What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? Deuteronomy 4:7 (NIV)
The mega breakdown was boiling up inside of me late in the evening. This was not one of those pretty Hallmark moments where the tear droplet weightlessly falls from your eye and gently glides down your cheek. No. This was one of those experiences with a messy blend of tears, mascara and snot pouring down the canvas of a fire-engine red face. I’m almost certain you know the type.
I desperately wanted to feel the rest and presence that God promises, but the traumatic events occurring in the world, bound tightly with my never-ending to-do list, were whipping through my head like a chaotic tornado. Fear was gripping my heart. Thoughts of loss, grief, sadness and uncertainty for the days I was living in, and raising my kids on top of that, left no space for that peace.
In those same moments of melting down, God used the timely words coming from a documentary on the life of Corrie Ten Boom to minister deeply to my spirit. “Look around, you’ll be distressed. Look inside, you’ll be depressed. Look to Jesus, you’ll find rest.” Her words echoed in my head.
Distressed - Check.
Depressed - Check.
Rest - Nope.
Can you relate? Our schedules are busy and our homes are often loud with every child, chore and piece of technology clamoring for our immediate attention. All of the chaos continues to make our heads spin, and we desperately need to get quiet. Thankfully, God willingly welcomes our swiftly changing emotions with unending grace.
One of the most beautiful things about our God is that from the beginning of creation, He has always desired to be near us. This very characteristic sets Him apart from all other gods of the nations. He stopped at nothing to make sure we had access to all that He promised. His presence is always promised to us as His daughters for our flourishing, but we rarely provide the space to notice Him.
He longs to be near you. In this very moment, you have access to experience His fullness and peace through the work of Jesus on the cross. When was the last time your schedule had any margin in it to simply sit and be with Jesus? Oh, that we would move everything in our tight schedules to make space to quiet our minds in order to meet with the One who is so eager to show Himself in a personal way.
Your Fellow Able Mom,
Magen Thetford
Lord, we humbly thank you for stopping at nothing to be near us.
Would you teach us to still our minds, quiet our hearts, and look to you?
Make known to us your powerful presence and peace as we learn to depend on
you for every little worry and fear that overwhelms us.
It is in Your Beautiful Name we ask all these things, Amen.
Connect with Magen: Instagram - @magenthetford Facebook - Magen Thetford Email - info@magenthetford.com We NOW have this DEVO in SPANISH!!!! Check it out right here!! Devotional en Espanol; https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kUCKb9gl-yNyUESnx-uMbVtu2-la9hrnmJwc5DoL0Ns/edit?usp=sharing If you didn’t hear about Mom Comm 2023, when and where, join Able Moms Communities and watch our video here. Don't miss our version of moms-night-out every Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. CST - laugh with your Able Moms team live on Facebook (Not an Able Mom Member yet?) Join us! Start here AbleMoms.org Follow Able Moms on IG at https://www.instagram.com/able_moms/
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