Focus

Stop and thank God for being present with you today. Ask for God’s guidance as you hear God’s voice through scripture and the writer.

---

Read

Romans 1:1-7 (NRSV)

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

---

Reflect

This time of the year can be stressful. I saw a list of things that you can do to avoid or lessen stress—walk somewhere every day, limit your caffeine intake, eat breakfast, take vitamins, etc. We may claim that we don’t have time to do those things, things to take care of ourselves, but we take time for the things we want to do.

Granted, there are only 24 hours in a day, and it often seems as though we need 25, but we can still find time for the things that are important to us. I have found that organizing my priorities, starting with the top and spending more time with God, is the best relief for stress.

When we are hustling and bustling, sometimes we need to be reminded of Paul’s words: “Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” We need to be reminded that God is still in control, no matter how overwhelmed we may feel. When those times come, may we stop, breathe deeply, and feel the peace of Christ enter our hearts.

---

Pray

Almighty God, help us to slow down. Help us to open our hearts to your peace and comfort when we feel overwhelmed. Amen.

Go with God.