“Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God!” – Psalm 48:1
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” – Psalm 19:1
Today marks the first of the Sabbath days within our Lenten devotion. The Sabbath was given to us as an opportunity to focus on our God and Father. It was set aside as a day to rest from our labors and acknowledge our dependence upon Him for all that we have and all that we need. It is a day when we are reminded that it is not about us and our work but Him and His work. Even in the Lenten season the six Sabbath days are not counted in the 40.
Even in this time of repentance and discipline we must take opportunity to pause and worship the LORD…to rest in Him. Sometimes our religious practices can distract us from the simple power of His presence. Take some time today to sit before your God and breathe. Deep breaths that calm your Spirit before the Father.
The Book of Psalms is a great place to read as you center your thoughts on the Lord today. In the verses above we are reminded that God is great and He is over all things. Psalm 139 tells us that God created us and that He knows everything about us! Psalm 32 tells of the joy and peace that comes from forgiveness. Psalm 23 tells of a loving Shepherd who leads us…feeds us and protects us.
Today I leave you with this directive from the Apostle Paul;
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, Brothers and Sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” – Philippians 4:4-8