Meditation

Read Psalm 62:1-12

Be still, and know that I am God.—Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

After a long day at work, I accidentally locked my keys and my phone in my car when I stopped to get gas.

After going into the gas station to call my husband, I went back outside to wait. It was going to be at least 40 minutes until he could bring the spare key. At first, I was frustrated. I had 40 minutes just to sit and wait without my phone to write emails or entertain myself. Then I realized that this quiet, uninterrupted downtime was an unexpected but much-needed gift from God.

As I sat there with nothing to, I realized how often I have unplanned quiet moments. When the cable is out, my phone dies and I don’t have a charger, my son’s bus is running late, or I am waiting to see the doctor, the unproductive time can seem like an inconvenience. But each quiet moment gives me the opportunity to take a deep breath, refocus my thoughts, and just be with God.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for being with us throughout our day. Help us to recognize and appreciate moments to be still in your presence. We pray as Jesus taught us, saying, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day your daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil” (Luke 11:2-4, KJV). Amen.

Thought for the day: When can I stop and spend a few minutes in God’s presence?

—Julie Sipe, Pennsylvania