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WORDS FOR REFLECTION
I have been reading The Upper Room daily devotional guide for most of my life. Both of my grandmothers had a copy on their bedside tables from as early as I can remember. One was Baptist, and the other Methodist. I was raised in an Ecumenical setting.
The Emmaus Ministries office meets twice weekly to read and discuss the daily devotional as a team. It is wonderful to hear from each person how that day's devotion has touched our hearts in different ways each time. We are a microcosm, if you will, of the 4 million readers of the devotional guide every day.
A few weeks ago, a single line in that day’s devotional caught our attention. It sparked much conversation because none of us had ever heard the phrase stated that way. To paraphrase, “If we can trust God with our eternity, why do we struggle with letting God have the little things in our day?”
Wow! One of those “arrow straight to my heart” comments. Those words convicted each of us that day. How often (a day, an hour, a minute?) do I say to God, “Leave me alone. I can handle this!” How often do I get stressed out when I have too much on my plate? I can deny God access to my life because I like being in control of my life.
Please don’t mistake what I’m saying here. I firmly believe in St. Augustine’s famous statement, “Pray as if everything depends on God, work as if everything depends on you.” But we tend to forget the first half — prayer! The communication of a relationship, not just a shopping list.
Pray every morning for God to guide you in every thought and deed today, and God will answer. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you an Advocate, to be with you forever,” (John 14:16, NRSV). God is with us! At all times, and in all things — in every decision and every thought.
If we can trust God with our eternity, we can trust God in the little things.
Thanks be to God!
Hess B. "Doc" Hall, Jr.
on behalf of The Upper Room Emmaus Ministries staff
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