Psalm 32:7 NIV – You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

I have shared with you before that we have been working on creating a backyard bird sanctuary. First, we hung several bluebird houses along our fence. Next, we put out a bird feeder. Lastly, we hung a bird bath. We quickly gained a family of bluebirds. It is a beautiful thing to see them return each year. Often in the summer I sit outside for my devotion as I am doing today. You could say it is my sanctuary and my sacred place. 

What is a sanctuary? According to Merriam–Webster it can be a building or room for religious worship. It can be a place that provides safety or protection. It can be a wildlife sanctuary. It can also be protection from a difficult situation that is provided by a safe place. Where is your sanctuary? Where do you run first when you need to rest in God’s presence? 

In our key verse, we are protected and surrounded with songs of deliverance. In our sanctuaries, we can be free to worship without worldly distractions. Just like Ray’s photo, it is our private sacred place. As you sit in your sanctuary, I encourage you to watch and listen to “Who’s Gonna Stop The King” by Crowder. Alleluia, our God reigns! 

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for my sanctuary that I can sit and worship You without worldly distractions. I am so blessed to be reminded today that no one can stop You from Your protection and deliverance.

Psalm‬ ‭65‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭MSG‬‬ – Oh, visit the earth, ask her to join the dance! Deck her out in spring showers, fill the God-River with living water. Paint the wheat fields golden. Creation was made for this! Drench the plowed fields, soak the dirt clods With rainfall as harrow and rake bring her to blossom and fruit. Snow-crown the peaks with splendor, scatter rose petals down your paths, All through the wild meadows, rose petals. Set the hills to dancing, Dress the canyon walls with live sheep, a drape of flax across the valleys. Let them shout, and shout, and shout! Oh, oh, let them sing!

Change is inevitable. It may be unwanted or desired. I love the quote by Walt Disney: “If nothing changed, there’d be no butterflies”. On this Transformation Tuesday how will you handle change? I encourage us all to pray and ask God to equip us to handle the changes because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! 

We can’t always fathom the grand plan but we can choose how we handle it as it unfolds. Notice Ray’s photo looks like a field of dry grass. Along the horizon, you see lush greenery. In our key verse, there is a lot of change. The Psalmist says that creation was made for this. As God’s creation, we too are made for change.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for the butterflies to remind me that I was created for change. Equip me for the changes that today will bring! I can do all things through You oh Lord, who strengthens me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭139‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭MSG‬‬ – Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.

We tend to compare ourselves to others but God made us each unique. We must change our mindset and accept how God made us because we are fearfully and wonderfully made. The message version says; “marvelously made”. If you tend to struggle with comparison, just take a moment to remember who made you.

I hope Ray’s photo makes you laugh. Just as we all need to wash our hands, we must cleanse our minds. The Psalmist says we are all sculpted from nothing to something. What is your mindset today? If you are struggling with your thoughts, cleanse your mind in God’s word and truth.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for all of creation. I worship You in adoration. Help me not to compare myself to others. Help me to appreciate how You wonderfully, fearfully, and marvelously made me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Psalm 104:12 NIV – The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches.

One day while sitting on the front porch with my Mom, we watched the mockingbirds fly in and out of the trees. Mom informed me that mockingbirds sing 200 songs because they mock other birds. So of course I had to google this fun fact. According to the National Wildlife Federation, Northern Mockingbirds do learn up to 200 songs in their lifetime. Not only do they mimic other birds but they also mimic dog barks, musical instruments, and sirens. 

Take a moment to re-read today’s key verse. The birds nest by the waters. With God as our living water, do we nest by Him so that we can sing high among the branches? We tend to mimic what we are surrounded by. If we are nested next to God, we can mimic God’s word in our lives. The words we share can sing His praises.

As you go to your places of worship today, take in all the sounds of worship. Really sit and nest in God’s word so that it can overflow from you this week. Sing loud so that Mocking birds may hear your joyful noise. 

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for Your word that I can nestle into. I long to mimic Your word through my day and my week so that I can shine Your glory. I sing Your praises! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Psalms‬ ‭42‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV —- My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

Join me at the river in today’s See You Saturday video as I finish out our week on being still and quiet.

Let’s pray. Dear God, May I always stay thirsty for You. Continue to remind me to be still and quiet so I am ready to listen to You. Thank You for Your love, guidance, and direction. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Matthew 6:33 NIV — But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

I pray you have taken some time this week to sit still and quietly listen to God. Sometimes solitude is just what we need. Monday I shared with you that at one time I was what I call a “devotional junkie.” I read a minimum of 8 devotionals each morning. Just so you know, Julie was also a devotional junkie. As I look back on those days, I think God was filling me with understanding and preparing me to write for Him. I have since downsized and only read a few devotionals prior to writing each morning. Although I don’t read as many each morning, I still feel it is important to spend time each day with God, filling up with His word, and listening for guidance and direction. Do you have a daily routine of spending time with God? Do you have a favorite devotional you like to read each day? Below are some of the emails/websites Julie, Ray, and I read or have read over the years. Check them out. Just be careful not to become a devotional junkie and forget to take time to quietly listen to God.

Daily Hope With Rick Warren

Steven Furtick 1-Minute Motivation

Girlfriends In God

Christine Caine

Encouragement For Today

Our Daily Bread

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for speaking to me through the writing of others. Fill me up so I may reflect more of You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

As Jesus said in John 16:13 NIV — But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

I began this week by telling you about a time I shattered my cell phone and was forced to do without it for a couple days. I spent those two days remembering how to sit still and listen to God. God reminded me that our time together shouldn’t be filled up with me pouring out my thoughts and concerns, but also time to be quiet and listen to God. I encouraged you to do the same this week. Have you taken the time to sit and listen? Did you hear God speaking to you?

While texting with Julie and Ray this week, Ray gave a wonderful analogy. He said, “Like we use cell phones to talk with others, God uses the Holy Spirit to talk with us if we have a good connection and listen!” We have to be willing to be still and quiet to foster a good connection. Part of hearing from God is being open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. How is your connection? Are you listening? Spend a few moments listening to “Holy Spirit” by Francesca Battistelli and invite the Holy Spirit into your quiet time.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for our Advocate, the Holy Spirit. Open my eyes, ears, heart, and mind to the leading of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.