[Membersandfriends] Monday, November 08, 2004

Sun Nov 7 22:01:26 PST 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Monday, November 08, 2004

_________________________

Spiritual Growth for All Ages ...

The Upper Room offers a resource for family members at every age or stage of their journey with God. Learn more: 
http://www.upperroom.org/store/category_search.asp?category=169&ep_id=220
_________________________

BUSY DAYS
_________________________

Mark 6:30-32 (NRSV)

The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.

_________________________

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
- Mark 1:35 (NIV)
_________________________

ANXIETY about my "to-do" list jarred me awake at 4:30 a.m.  I tried to fall asleep again, but frantic thoughts frazzled my nerves.  How will I get everything done?

In the quietness, I recalled Jesus' schedule as described in the Gospel of Mark.  When crowds of people demanded his attention, how did he cope?  He slipped away early in the morning to spend quiet time alone with his heavenly Father.  

Like me, people all over the world face busy days.  Some balance two jobs to provide for their family's needs; some must work from sunrise to sunset just to get enough food to survive.  Some provide round-the

-clock care for a disabled spouse, aging parents, or small children.  With such important demands on our time, it is easy to eliminate Bible reading and prayer, thinking we don't have time for them.  But in reality, our fellowship with God is where we find strength to face life's demands.

If Jesus drew apart for strength, how much more should we?  His example reminds us to make time with God a priority.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank you for inviting us to draw apart and find renewal in you.  Help us make time with you a daily priority.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
The more demands we face, the more we need to pray.

-- Grace Fox (British Columbia, Canada)

PRAYER FOCUS: People working multiple jobs

_________________________

RELATED READING ...

WRESTLING WITH GRACE: A Spirituality for the Rough Edges of Daily Life shows how to overcome obstacles with grace and how to bless the undesirables of life to open our spirits to deeper joy and love.
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=107690

PLEASE SHARE THIS MINISTRY with a friend. Invite them to sign up for the free E-Mail Devotional by visiting: http://www.upperroom.org/devotional/email/.

_________________________

QUESTIONS?  If you reply to this e-mail, you'll receive an automated message answering our readers' most frequently asked questions.  If your question remains unanswered, please write to us at the special "help" e-mail address you'll find in the automated message.

TO UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.upperroom.org/unsubscribe/

TO CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS: Visit the My Account page: http://www.upperroom.org/myaccount/. Log in, using your current e-mail address and password. Once logged in your account, click on the "Edit Personal Information" link. Edit your e-mail address and any other information, and click "Update" to complete the change.

FORGOTTEN YOUR PASSWORD? Visit the My Account page: http://www.upperroom.org/myaccount/. Click on "Forgot My Password." Enter your e-mail address, and if there is a password associated with it, the password will be e-mailed to you immediately.
_________________________

The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.