Just One Word: 5 Days To Invite Jesus InParaugs

Run
verb: to move freely about at will, to go without restraint

Doesn’t that sound fun? To just be free to run and play? Kids do it all the time. When a classroom door opens for recess, the little ones practically explode out of there. And most of them don’t stop when they get to the playground. They start playing tag or soccer, sprinting and scurrying from the tetherball game to the swings to the monkey bars.

It makes me smile.

Most of us have forgotten how good it feels to simply run and play. Not the kind of running where we plod along the track or treadmill to burn calories, but the kind that we just can’t keep from doing. Of course, our bodies aren’t as bouncy or our energy levels as high as when we were six years old, but the little kid inside us still longs for that freedom.

David wrote Psalm 63 when he was being pursued by his enemies, struggling and hiding in the rough and barren Judean desert. Needless to say, it was not a very good time in his life. Yet, even here he was able to experience childlike exuberance and joy because he knew for sure that God had his back.

What about us? A lot of the time, we are in rough places too. Maybe we are experiencing a lonely time, a confusing situation, or a season of fear. These can last a lot longer than we would like. But we don’t have to wait for them to be over to have a little fun, to take a little break. We can run and play because God is standing up for us. Always. He is watching over us, holding on to us, working in and around us—even in the worst of times.

So can we let ourselves escape for a few minutes? Can we run to the playground in our hearts? I bet it would make Jesus smile too. 

Invite Him In

Run to him. He will take you in his arms and swing you around and let you know that you are safe. He is watching out for you, and you can relax in his protective care. Go ahead and play for a bit. Swing, climb, jump, run… and thank him for standing up for you. You are free in his love today. Enjoy your recess!

Prayer

Dear Jesus, you are my helper, and you take such good care of me! Thank you for providing a safe place where I can escape from the pressures and expectations that confine me. You fill me with joy as I run to you.

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These devotions are adapted from Just One Word: 90 Devotions to Invite Jesus In by Susie Crosby. To explore more unexpected words in Scripture and discover real and meaningful ways God is at work in your life, visit: https://amzn.to/2POS6Z1