Sunday Writing... 4-19-20... STOP!

Good morning,

Much of life is at a standstill for many right now.  Perhaps it is a wake-up call.  Read on in today's writing to see where God has said to "STOP!" and what it may mean for you.  May you find something you can use and share.

Blessings,
Jan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's Devotional:

"STOP!"

by
Jan Andersen

I have lived my life by the clock for a very long time.  In school we all had our eyes on the clock waiting for classes to end, or our watches getting to the next room on time.  Later, working in the medical field required me to wear a watch, and one with a second hand at that.  If it wasn’t for keeping myself on time to get as much done in as little time as possible, then later to keep appointments running on time.  I needed the second hand to count the heart beats and calculate the heart rate.  I guess this dates me!  Watches have been on my left wrist all the time for years, to the point that I have had a tan line in the shape of a watch there for many years.  

Recently I retired.  Now I have much less need of watching the time, especially with the stay-at-home pandemic guidelines canceling almost all my other scheduled activities.  Interestingly, the first day of my retirement guess what happened —— my watch stopped!  I shook it hard and it started up again briefly, but now I can’t even change the time on it.  The hands are stuck at 7:30, “frozen in time.”  At least my stopped watch is right twice a day!

Since I no longer need to operate on such a strict time schedule, I have decided not to replace my watch.  This is a whole new experience for me.  Already my negative suntan “tattoo” of a watch is fading.  My go-go-go, rush-rush-rush attitude is slowing down.  I actually have time to just sit still more often.  Though too much of that isn’t good physically, it is helping me mentally and spiritually.  There is finally more time to read the Bible and multiple daily devotions that have been sitting in my e-mail inbox.  It also gives me more time to interact with people with God’s word and prayer.  Interestingly, it has coincided with a pandemic which has caused a lot of life to be in “STOP!” mode with stay-at-home orders, business closures, lay-offs, etc.

There is a popular Bible verse that talks about being still:  

Psalm 46:10  “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in all the earth.”

People often point to the first half of this verse as saying just sit still, rest and listen to God.  But taken in the context of a time of war as when it was written, it has been said that God is actually saying to Israel, “STOP!  Acknowledge Me and lift Me up in awe to the whole world.”  Other commentaries say God is speaking to the enemies of Israel, telling them to STOP! and wake up and know that He is God.  Perhaps it is both.  It can also be talking to us to stop and acknowledge God, or to be still and listen to Him.  What matters most is He will be exalted!

Whichever way you look at it, we all need to draw up short, STOP!, let time stand still so that we can be in awe of God and share that with the world.  This pandemic has certainly brought many things to a halt, but not all people are focusing on or trusting in God.  Many are distracted by the losses they have already suffered, the troubles they are currently facing, and the fear of what might happen in the future.  This is a time to share about God with them.  Even when we ourselves are distracted by all manner of things in our lives, God remains in control.  He will be with us and help us at all times through everything.  So when our minds are distracted or lose focus, just STOP! and turn to God.

Dear Father in heaven, sometimes we get distracted.  We know that you are God and that you are in control of the ultimate outcome of all things in our lives.  Help us to STOP and acknowledge your greatness and to trust in You.  Keep us faithful. In Jesus’ name, Amen.      

  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Song:
STILL
Rend Collective

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prayers are lifted up daily for you by the Devotional Writers 

and the Monthly Writing Staff of Women's Focus Ministries.

Blog Writers

 Sandy Billingham, Carol Steficek,   

 Brother Thomas Ukwute, Jody Ward,  Cathy Friberg, 

Jan Andersen and  Corinne Mustafa

Occasional Contributors
Kathy Bireley,  Terri Baker

Lynda Kinnard, Beverley Napier, 

 Amie Spruiell, Linda Garrett, and Lisabeth Lipp