Editor's note: Enjoy today's devotion from The Campfire Is Calling.
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In all you do, I want you to be free from worry. — 1 Corinthians 7:32 TLB
A spur-of-the-moment weekend camping trip is a healthy crash course in finding out how little we need to live simply, freely, and sufficiently. There’s no time to overthink or overpack. Hot dogs and marshmallows, check. Blankets, check. Firewood, check. What we forget, we manage without. It’s one of the greatest bonding opportunities for families or solo adventurers who want to spend time with God. It’s our chance to get away from the usual noise of our lives and get in tune with the world God created.
The campfire is one of the most vital parts of the experience. We can go without a lot of things in the middle of nowhere, but we need light and heat if we want to see, cook, and stay warm at night. It’s also one of the best parts of the venture. A campfire is the comforting center of attention when night falls. It’s the gathering place. It somehow burns away the pressures of the daily grind and the stress that goes with it. It inspires us to think about how to simplify other areas of our lives, because getting back to the bare basics does something inexplicably soothing to our souls.
Freeing our lives from worry requires some getting away now and then. We have to be reminded that the simple things bring the most satisfying rewards. The physical comforts and luxuries we’ve grown used to every day are crowding out the deeper needs within us. If we never quietly connect with the God who loves us most and the people we love spending our lives with, we miss the greatest reasons to be alive.
Stress, worry, overworking, and never slowing down will eventually suffocate the life God wants for us—a life free from worry and full of peace, joy, and love.
Dear God,
I want to live a life with less worry and more of You. Help me make the time and take the time to grow closer to You and the people I love.
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Simply Sitting Still
In quietness and confidence is your strength. — Isaiah 30:15 NLT
Try to think of one or two simple activities that are as relaxing and quieting as sitting around a campfire. For most of us, being fireside is in the top five. There’s something special about simply being still—on a beach, in a coffee shop, or on our front porch. Wherever we are and however we can, stillness inspires us to quiet our minds, relax, reflect, and pray. It’s always a good thing.
God loves it when we stop moving and savor the hours. Life is a gift that’s underappreciated in the constant rush of our days. In Psalm 102:3 the psalmist writes,
My days disappear like smoke. — NLT
We can all relate to his observation. The only way to be more deliberate about living each day to the fullest is by making decisions that leave room for simply sitting still. In quietness and confidence is your strength. These are God’s words. They’re a reminder that the way to a life of fulfillment is through Him. It comes by getting quiet, remaining confident, and waiting patiently for His perfect timing in all things.
Clamoring around to find what we need in any other way will only weaken our trust muscles and lead to a shallow, fearful life that falls far short of the abundant one He has for us.
The habit of stillness can start slowly and in small ways. Five minutes carved out of an afternoon to walk outside and just sit, breathe, and stay quiet. Doing the same thing at night under a canopy of stars will do wonders to quiet our souls. Even sitting at our favorite window in the house for a few minutes to feel the sun on our face and look at the sky.
Creation is saturated with God. The earth is filled with His glory.
He’d love for you to take time to quiet your mind and be confident in His care today. He has everything in your life under control—and He plans to fill it with good things.
Dear God,
You see every pressure I’m under, every care I’m tempted to carry, and every demand tugging at me today. Remind me often that my strength is in You alone and the confidence I can put in Your constant, compassionate care.
Excerpted with permission from The Campfire Is Calling, copyright DaySpring Cards, Inc.
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Your Turn
Would you describe your days as “simple living”? Maybe it’s time to get away from the usual noise of life and get in tune with the world God created. The way to a life of fulfillment is through Him! ~ Devotionals Daily