1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
2) Scripture Reading—Psalm 23:1-3
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
3) Devotional
The Sabbath teaches grace because it connects us experientially to the basic truth that nothing we do will earn God’s love. As long as we are using our gifts to serve others, experiencing joy in our work along with the toil, we are always in danger of believing that our actions trigger God’s love for us. Only in stopping, really stopping, do we teach our hearts and souls that we are both loved apart from what we do.
During a day of rest, we have the chance to take a deep breath and look at our lives. God is at work every minute of our days, yet we seldom notice. Noticing requires intentional stopping and the Sabbath provides that opportunity. On the Sabbath we can take a moment to see the beauty of a maple leaf, created with great care by our loving Creator . . .
Without time to stop, we cannot notice God’s hand in our lives, practice thankfulness, step outside our culture’s values or explore our deepest longing. Without time to rest, we will seriously undermine our ability to experience God’s unconditional love and acceptance. The Sabbath is a gift whose blessings cannot be found anywhere else.
--Lynne Baab
4) Question to Consider
How will you allow God, this week to lead you to the “quiet waters” of rest so that you experience his unconditional love and acceptance?
5) Prayer
LORD, I now take a deep breath and stop. So often I miss your hand and gifts in my life because I am preoccupied and anxious. Grant me the power to pause each day and each week to simply rest in your arms of your love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
*From "Begin the Journey with the Daily Office" by Pete Scazzero
