Devotional: October 7-13, by Jeff Barhite, Elder
Devotional for October 7-13
“But in Everything….”
On my way to work yesterday morning, the song “In His presence” came to my lips, and in the privacy of my car (one of the few places I feel comfortable singing out loud….smile), I kept singing the lines, “In your presence, all fear is gone, In your presence, is where I belong…..” It’s probably the same for you, but when I enter into His presence, everything changes…..everything. All the cares, the worries, the weight of this world seem like nothing. Nothing else matters, and everything is put into proper perspective. Sunday, in worship with you all, I spent the morning in that awesome place. I don’t live in that place every moment, in fact I find myself often distracted and not dwelling in His presence, and it’s then I feel the weight of daily circumstances and concerns. I’m a little slow to learn, but the Lord is faithful to remind me of His truths & promises. One passage He often reminds me of is Phil. 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” What is your “everything?” I have plenty to “fill” and define that term, maybe you do too. Well, scripture exhorts us to take “the everything” and give it – surrender it to the one who can handle it. Some of it is easy to give over, some of it, well……..not so easy.
Today, enter into His presence. Enter into the holy place, with everything and as you are, and experience our most awesome God, our Father who is greater and bigger than anything and everything we have to bring Him. Enter in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, and experience the incredible peace of God that comes even in the midst of all that is around us. The promise is that we will experience a peace, a peace that even guards our hearts and minds. Can you see it? A peace, set up around our hearts and minds, guarding our hearts & minds from the “everything” that tends to upset/concern/worry us. It doesn’t make sense in the natural. All those cares and concerns, but we walk in peace! Wow! What a place! Let’s enter there today.
Jeff Barhite, Elder
