Does God speak to you through everyday events as well as Bible verses?
I have a tray on my living-room ottoman. Since I curl up on the couch with my coffee each morning for my prayer and quiet time, the tray contains my devotional material and Bible within easy reach.
Last Saturday, I had absolutely nothing on my plate. A rare occurrence. I chose not to do any chores. I stayed in my pjs and vegged out on old TV sitcoms, game shows, and home-makeover episodes. That evening, I watched two clean mysteries, my favorite genre to read and write.
Afterwards, I clicked off the TV and set the remote on the tray. As I rose off the cushion, my heart rose into my throat. The remote sat on top of my Bible.
Message received. I could’ve spent more time in the Word. Communed more with my Lord and prayed for others…but I didn’t.
Down time is a good thing. In fact, setting aside a regular rest period is one of the Ten Commandments, stated in Exodus 20:8. God calls it the Sabbath and we are to remember it. But the rest of the verse states to keep it holy. To be holy means to set something apart from the ordinary.
Had my down time been holy? My day off was not an ordinary occurrence. I didn’t watch anything with bad language or sex in it, which is a challenge nowadays. But how much more rested would I have been if I had placed my Bible in my hands more than my remote control?
The next time I have a down day, no matter how remote, may I choose to spend more of that special time with the One who ultimately provided the chance in the first place.
Julie Cosgrove
Fallen Leaf by Julie B. Cosgrove
Julie B. Cosgrove is a professional speaker, freelance writer, and award-winning author of twenty-one faith-based books. She is a digital missionary as on staff at Power to Change (Campus Crusades Canada) assisting twenty-seven-plus volunteer writers from all over the world to produce free, daily devotionals as well as meaningful testimonies and articles. The two websites, The Life.com and Issues I Face, have yearly readership in the hundreds of thousands in five languages. Her blog Where Did You Find God Today? reaches readership in over fifty countries. Visit her website at www.juliebcosgrove.com. A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, The Christian Authors Network, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, she’s an INSPY Award semi-finalist and a Grace Award Finalist. She was awarded Best Religious Fiction 2016 and Best Cozy Mystery 2017 by the Texas Association of Authors.
