Thursday, February 23, 2012

Daily Devotion - Thursday, February 23

A Resource for Troubling Times

Trouble. The word looms large in today’s world – from individual troubles confronting the patients seeking care here, to global troubles confronting the international scene. Trouble. It may even be a big word for your inner being today.

In this increasingly apocalyptic world, it is reassuring to know that fear does not need to dominate our lives. Over the centuries there have been witnesses who have pointed people toward a way of living faithfully “in times of trouble.”
• The Desert Fathers fled to an unpopulated area.
• A Roman aristocrat, Arsenius, heard these words from a sage counselor he consulted, “Flee from the world, be silent and pray always.”

What kind of response is a healthy response in times of trouble?

Try solitude, friends. Take some time to be alone and just meditate, listen to silence. In fact, don’t take time with the chaplain’s devotions or with Sacred Scripture (obviously I do believe both are important)! Take time to listen to the silence and you too will discover the words of the Psalm are true and trustworthy, “Why should I fear…God will ransom my soul and receive me.” Have a good, good day!

--Ben Keckler
02.23.12

No comments: