Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first”
Our Bible verse for today: “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “Slow down and relax”
Are you in a hurry today? Is your schedule filled with appointments? Do you have a long list of things you think you need to accomplish? I have to admit that that does describe me on most days.
While it is good to be productive for the sake of the kingdom, and there’s nothing wrong with making full use of your time, it’s also true that we can easily become so over-scheduled and so busy that we’re not taking the time to simply be still and be with God. When that happens we’re no longer keeping first things first.
In his book, “Intimacy with the Almighty”, Pastor Chuck Swindoll makes reference to the picture painted for us in verses 2 and 3 of Psalm 23. He writes, “Tragically, precious little in this hurried and hassled age promotes such intimacy (with God). We have become a body of people who look more like a herd of cattle in a stampede than a flock of God beside green pastures and still waters … We must learn anew to think deeply, to worship meaningfully, to meditate unhurriedly.”
One of my all-time favorite quotes on this subject comes from Richard Foster. In his classic work “Simplicity” he wrote, “Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.”
Most of us need to slow down and relax. We need to lie down in green pastures, rest beside quiet waters, and allow God to restore our soul. That is the first and most important thing. I encourage you to set aside extra time today to simply be with God.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 