Happy Monday!!! I hope everyone had an amazing weekend serving Jesus!!
This week’s devotion is “A year of PAUSE!” written by Stephanie Shipman! Please take the time to read as she shares her heart with us today!
I am thankful for each of you!! Praying you have a blessed week.
A year of PAUSE! – Stephanie Shipman
No! my year has not stopped. Although at times, I wish it had. Neither has then been a year where I have just stopped serving the Lord. But this has been a year where I have tried to stop and in every major situation take the time to pause. To ponder on what the Lord is doing in my life, through my life, and in the lives of those close to me. I have taken the time to:
~ Pause and Ponder- Lamentations 3:25.
~ Pause and Pray – Philippians 4:6-9
~ Pause and Plan – Ecclesiastes 3
At this time, I Pause and Praise! Oh, the wonderful things the Lord has shown me! I truly wish I could speak with you in person about the times I have just stood still and watched as God orchestrated His will. How He worked all things for His Good and His Glory! But… I’ll just tell you of one.
In the year 2023… It is the year of some big celebrations on my husband’s side of our family. It happened to be his mom’s 70th birthday, his dad’s 75th birthday, but also their 50th wedding anniversary! My husband, being the oldest, contacted the siblings and they planned a big celebration. We tried to make it a surprise – but with six kids and their families it would be a feat getting everyone into town and pulling it off. So, we (well, really the siblings) made a decision to let them know. All the while, the planning went on and each child was going to give a tribute to their parents. It was truly a time of pause to praise. The Bible speaks of the children arising and calling her blessed. Proverbs 31:28 “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.” Every sibling told of how they as parents made family a priority. As I sat there and listened to each one – it caused me to pause and praise the Lord. They (the children) were all important to their parents; they all had a different story or stories of which they spoke of. What were they doing? They were pausing to praise their parents. Their parents paused their busy, hectic, and at times chaotic lives to spend time with their children.
As I sit here today, still thinking on this… I think couldn’t we as Christians praise our heavenly Father for the time, he spends with us? He’s always willing and always ready to spend time with us. We, too often, busy ourselves with he beeps and buzzes of life. We need to slow down and reflect on the joys of the Lord. To say it simply ~ Ponder and Praise. Psalm 34:1-3 “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear therof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.”
May I urge you to take some time to Praise the Lord?
~For All He has done, All He is doing, and All He will do!
https://www.sappsolutely.com/devotions/a-year-of-pause-stephanie-shipman?fbclid=IwAR1fxTbHM0zZXlJEsY_6kPxHQ3TErRYE23O_i9cunvji-QMb4UMOXxuCU1Y
