The Upper Room Devotion for Wednesday, September 27, 2023, was written by Kate Carroll of Kidare, Ireland.
Scripture
1 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. 3 Within its citadels God has shown himself a sure defense. 4 Then the kings assembled, they came on together. 5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic, they took to flight; 6 trembling took hold of them there, pains as of a woman in labor, 7 as when an east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish. 8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes forever. Selah 9 We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. 10 Your name, O God, like your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with victory. 11 Let Mount Zion be glad, let the towns of Judah rejoice because of your judgments.
Psalm 46:1-11 NRSV
Author's Thoughts
The dog came out from under the deck with a piece of naan bread in her mouth. She obviously had a buried stash of food. On occasion, she's been known to swipe food scraps. No matter how large the scraps are, she is determined not to let them fall from her mouth or let them be taken from her, so she tries to eat large pieces of food in one mouthful. This morning I heard the phrase, "You've bitten off more than you can chew" and thought of the dog.
At times we commit to responsibilities and deadlines without measuring the impact they will have on our lives. We may then find ourselves with over-filled mouths, wondering how we're going to chew it all. When we're under pressure and feeling burdened, simply being still is often the hardest thing to do. It can feel counter-intuitive when we have so much on our plate. But in stillness, we remember God. We can then cast our cares on God and ask for wisdom and direction.
Pastor Anthony's Thoughts
Friends,
Kate's reflection invites us to pause and consider the things and people that are most important to us. We often are so overscheduled that we miss opportunities that would enrich our lives. I invite you to re-read Kate's reflection and ask yourself: What am I doing that consumes my time but doesn't enrich my life?
Author's Prayer
Loving Father, give us peace to be still before you even when we have bitten off more than we can chew. Give us this wisdom to deal with whatever is before us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
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