Mark 3:10
After Jesus had healed many people, the other sick people begged him to let them touch him.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In my daily devotional book, God Calling, the commentary for today was about touch… not just hearing from God or speaking to Him, but sitting still and feeling His presence – His touch. As if this were not inspiration enough, I opened a magazine, and the first article I turned to was about the healing effects of - you guessed it - touch! If this isn’t a clear sign that I am supposed to address the subject of touch today, I don’t know what is!
Over and again in scripture, we read about touch… a touch from God… the healing touch of Jesus… the woman who said (paraphrased), “If only I could touch the hem of His garment.” We hear Jesus feel the healing power leave his body and ask, “Who touched my clothing?” Touch is powerful! And just as I read in my devotional book today, we need to stop and rest in the moment and truly experience God’s touch.
The article I read suggested that the touch of another could lower blood pressure, facilitate physical healing, and soothe the soul. Even snuggling into a warm bathrobe or cupping a steaming mug of coffee or tea can elicit calm and a sense of well-being as your skin comes into contact with something soothing and warm. Stroking a devoted pet can make everything better. And the touch of God Almighty can truly heal and restore you in every area of life.
My husband and I used to have a farm house with a big front porch. Even on cold nights, I would sit there in a chair or swing… bundled in a warm bathrobe with a cup of hot tea to warm my hands… and I would talk to God. I would feel the warmth and comfort of His presence… like big arms wrapped around me. This was my sanctuary – my healing place – and God touched me there. I’ll be honest… I need to find a new sanctuary and rekindle that kind of daily “touch” from God… and maybe you do, as well. Make this the week you begin to find time each day to receive a touch from God… and to look for opportunities to offer a touch to someone else.
In the magazine article I read, there was a story from a 27-year-old single woman who attended church, and one Sunday the pastor said, “When you share God’s peace with others, reach over and touch somebody. Some people in here have not been touched all week.” She thought to herself that it was sad that there must be a lot of older people in the service who needed this touch. Then it hit her – SHE was one of those people! Are you one of those people who need a touch – from God and/or others? Have you made yourself available to God? Have you “stilled” yourself long enough for Him to touch you in whatever manner you need? Who do you need to reach out and touch this week with God’s love?
Make this the week that you beg to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. Make this the week that you begin to experience the blessings that result from the touch of God. Find your sanctuary and spend time in His presence… then pass on the blessings to others. Feel them multiply exponentially as you experience – and share - the healing power of God’s touch.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label sanctuary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sanctuary. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for February 6, 2012
Psalm 9:7-10
God holds the high center, he sees and sets the world's mess right. He decides what is right for us earthlings, gives people their just deserts.
God's a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you relax; you're never sorry you knocked.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Think about a really stressful time in your life… where was your sanctuary? Where did you go to “let your hair down” and relax… what gave you comfort? When I was a little girl, my “sanctuary” was a mossy creek bank across the road from my grandparents’ farm. I still can “channel” the sound of the wind in the pines and feel the softness of that damp moss beneath me… and instantly, I feel calmer. If you are like me, you have dreamed of falling into your cozy bed and getting a good long nap or a night’s rest. Last Christmas Eve, when I was at my wits’ end with the care of my grandmother in the Emergency Room, I even found refuge in the hospital chapel. In that moment, God’s “house” was where I discovered a “safe-house” for my battered nerves!
Surely you have your own list of sanctuaries… places where you feel you can relax during bad times… where you are never sorry you knocked. But what if none of those physical refuges is available? What are you supposed to do then?
As wonderful and comforting as physical safe havens can be, I believe that we truly arrive as Christians when we can “center” ourselves in God any place… at any time. When we stop and focus on Him, we see that He is at work setting the world’s mess right, no matter where we are. I was talking with a friend recently and commented that I had a running joke with someone else that… “If God can fix this, He can fix anything.” My friend quickly retorted… “God CAN fix anything!” And he’s exactly right… but often we have not given Him room to do this!
Today, I want you to take a deep breath… or two or three. Relax and open your heart to God. Allow Him to come in and handle the messes of your day and give you sanctuary, wherever you may be. Learn to find refuge in Him while sitting in traffic, handling the latest crisis of the moment, or struggling with the worries of your day. Nothing is too big for God to handle… and there is no safer place than in His arms. When was the last time you knocked at His “safe-house?” Isn’t this a good time to visit?
©2012 Debbie Robus
God holds the high center, he sees and sets the world's mess right. He decides what is right for us earthlings, gives people their just deserts.
God's a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you relax; you're never sorry you knocked.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Think about a really stressful time in your life… where was your sanctuary? Where did you go to “let your hair down” and relax… what gave you comfort? When I was a little girl, my “sanctuary” was a mossy creek bank across the road from my grandparents’ farm. I still can “channel” the sound of the wind in the pines and feel the softness of that damp moss beneath me… and instantly, I feel calmer. If you are like me, you have dreamed of falling into your cozy bed and getting a good long nap or a night’s rest. Last Christmas Eve, when I was at my wits’ end with the care of my grandmother in the Emergency Room, I even found refuge in the hospital chapel. In that moment, God’s “house” was where I discovered a “safe-house” for my battered nerves!
Surely you have your own list of sanctuaries… places where you feel you can relax during bad times… where you are never sorry you knocked. But what if none of those physical refuges is available? What are you supposed to do then?
As wonderful and comforting as physical safe havens can be, I believe that we truly arrive as Christians when we can “center” ourselves in God any place… at any time. When we stop and focus on Him, we see that He is at work setting the world’s mess right, no matter where we are. I was talking with a friend recently and commented that I had a running joke with someone else that… “If God can fix this, He can fix anything.” My friend quickly retorted… “God CAN fix anything!” And he’s exactly right… but often we have not given Him room to do this!
Today, I want you to take a deep breath… or two or three. Relax and open your heart to God. Allow Him to come in and handle the messes of your day and give you sanctuary, wherever you may be. Learn to find refuge in Him while sitting in traffic, handling the latest crisis of the moment, or struggling with the worries of your day. Nothing is too big for God to handle… and there is no safer place than in His arms. When was the last time you knocked at His “safe-house?” Isn’t this a good time to visit?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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