness is not random according to scripture.” 
                                                                                                              John Piper 
Proverbs 16: 33 (Amp.)
The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him].

What God plans is in His hands!  He has planned a way for you and me to have a deep and meaningful relationship with Him.  It is through Christ Jesus, His Son.  We must remember that His ways are higher than ours. (Is. 55:9)

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.  Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”  “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”  The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.  And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”  Jeremiah 1:4-8

Just as the Lord knew Jeremiah long before he was born, He also knows you. Unique.... Broken.... Beautiful....Like the shells of the sea, much thought was taken in planning you to become the masterpiece that He is creating in you.  He knows you and your destiny...He has planned them well.  I cannot fathom the greatness of God!  I often do not understand His ways.  I only know that I am thankful for His Holy Spirit that speaks, beckons, convicts, comforts, teaches, and draws me closer to the Father.  It is by His Spirit that I have called out and and have been called out for His divine purpose!  Can I explain this?  No, and I wouldn't even begin to try!  That is where trust and faith come into play.  
Cradled in His Hand,
Sherry 

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Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
For we are God's masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  

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