PLAYGROUNDS
But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
Psalm 13:5 (NKJV)
School playgrounds at recess are fantastic! Monkey Bars. Swings. Slides. Teeter Totters. That contraption that spins you around and around at 100 miles an hour, and you try your best to stay on it by holding onto a metal bar…otherwise known as a Spinner, Roundabout or Merry-Go-Round. As fun as those rides were, maybe a bit dangerous too, you probably remember the childhood friends you played with as much as the rides themselves. Maybe your best friend wasn’t in your class, but you got to play with them at recess! The bell would let you know you had 15 minutes of freedom to run and play. Can you feel the memories?
You got to spend time with friends who knew you. You knew each other’s favorite rides and games to play. How often did you run around with reckless abandon, laughing until you ran out of breath? I know I got many scratches from falling in nests of pinecones. Nevertheless, they’re called playgrounds for a reason. Those fun times would help you get to the end of the day, until you could see each other and play again.
As we get older and presumably more mature, why do these playtimes get less frequent? Those wonderful experiences of having fun and being known can be a part of our everyday lives with God. Our lives with God are meant to be fulfilling and exciting, not dull and full of drudgery. Unlike waiting for 15 minutes of recess, we can experience Him right now. The bell has already rung. All you need to do is run to Him.
APPLICATION: Spend a few minutes with God today, thanking Him for good memories in your life. Thank Him for the experiences and how they’ve blessed your life. Consider sharing one of those experiences with a friend.
PRAYER: Father, help me experience You in a new way today. As I approach You, show me a side of You that I haven’t seen before. Show me a side that encourages me to keep coming back to You. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?