READ-THINK-PRAY-REST: God’s Pathway to PeaceSample

Analysts estimate that culture sends each of us some 5000 messages a day. From billboards to smartphones, from television commercials to app ads, from hyperlinks to social media posts, we are inundated with ever-changing signals about what will give us value or make us happy or fulfill our longings. We pay a terrible price for this onslaught--it increases our anxiety; it malnourishes our soul and leaves us in a state of perpetual discontent. 

We hardly notice that through our digital devices we are giving corporate entities who are determined to increase their profit margins almost continuous access to our minds and hearts. These purveyors of product care nothing for our souls, yet we consume a steady diet of their relentless interruptions. 

It is, indeed, a dry and weary land that we live in, and the latest gadget or tube of lipstick or car or pair of shoes can never quench this thirst we feel at our deepest levels. Yet there is a place of peace that awaits each of us, if only we’ll pull away long enough to let God in. The Psalmist lays it out beautifully for us in our passage today.

Read: Sit quietly and read the passage from beginning to end without stopping. When you finish, read it one more time, asking God to open the eyes of your heart as you meet him here today.

Think: What words did David use to describe his environment? What was he feeling physically? Emotionally? For what did he really thirst? How did he re-calibrate his heart? What specific choices did he make? What does his story here tell you about God? How many metaphors (descriptions) for God do you see here?

Pray: As you ponder these verses and what you’ve seen so far, ask God two simple questions: Lord, what are you inviting me to understand from this for my life today? Wait on him, and once you think you’ve heard something, ask this: Lord, how do you want me to respond to this today?

Rest: Sit quietly for a couple of minutes or more in God’s presence. Breathe deeply throughout, offering this prayer whenever your mind wanders: O God, you are my God: My soul thirsts for you. When your time is up, thank God for meeting you in His Word.