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.
Saturday, 3 April 2021
Thursday, 1 April 2021
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’.
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’.
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