DAILY DEVOTIONALS for JULY
Thursday, July 10
- Scripture: Psalm 23:2-3 – [God] makes me lie down in green pastures, [God] leads me beside quiet waters, [God] refreshes my soul. [God] guides me along the right paths for [the Lord’s] name’s sake.
- Reflection: Some texts are so familiar that they cause us to relax and breathe more deeply, simply by connecting with them. This beloved passage is well known to many people of our faith tradition. It is often a source of comfort in challenging times.
Some paths and natural settings also have the same impact. We breathe and relax when we find ourselves in familiar places calmed by the sound of water, the touch of the open air, the access to light, and the dappled presence of green shade and verdant growth.
This scripture reassures us of God’s gentle care. It reminds of the Spirit guiding us to places of rest and refreshment. We appreciate, along with the setting, the concept of being guided, or having a trusted companion, especially when we are confused or in crisis or weary or in pain.
Where and when do you find yourself breathing more deeply and setting aside the busy-ness of life? - Spiritual Practice Prompt: Take a walk near a body of water or through a green space today. As you walk, focus on feeling God’s presence with you, refreshing your spirit.
Alternately, reach out to someone who serves as a guide or mentor to you, and make time to connect with that person.
Song:
- “Peaceful Easy Feeling” by Eagles: https://youtu.be/gWVDjgC0NVA?si=xb7461IFzoDwhM3B
Nature promotes mutualism. The flower nourishes the bee. The river waters quench the thirst of all living beings. And trees provide a welcoming home to so many birds and animals. There is a rhythm to this togetherness. — Ram Nath Kovind
Rocks and waters, etc., are words of God and so are men. We all flow from one fountain Soul. All are expressions of one Love. God does not appear, and flow out, only from narrow chinks and round bored wells here and there in favored races and places, but He flows in grand undivided currents, shoreless and boundless over creeds and forms and all kinds of civilizations and peoples and beasts, saturating all and fountainizing all.— John Muir
July 10 Devotional