Scripture: Psalm 23:1-3
Journal: What is occupying you most these days?
What would it look like to make space and time –inside and out—for God
to occupy you?
Reflection:
Occupied: to be filled up (space, time,
etc.). I find that I am often
occupied. And at times even preoccupied. The problem is that I am not usually occupied
with the right things; or at least not the things that lead to life and
freedom. I am all too often occupied
with my own worries and insecurities and fears—which makes me a really bad
version of myself. And at times I am
occupied with my own opinions and plans and agendas—which leaves me oblivious
to anything other than my little corner of this great big world. But the bigger problem is that when I am
occupied, I have no room. I have no room
for God and I have no room for anyone else.
I am far too full of myself.
I think that’s where Psalm
23 comes in. It comes in and tries to
reorient me. It tries to shift my focus
from being occupied with self—which wears me down and burns me out—to being
occupied with God—who longs to renew my soul and make my cup overflow. Which can sound self-centered in and of
itself unless we realize how the spiritual life is designed to work. It is the overflow of the life of God within
me that is supposed to pour out on those around me. True ministry is always designed to happen as
a result of this overflow.
Psalm 23 is God’s attempt to
say, “How I long for your attention and your affection. And the things that occupy you only distract
you from what is most important—me. So stop. Just stop.
Let go of all of the things that fill your space, and make time and
space for me. Here is what I want you to
do today: lay down, be still, be mine. Everything
else will take care of itself.”
Prayer
Closing
Prayer: Occupy me, O God, until I am full of nothing
but you. Amen.
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