put your feet up

God is a huge fan of resting. In fact, right in the beginning of the Bible, after six days of creating everything from mountains to molehills, God takes a day off.

"Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” - Genesis 2:3

Sometimes life moves so fast that taking a break is difficult. There are emails to be answered, messages to read and reply to, buzzing phones in our pockets, and people needing answers to things faster than we can type them. It almost feels guilty not to be connected to it all, doesn’t it?

God makes a clear distinction between work and rest, and while He tells us that the creating bit was ‘good’, the resting day, He makes ‘holy’. Isn’t that great? Rest is actually holy! In fact, that’s where we get our word for ‘holiday’ - that portion of our diary when it’s phones down and feet up - it’s meant to be a regular, holy thing. 

Rest is an amazing part of the rhythm of our humanity. We were designed to rest, and that act of taking a time-out tells the world something of God’s holiness.

When you’re praying today, maybe you could use your time to switch off all your devices too, and ask God to show you how to rest without being connected to the world. Listen out for Him in the stillness. Put your feet up.

distillation

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.” - 1 Peter 1:15

There are lots of ways to decontaminate drinking water. One process is called ‘distillation’ and it involves boiling impure water (to kill off all the germs and microbes in it) and then collecting the steam as it condenses back into liquid, making it safe to drink.

This is a great picture of what holiness is like! 
Sometimes our lives get a bit contaminated - thoughts, words, reactions, sins, attitudes - and those things just aren’t very good for us. What’s worse is that they can be so small and so tiny that you can’t really see them.

But God’s brilliant at examining us microscopically! He can see the things we can’t, and He knows that we won’t function well if those contaminants are left to grow. That’s why Peter, in this letter to us, reminds us not to pay attention to the ‘evil desires’ we had when we didn’t know any better, but rather to remember that we’re called to be ‘distilled’ in every area of our lives.

Today, ask Father to help you see any of those tiny microbes that might be there in your water supply. Ask Him to purify your heart, to take you through the process of repenting, cleansing, and distillation. It might not be comfortable, but it could help you in your walk today - especially if your desire is to be ‘holy in all you do’.

lost in the woods

What do you do if you get lost in the woods? It’s pretty easy to do, especially if you weren’t following where the path was taking you.

One of the things you could do, is turn around, and retrace your footsteps. You might see things that remind you of the journey, and eventually, you find the point where you last knew you were on the right path.

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” - Acts 3:19

That’s a little bit like repentance. It’s one thing to say you’re sorry for being on a path that wasn’t right for you; it’s quite another to turn around and find the right one.

In Acts 3, Peter is sharing the good news of Jesus. While speaking, he urges them to ‘repent’ so that ‘times of refreshing’ might come.

If today, you know you’re not on a good path, or there’s an area of your life that feels so far away from God’s best, why not take Peter’s brilliant advice? Stop - whatever it is, stop that journey. Turn around - repent, and let God guide you towards the point where you can feel refreshed again. 

If you’re in a group, it might be good to talk it through with your group leader or someone who’s looking after you - just so you can walk it together. Nobody wants any of us to be lost in the woods.

legacy

In ancient times, your legacy really mattered. Children were the hope that your family would continue, that what God had spoken over you would multiply in the generations to come.

In fact, the Bible shows us that children themselves are a testimony that points to God’s holiness...

“When they see among them their children, the work of my hands, they will keep my name holy; they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.” - Isaiah 29:23

It might not always be obvious, but children are meant to inspire awe and holiness. The reason is that they’re evidence that God’s word is true, His promises are faithful, and that He is holy. In fact, God wants to display that message across all the generations - from the youngest to the oldest - so that the nations ‘acknowledge the Holy One’ who began the promise in our community. 
Whichever generation you belong to, you have the opportunity today to display the holiness of God. 

So. Do you have a legacy? Today as you pray and fast, ask God to reveal His holiness through the generations after you, before you, and around you. 
What will you leave behind you today? What will people thank you for at the end of the day?