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The Moments That Sustain Us
Devotional:
Psalm
145:1-5
"I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever
and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great
is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall
praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy
majesty, and of thy wondrous works".
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 Commentary:
Does peace come naturally for you, or does it feel like
a constant struggle? Sometimes it seems as if so many things are actively working against our peace, that our spirits may
never know a moment's rest. How can we quiet distractions long enough to hear God's voice?
The key is found within
a word that may make you uncomfortable: meditation. Perhaps you're thinking, "all that meditation stuff is what
other religions call 'finding yourself'. I'm not going to waste my time with that. Oh no! What a horrible misconception."
My friend, meditation is not about listening to yourself. On the contrary, it is about quieting your own mind
and listening for the gentle whispers of God.
Think about your prayer life. Whose voice is more prominent... yours
or God's? For most people, the vast majority of prayer time is spent talking to God, thanking Him for what He's
done, and asking for help with your life. There is certainly nothing wrong with this, but if you never give Him time
to answer, how will you know what He wants you to do?
The time we spend listening is a good indication of
how much we respect and enjoy the relationship. If we dominate the conversation, then we may be showing God by our actions
that His opinions are not as important as our own. We would never say those words so plainly, but our actions may
be proclaiming that very message.
Are you listening to God?
Commit to listening quietly for what He
wants to share with you.
Meditation:
. Lord, we are so thankful for your love and for your presence in our lives. Teach us to be ever mindful
of the blessings you bestow upon us, and to never take our lives or your love for granted. I pray that your peace will
cover each and every one of your children and that we will daily learn to rest in your presence. In Thy Holy Name I
pray. Amen. . . | There
Is Nothing More Peaceful Than Listening To | 
| The Sounds of Rushing Water Over A Waterfall
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Stories to Touch the Heart and Warm the Soul:
Can You Sleep When The Wind Blows?
Can you sleep when the wind blows?
Years ago a farmer owned land along
the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic.
They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the ocean, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed
applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.
Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle
age, approached the farmer.
"Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him.
"Well, I can
sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.
Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate
for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with
the man's work.
Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed
a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A
storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"
The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly,
"No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."
Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted
to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of
the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were
barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away.
The farmer then
understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.
MORAL: When
you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through
your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. . .
I
encourage you to send me comments or things you would like to see featured on this page. We learn from each other,
and what you might think is just an ordinary thought, might be a real blessing to someone else. As always,
thank you for visiting my site and I hope you'll come back soon.
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