Ordinary Time

Pause

A prayer for peace:

Quiet me, O Lord. Calm my mind. Still my hands. Remove any worries from my heart. I want to give you my full attention. Slow me down so that I can hear your voice and see you at work in my life today. Amen.

Listen

I was beside him as a master of crafts. I was having fun, smiling before him all the time, frolicking with his inhabited earth and delighting in the human race.

Proverbs 8:30-31

Think

Most ancient people couldn’t imagine a God who cared about them, much less “delighted” in the human race, like our God does. The Greeks believed that humans were essentially an annoyance to the gods. The Babylonians taught that humans were an accidental by-product of a battle between the gods. The Bible tells a very different story, the story of one God — the only true God — who created us with care and tenderness and enjoys seeing us thrive.

One of my favorite Bible verses is the description of God — the Almighty Creator of the Universe — walking in the Garden of Eden, enjoying an evening breeze, looking for Adam and Eve, hoping they will join in on the journey (Genesis 3:8).

Put yourself in that scene. Imagine that God’s Spirit is calling out to you today, inviting you to walk wherever that Spirit leads. Ask God a few questions: Where are you taking me? What will I find there? When will I be ready? Who will be my companions? Then ask God for the courage to follow.

Jeff Gibelius

Pray

It brings me joy, Lord, to know that you delight in me. Help me today to “delight in your will and walk in your ways,” so that we might enjoy each other completely. I will follow where you lead. Amen.

Go

God’s Spirit is with you right now, closer than the air you are breathing. You don’t have to chase after God; simply be with God today. Let God’s Spirit fill you and guide you. Take joy in knowing that God is walking with you, and that you can walk in God’s Spirit.