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Working around my prayer
Friday, March 13, 2015
Friday of the Third Week of Lent
Hosea 14:4
We shall say no more, âOur god,â to the work of our hands.â
God told us to subdue the earth, but he also told us to rest. And we mess it up royally when we donât do both.
God grants sleep to those he loves. But we donât always accept his gift. Time was made for man, not man for time.  Still, when we begin to think we are indispensable, time carries us away and eats us for lunch.
Jesus told us to identify the least of our brothers and sisters, and there we would find him. We are also told regularly in the Bible to identify the work of our hands. I find God there too.
This work is my gift to God. Giving this gift lets me see myself realistically.  And then rest becomes joyful and rich.
It is reasonable to believe that God never stops creating except to rest. And we donât either. When we get the balance right, we will be endlessly creative, and our work will bring us endless joy. Punctuated by Sabbath, our days and weeks and months and years arenât drudgery, even when the work is difficult.
Can I find this sweet spot in my own personal culture? It has never not been available. But the temptation to create my own world is also always there, and that inevitably results in choosing accomplishment over rest. Subduing the earth will never be the same as deciding to create a new one.
Lord, turn my work toward your work, and my goals toward your goals. Help me learn the art of working around my prayer instead of praying around my work. This rhythm is your gift to us all.
http://www.christiancounselingservice.com/archived_devotions.php?article_id=1357
