Mar 18, 2026 – Stillness
JC – “Exert your will to trust Me in all circumstances. Don’t let your need to understand distract you from My Presence. I will equip you to get through this day victoriously, as you live in deep dependence on Me.
Power – Matthew 6:25, 27 – “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life….Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Joyce suggests, “Instead of saying, ‘I’m worried,’ replace those negative, useless words with ‘I trust God.’ When you say you trust God, His power is released to work in your life. Study God’s Word, remember His faithfulness to you in past situations, and be determined to stop wasting your time worrying.”
Right now, I’m concerned (not worried) about our new washer and dryer and whether I was hasty in buying it. It’s on my mind because, unlike the others I’ve had, I can hear every cycle of this one, even the change of cycles. The spin cycle has a whine that interrupts my thinking (probably why I’m writing about it and not reading the next devotion). I’ve only bought two w/d sets for this house in all the years I’ve lived here. The others I’ve had came with Don and were the front-loading type (washer) with the door seal that gets so gross over time.
I was happy to move those to the rental house and get back to the top loader especially because the salesman sold me on the fact that Whirlpool is the only line that has a removable agitator so you can more easily wash big bedspreads etc. I’ve never had a glass lid before and now I know why because, seeing what’s barely going on in there with the slight twist of the drum and agitator, makes me wonder how the items are getting clean since they barely move. They definitely move in a front-loader. Sigh.
I am getting good use out of these new units though because I cleaned out the kids’ bathroom closet and am on my 4th load of towels and sheets. I really can’t believe how much I had stored in there (and wasn’t using). I did get rid of and relocate some things, but I have to admit that much of what I will fold from that pile will find its way back into the closet. How can I get rid of Ariel and Buzz Lightyear towels and washcloths while I still have grandchildren who visit?
That fairly aggressive decluttering book I was listening to lit a fire under me to at least pull things out of closets and drawers, but I’m still no good at doing the hard work of letting go of things I don’t use/wear, especially the sentimental items. I worked on my jewelry the other day, but basically just reorganized it all rather than decluttering much of it. My excuse is that I now know better what I have and perhaps I’ll make a plan to gradually let go of things I don’t wear (and never will). I started listening to the death cleaning book again. Her tone is nicer, but still she is pushing me (not really) to be more brutal than I am as she reminds me who I’m doing this for – those who will have to go through it all after I’m gone! But, also for me, so that I can see and use what I have and breathe a little easier.
Well, that was an interesting interruption in today’s discussion, which does happen in small groups now and then.
Max – Romans 1:20 NKJV – “Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” Max reminds us that “[God] has not hidden himself, but rather the opposite: he promises success to all who search for him…. Our pursuit of him must be marked by humility. We will never know everything about God. But that isn’t meant to discourage us. The mark of a saint is that he or she is growing in the knowledge of God.” I’m learning that as I grow closer to God, I do want my life to be more orderly and more respectful of the resources God has given me. I used to acquire things for fulfillment, but my deeper faith (and the gift of Don in my life) helps me feel more content. Certain pockets of our home feel pretty heavy (physically and on my mind) so I am more motivated to declutter.
Streams – Cowman calls on A. B. Simpson to explain Mark 15:3 – “He answered nothing.” He writes, “With one quick burst of divine power, or one fiery word of rebuke, He could have caused His accusers to be laid prostrate at his feet. Yet He answered not one word…. He stood in THE POWER OF STILLNESS…. There is a place of stillness that allows God the opportunity to work for us and gives us peace. It is a stillness that ceases our scheming, self-vindication, and the search for a temporary means to an end through our own wisdom and judgment. Instead, it lets God provide an answer, through His unfailing and faithful love, to the cruel blow we have suffered…. May God grant each of us this silent power and submissive spirit.”
He concludes by saying “others will remember us as we now remember the morning dew, the soft light of sunrise, a peaceful evening breeze, the Lamb of Calvary, and the gentle and holy heavenly Dove.” May that be so (with or without me working through closets and drawers). And, this may be far reaching, but I believe that my “silent power and submissive spirit” of cleaning and decluttering will allow me to more often peacefully enjoy sunrises and evening breezes rather than wondering which closet is next!
Utmost – I almost closed for the day, but these thoughts from Chambers seemed fitting, “I claim the fulfillment of God’s promises, and rightly, but that is only the human side; the Divine side is that through the promises I recognise God’s claim on me. For instance, am I realising that my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost…. [and that my home is a representation of God’s provisions and blessings] By sanctification the Son of God is formed in me, then I have to transform my natural life into a spiritual life by obedience to Him. God educates us down to the scruple. When He begins to check, do not confer with flesh and blood, cleanse yourself at once. Keep yourself cleansed in your daily walk….Is God getting His way with me, and are other people beginning to see God in my life more and more?”
Prevail #78 – Larson keys in on the quiet stillness of God as she tells how Elijah had “seen God move in sensational ways,” but in this instance, “The Lord met and ministered to Elijah through a gentle whisper. Some of the most sacred, intimate encounters God has with His people are largely missed by the rest of the world. He meets us in the nooks and crannies of our lives and reveals His hidden secrets to us.”
JA – “STRIVE TO LIVE MORE FULLY in the present, refusing to worry about tomorrow…. I urge you to make Me the major pursuit of your everyday life.”
Today – fold; tomorrow – figure out where it all goes!
