Monthly Devotional

Carve Time to Meet God...

June 2009

I love my evenings at my kids’ swim team practice. While the kids do laps in the warmth of a Virginia summer evening, I look forward to that hour-and-a-half to read a book, do a Bible study, or chat with friends. Where and when can you carve time to meet God and create spiritual memories to last beyond the summer?

Here are a few suggestions for summer relaxation, renewal and refreshment. Perhaps try one or two

• Relax in God’s love. Remember that no matter what you do or don’t do this summer, God still loves you.
• Do something different. Shake up your routine or else start a new one if you’re in a dry place. Start simple and small; your time with God can grow.
• Find a Bible study that is portable. So many Bible studies now include the scriptures within the study itself. AMG has the Coffee Cup series, which is wirebound and easily slips in your purse. Plunge into the Word and find hope and refreshment in His promises and treasures.
• Try a daily Quiet Time with your children. Spread a blanket on the grass or in your living room and call it “Quilt Time on the Quilt.” Read together as family from the Bible for a few minutes a day.
• Determine to really study ONE short book for yourself. Decide to read it over a few times. Perhaps print the passage from your computer (www.Bible.org) and then mark up your printout. Give yourself something to do with each day’s reading. Try underlining repeated words or phrases. Put a circle around the names of God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. Become ACTIVE with your summer study as opposed to a passive-check-off-the-box-I-did-my-quiet-time-today reading. Understand the passage in a new way by doing the ABC’S with it:

            A         A Title
            B         Best verse (Your favorite verse for today)
            C         Command
            D         Difficulty in understanding
            E          Essence (Write the meaning in a sentence or two)
            F          For ME today (What is God saying to you today)

• Try memorizing a verse or passage each week.
• Consider a verse or passage as your family summer verse. I’m considering, Whatever is....... this summer with the girls. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)  If we really considered everything and asked, “IS IT________?” and filled in the blank, I wonder how it could change our lives.
• Take prayer walks. As you walk, meditate on scripture and pray verses for whomever God brings to mind. As you do the laundry, pray for the kids whose clothing you fold. Pray for your husband as you pick up his shoes and make the bed. Pray for people who send you an e-mail. Renew your commitment to talking with God by making prayer a focus throughout the summer.

In other words, do something different in your walk this summer.
Don’t say “can’t,”—instead be like the ant.

 “Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; (Psalm 30:24-25)

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. (Psalm 6:6-8)

Copyright Ann Stewart 2009 - All rights reserved.
Used by permission
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