In keeping with our Lifesprings International annual tradition of celebrating a month of Sabbath rest, we invite you to join us for the month of August (which we call Breather Month) to intentionally set aside times of rest with God. We will take a break from our regular rhythms of meetings and gatherings and set aside time to be with God, perhaps exploring practicing spiritual disciplines, taking time for a nature walk, to enjoy God’s creation, enjoying extended time of listening prayer, and scripture meditation, focusing on resting with God. Our writers reflections will describe personal testimony of sabbath rest based on a scripture of their choosing. We invite you to join us in first meditating and digesting this passage slowly using lectio divina and then read the reflection.
Listen:
“The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
Reflect:
God is present with you! God is happy to have you “back” (MSG version)! He will renew you with his love! He will calm you to sleep with his songs sung over you!
I have a new grandson and I am so excited to be able to sing him to sleep, to cradle him in my arms and rock him. Can you imagine how much more God delights in us and sings over us? In one version the translation is quite strong about how loudly God jubilates over us being with him.
Each one of these phrases reminds me of a time when God met me in a special way and renewed me. But I will choose one to write about: I was head of a committee to look for a new pastor and felt the “weight of the world” upon me, so I asked others to pray and I sought God – and in a dream, he answered me with a plan for a key meeting. Not only did that meeting go well, but it shifted the group to a more unified team. God be praised! I was able to leave the meeting pleased at the outcome, but moreover, relaxed. It was a direct answer to prayer. I felt that God had been my mighty warrior, doing “the hard work” for me. I felt His song (my dream) affected me and the future of my church in a very positive way.
Even when we have to work and feel a heavy weight of responsibility, we can rest in the promises of God. He will answer, he will sing over us while we sleep. Finally, we can know that what God wants is US, not anything more – or less., and that this can give us rest because when God is allowed to be with us by our request and posture, he sings and shouts over us, he is that excited!
Prayer of Response:
Jesus, I thank and praise you for sending the Holy Spirit who is with me every day. Spirit, I thank you for guiding me on sometimes difficult paths. Father, I praise you for your love for me that restores and gives me rest. I thank you God for singing and shouting over me.
Questions to Ponder:
- What do you want to tell God about today? What do you want to ask God for?
- What can you do today to rest in the love God freely gives today – and every day?
Breath prayers:
Join us in praying breath prayers each day. We invite you to write your own as well.
Inhale(Breathe in): Thank you for your love.
Exhale(Breathe out): Renew me, and sing over me .
(Repeat)
—Submitted by: Patty Jehle
Patty Jehle, MA, is a Swiss citizen, born in the USA, and has been living in Switzerland for 33 years. She is married to Patrik and has three adult children, one son-in-law, a daughter-in-law and a new grandson this year. She’s a retired university lecturer, and is working as a certified spiritual director, a certified business coach and supervisor, and an independent member care provider and debriefer and among other things she is a member of the Order of the Mustard Seed. She attended the very first LSM and helped with LSM-Zürich.(www.jehle-coaching.com )