DAILY DEVOTIONALS for JULY
July 2
- Scripture: Exodus 33:14 – “The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’”
- Reflection: This month, we will focus on cultivating different ways to strengthen our capacity to engage in ‘rest’. In a culture that often defines the value of people’s lives and time through productivity, and even prompts us to identify ourselves based on our work and accomplishments, ‘rest’ may not be an easy concept to embrace. Yet our earliest teachings from Genesis call people to rest as part of self-care, and also as a way to be present to Holy Love.
Humans benefit from time for delight, recreation, and renewal. The spiritual practice of ‘rest’ is both a divine promise, woven into our earliest stories of creation, and also a divine expectation for humanity. Throughout the Torah, the Jewish collection of scriptures, and also in the Gospels, this practice of resting has also meant trusting God.
In the scripture above, God reassures the early Israelites that God’s presence accompanies Moses’ people as they migrate toward the ‘promised land’. In this sense, rest is not only part of the weekly rhythm of life based on keeping the Sabbath (modeled in the Genesis 1-2) and part of the 50-year cycle of Jubilee (described in Leviticus 25:8-10). Rest is also the idealized ‘destination’ at the end of their journey: the promised land will offer rest.
Yet God isn’t just waiting for Moses’ folk at the end of their long journey. God also accompanies these ancient people, and offers respite throughout their experience.
God’s promise of rest is translated, in our faith tradition, to people in current times also. Rest is both an ongoing opportunity for a regular spiritual exercise and also the promise of fulfillment at the end of a lifetime.
We are advised, through this passage and many others, to consistently seek God as a source of tranquility. By building this relationship, we exercise our capacity to reinforce body-mind-spirit equilibrium throughout our lives. When we do so, we begin to open ourselves to a deeper form of peace. We learn how to center ourselves, even in the midst busy-ness, chaos and and external tension and stress. We develop mindfulness and gratitude. We gain perspective. We grow resilience.
In this way, the spiritual practice of rest, stillness, and renewal is not merely physical, but translates into a soul-deep peace. At its best, when we build this spiritual practice of seeking stillness and rest, we learn to trust in God as a refuge from the burdens we carry. We begin to lay down our anxieties and experience God’s comfort. This scripture, along with many others, reminds us that we are never alone on our journey, and that our relationship with God as a source of ‘rest’ is always accessible. - Spiritual Practice Prompt: Commit to going to bed fifteen minutes earlier than usual tonight or another evening this week. Use that time to unwind and reflect on the ways you felt God’s presence throughout your day.
Song:
-
- Song: “Let It Be” by The Beatles: https://youtu.be/CGj85pVzRJs?si=DoAdIzunebcMKtOk
Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths. — Etty Hillesum
July 2 Daily Devotional