Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Lamentations 3:22-26  NLT The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” 25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. 26 So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.   Where is the place that you find peace?   What do you do or where do you go to be refreshed? Maybe it is beside the water at the ocean as you feel the breeze and hear the waves.  Maybe it is in the mountains overlooking taking in the view that seems to go on for miles.  Maybe it is in a valley next to a stream where the water is rushing over rocks.  Any of those and more can calm your heart rate and to reignite your thoughts and joy. God does that....

  We have all learned in life that there are some things that we do that make us better and stronger.  In this Friday e-devotion I share just a few that I have found to make me stronger, that give me wisdom and that put life in to perspective. I am not saying that I do these well.  I am saying that I have found these things to be helpful.  Here are some routines that will help us win. Pressing Pause Psalm 46:10  NLT   “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Exodus 31:13  NLT   “Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. Times to be quiet and reflect can add so much to our lives.  Life is busy and hectic and even at times overwhelming.  Getting quiet may be one of the best ways to turn off th...

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” It is time to make sure we are separating worry from our lives.  Often I have heard people say that inactivity or being quiet shows a lack of faith.  Somebody got that one wrong, and for a few lines, a few minutes, today I challenge us to rethink this idea. Being still might cause us to make better decisions. Being still might allow us to hear better. Being still might allow us to avoid another problem. Being still might bring healing, re-charging and strengthening. The first place we encounter the idea of being still is when God created the world.  It says on the 7th day God rested.  Why did He do that?  I believe it is because we needed the example to follow.  We needed the ability to see our bodies are made for rest. That is why begin still is often missed or missed marked as something it is not....

Go with me once again to familiar place.  It actually finds it’s roots in several places, and all of them have left marks on my life and made a huge difference in my life. When I was a teenager, my youth minister taught us to spend time with God each day.  We learned that a quiet time can include prayer, reading the Bible, listening and note taking.  It should be an important part of our lives as it helps shape and strengthen us.  It did.  It has.  And there is more, much more, to come. Early in my years as a pastor and a husband, I went to a meeting in the mountains of Georgia where I learned more about quiet time and the greatness of verses of the Bible in my heart.  An influential pastor stepped into my life and encouraged me to read a chapter of Proverbs each day.  That was life changing, this is something I have been sharing with others ever since. Daily quiet time with God is a special ...

Acts 3:20   NLT Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. Some places are just more special than others.   You probably have a few of these that come to mind at various times in your memories.   I love to remember several of these as well as plan for more. The encounters I remember involve a couple different people.   First and foremost would be time with my God.   Several come to mind and hold very special places in my heart.   I learned much in those spots where I go quiet and heard from God. Second would include people who mean much to me.   Some are family.   Some are people who poured in to my life.   All are significant. 1 Samuel 12:7   NLT Now stand here quietly before the lord as I remind you of all the great things the lord has done for you and your ancestors. In the rest of this post I want to share a few of the pl...