Today's Devotional Thought
May 16, 2012 by Rachel Piferi
Quiet Your Spirit
I said prayers in three rooms, kissed three little heads, picked up toys as I walked down the hallway, stepped over backpacks and shoes on the stairs that did not quite make it to their destinations, and then collapsed onto the couch. My husband had been out of town for only 8 hours and the thought of two more days of single motherhood left me tired, sad, and honestly, a little grumbly.
You know what I mean by "grumbly."
It is that unrest in your spirit that starts every sentence with, "But what about me..." That feeling that usually arises when you feel like you have spent every ounce of energy taking care of everyone around you and you just want someone to take care of you. The selfish feeling that quickly reminds you of the Israelites and their lack of gratitude for or even acknowledgement of God's provision.
Yeah, I was feeling a little "grumbly."
As I was collapsed onto the couch and many selfish thoughts were going through my head, I quickly acknowledged my poor attitude and knew instantly that my spirit was just crying out for someone to lavish it with an unfailing and enormous love. I had been giving of myself to take care of others and my spirit just wanted someone to lavish it with an overwhelming love.
So, I went right to the source of that kind of love and I recited Zephaniah 3:17. It has become one of my favorite verses when I want to feel God's lavish love:
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.
Oh how I love the picture of God rejoicing over us with singing. I love the fact that God takes great delight in us. As I collapsed on the couch, my grumbly attitude quickly softened as I thought of God delighting in me and singing over my weary soul. And as this verse says, he quieted me with his love.
I think we all have those days, weeks, or even seasons of life where we are just crying out for someone to take care of us. As women, we do give of ourselves to a lot of different people. And sometimes, we want someone to come out of nowhere and just treat us like a princess and remind us of how wildly we are loved. As we are taking care of children and husbands and jobs and other responsibilities, we want to be taken care of. We want someone to just overwhelm us with love.
While it is nice when someone on Earth reminds us we are loved, there is no one who overwhelms us with love like Jesus does. And when I start feeling like I need to be overwhelmingly loved, I just go this verse in Zephaniah. And as I picture God singing delightfully over me, my spirit is quieted and I am at peace.
Oh sweet sisters, we all get "grumbly" from time to time. But when you do find yourself unsettled, please remember God's enormous and wild love for you. And today, I pray that God will shower you with his love and that his overwhelming love will quiet, reassure, and strengthen your souls.
December