Message #MB392; Daily Devotional #5 - “Time out with Jesus”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3) The most precious moments in life can be lost amidst the everyday hustle and bustle of life. It may be the God given insight we get when there is a moment to stop and think or the breakthrough that puts our whole life in perspective. We are “designed” to find rest for our souls.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work (Genesis 2:2) The Creator of the universe, the one who was and is to come, took time off to rest at the end of creation! If it was important for God to do that, then we who are created in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26) must create time for rest too. There is a refreshing that comes with stopping our normal routine just to rest and spend time before the Lord. The best spiritual nourishment comes from simply being still in God’s presence, worshipping and adoring the one to whom we owe it all. Creating time to rest gives way for the Holy Spirit to do a perfect work in our lives. And to do this, we must separate ourselves from the world (1 Timothy 6:11). As we sanctify our whole being before the King, we can be refreshed, restored, and encouraged. God’s Word unfolds before us when we spend time meditating and pondering on it. When we tune out the world, He can have our full attention, and we can listen and hear precisely what the Lord is saying to us at that time. The eyes of our understanding become open, and we become aligned with God’s plans and purposes. For Christ followers, finding rest satisfies both our physical and spiritual needs.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2) Have you spent quality time out with the Lord lately? There is nothing like the presence of the Lord. A lot of things may put demands on our time, but God has given us the sole right to choose how we spend our time. It takes a lot of self control (Galatians 5:22-23) to be good stewards of our time and what we chose to focus on. May we be all the Lord wants us to be, reaching our full potential in all aspects of life and Godliness, so that we may impact our world around us with the Truth. Never miss a chance to have time out with Jesus.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Proverbs 5:21; Titus 2:11-14
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