Oh Look, Squirrel
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV)
We all know how to make our bodies rest and relax but how do we slow our overwhelmed minds? I can be focused intently on one thing and then, “Oh look, squirrel!” Off I go. In this devotion by Sarah Young, I think she speaks for most all of us.
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My Comforting Lord,
Help me find rest in You alone; my hope comes from You. I have a restless mind. It skips and scampers about—rarely taking time to be still. But Your Word instructs me to be still and know that You are God. When I sit quietly in Your Presence, I can hear You saying, “Come to Me, and I will give you rest.”
You are the only restring place for my mind that truly satisfies and strengthens me. I need to take time to direct my thoughts to You—whispering Your Name and waiting in Your sacred Presence. This interlude with You provides refreshment for both my mind and soul.
True hope comes from You. False hope comes from many sources, including persuasive advertising. Please give me discernment as I seek to walk along a hopeful path. Many voices call out to me: “This is the way!” Protect me from being deceived while I’m trying to process all that information clamoring for my attention. I’ve found that the best way to break free from information overload is to refocus my thoughts on You. As I rest in Your peaceful Presence, true hope grows within me.
Psalm 62:5 Psalm 46:10
Matthew 11:28-29 NKJV Psalm 42:5 NASB
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This is all well in theory, but how are we supposed to refocus? That takes practice! When demands are coming faster than we can write, details are piling up, family and friends are pulling this way and that way…how do we keep it all straight. I don’t! For me, I don’t tap the pause button, I pound on it! I intentionally seek some time with my Father—off-loading this “stuff” with His help. Spending time with Him usually gives me a clearer mind (unless I am too stubborn to give up my own agenda).
We can all learn how to enter into His Presence; it is never too late to melt in His Peace. He offers rest and gives us strength to continue. He is never too busy for a visit.