Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Daily Tasks" for Sunday, 24 August 2014 - Read Acts 2:29-42

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Daily Tasks" for Sunday, 24 August 2014 - Read Acts 2:29-36 “Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried—his tomb is in plain sight today. But being also a prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom, seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah—‘no trip to Hades, no stench of death.’ This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it. Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear. For David himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say,
God said to my Master, “Sit at my right hand
Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet.”
“All Israel, then, know this: There’s no longer room for doubt—God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross.”
37 Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?”
38-39 Peter said, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away—whomever, in fact, our Master God invites.”
40 He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, “Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!”
41-42 That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
Everything that God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.(1 Timothy 4:4-5 (NIV))
“Where are my socks?” was the plaintive cry from my daughter. I hear this plea often in the rush of getting everyone off to work and school in the morning. Sometimes, in the midst of our busy lives, we feel that we do not have enough time to meditate and praise God. Sweeping the floor, making beds, washing clothes, cooking meals — these required daily tasks seem endless.
Being a homemaker reminds me that God also expects daily tasks from us. Having a daily devotional time and praying without ceasing (see 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.) helps us to maintain our faith and the wellbeing of our souls. Keeping our faith new and fresh requires daily renewal. By taking the time to worship by praise and prayer each morning, we are being good housekeepers of our souls. However, rather than being the chore that housework can become, this daily communion with our Maker always brings us joy.
The Author: Mariella Carr (Texas, USA)
Thought for the Day: As we daily communicate with God, we can better see the way God works in our everyday activities.
Prayer: Dear God, as we struggle in our busy lives, help us to find time for the joy of communion with you — our Lord and our Maker. Amen. Visit devotional.upperroom.org/blog for more content
Prayer focus: Homemakers
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