| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Mighty Prevailing Prayer” Our Bible verse for today: “Be still, and know that I am God …” Psalm 46:10 Our thought for today: “Be still” For the last ten days I was supposed to have been being still. I’m recovering from surgery and my instructions were to minimize all activity for the first week, and then take it easy for the next two weeks. Unfortunately, there have been a couple of complications. Nothing serious, but my recovery isn’t happening as fast as I want it too. During the follow-up appointment the other day my doctor told me my problem is that I’m not resting enough and I’m not letting my body heal. I’m trying to do too much too soon. I realized after the appointment that that’s always my problem. I never rest enough and I’m always trying to do too much. That’s just my life. It’s been obvious during this time of recuperation (painfully obvious) that I simply cannot sit still. I need to be active. Honestly, I have tried to be still and to take it easy. Right now, during my time of recovery, I’m actually reading a book about slowing down and resting. The title is “When Strivings Cease” by Ruth Chou Simons. In one respect, it’s a little funny because it’s a bona fide chic-book. It is. The thing is all soft pastel colors with frilly illustrations and curly-Q doodles all throughout. It was written by a woman for women and she unapologetically makes no effort to include men in anything she says. But even as a man, I’m enjoying it anyway. The title of chapter three is “Just Amazing Enough to Not Need Grace”. Ruth writes about her own over-achiever tendencies and how she is always striving to do just one more thing, and to do it a little better than the last time she did it. She writes, “If I am honest, I’d say I spent much of my early Christian life singing ‘Amazing Grace’ while living like the words were actually ‘God, let me be so amazing that I won’t need grace.” Uh huh. That’s me. I fully trust God, while attempting to do it all myself anyway. I love the song “Amazing Grace”, but I often allow little room in my life to simply relax and enjoy the graces of God. Psalm 46 (above) is about a world in chaos, and it describes striving on a global scale. But verse 10 calls a halt to it all. Verse 10 demands that we take a breather and reflect on the profound truth that God is God and I am not. Sometimes mighty prevailing prayer involves just being still and doing nothing – and that’s exactly what I’m going to do today – nothing, right after I send out this devotional, finish my sermon for tomorrow, walk the dogs, pay the bills, and rake some leaves (my wife says I’m hopeless but I don’t know what she’s talking about). God Bless, Pastor Jim |
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Oak Hill Baptist Church 
I may have to come over and tie you to a chair…for your own good, you understand.
Blessings,
Jim
Sent from my iPad
Luke 10:41-42 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Maybe the Lord is saying, “My dear Jim…..”
God bless. Thanks for the uplifting word today!