Rest for our Souls

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls” Matthew 11:28-29.

Have you ever been weary and burdened? We all have. Our Heavenly Father is calling to us to come and find rest for our souls. This rest doesn’t mean no activity or “vegging out” like I like to say. This rest is a rest for our souls. It is a rest that happens even while we are doing activity. Sometimes my mind is racing and I am anxious even when I’m sleeping. I have so much on my mind and I’m so burdened that I can’t even sit down for very long. I’m antsy and nervous because things aren’t going right or I have a big decision to make. Before I received healing for my anxiety, this could have pushed me over the edge. Now, I find that I can rest even when I have burdens weighing on me. This is because I have learned how to rest even during these kinds of times. I know my Father in Heaven loves me. He wants what is best for me. I can rest knowing that he has all things in his hands. He works it all out for my good. As I’m contemplating this new decision, I can rest in his plan for my life. I can wait and not be anxious because I know he will show me the way. I might have to lay it at his feet a number of times in the day and spend time asking him what his plans are and declaring that he will show me the right path but I can have rest in my innermost being while I’m doing this.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:5-6. He is trustworthy. It takes us to acknowledge him in all situations but he promises to direct us if we trust him.

Lord, I ask you to help us be able to find this rest that you are talking about. Help us to be able to unload our burdens to you and allow you to direct our paths. This means giving up our right to make decisions but the peace that comes when we do this is so much better than when we run our lives. Thank you that you are trustworthy and will lead us the best way possible for us. Thank you for taking our burdens and giving us this rest for our souls. Amen.

God's amazing grace

Jesus said in Matthew 3:15 to John the Baptist, “It must be done because we must do everything that is right” (NLT). Do I do everything that is right in my life? Do I stand up for right? Do I always defend the fatherless and the widow? Do I always turn the other cheek? I wish I could say yes to all of these questions but I can’t. I blow it many times a day. The good news is that God’s is “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love” Exodus 34:6 NIV. He is “drawn to redemption by the grace in his eyes. If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.” (from the song How He Loves by David Crowder Band) God’s grace is so vast, it covers up every bad thing we have ever done or are going to do. We drown in his grace, become a new person, and our old self falls away.

I’m so thankful for God’s grace. When we mess up, he’s there to clean up the mess. When we fall, he’s there to pick up the pieces. He turns things around and uses them for his glory in our lives when we repent and turn from our sins. Thank you, Lord, for your amazing grace. Drown us all, Lord! Your grace is amazing!

Spending Time with the Lover of my Soul

He is jealous for me. He wants to be with me. He wants me to spend time with him. He loves me so much he doesn’t want to share me with other things. I have been like a lover who doesn’t make the time to spend with my bridegroom. I am always doing something else rather than spending time with him. He woos me, trying to get my attention but I have too much other stuff on my mind. The reality is that if I would spend the time with him first, everything else I am worried about would fall into place. He has promised that. “Seek first the kingdom of heaven and all these things will be added to you as well.” Matthew 6:33.

He woos me because he wants to be with me. He delights in being with me and loving me as the lover says in Song of Songs 4:10, “How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice!”

Our lover wants to spend time with us because he’s in love with us. He delights in us. Don’t miss out on the greatest love story of all by being too busy to spend time with the greatest lover the world has ever known. He’s waiting for you. Go into the bridal chamber and spend time with him. It’s not too late. He’s still waiting for you. He will whisper sweet “everythings” to you that will change your life and give you a purpose and a plan that is good, the best in the world for you. Don’t miss it!

Lead me to the Cross

Savior, I come. Quiet my soul. Remember. Redemption’s hill, your blood was spilt, my ransom. Everything I once held dear, I count it all as lost.

Lead me to the cross, where your love poured out. Bring me to my knees, Lord, I lay me down. Rid me of myself, I belong to you. Oh lead me, lead me to the cross.

You were as I, tempted and tried. You are the word became flesh. Bore my sin and death now you’re risen. Everything I once held dear, I count it all but lost. (Hillsong, Lead me to the Cross)

Lord, lead me! Show me what you want me to do today. I am open to serving you every moment of my life!

What does it take to go to the cross every day? It takes laying down my will today. It takes a surrendered heart to whatever the Father wants today. It takes being willing to go through pain sometimes heart-wrenching, to get to the finished work. It means dying to self and living to Christ. It doesn’t look like the world. It looks foolish to those who don’t know Jesus. But the rewards are bringing God’s kingdom to any situation and finding that he had an awesome plan well worth the struggle.

Lead me to the cross, where your love poured out. Bring me to my knees, Lord, I lay me down. Rid me of myself, I belong to you. Oh lead me, lead me to the cross.

Forfeiting God's Grace

As I was reading Jonah 2:8-9 the other day, this phrase jumped out at me and wouldn't leave me alone:

⁸ "Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

⁹ But I, with a song of thanksgiving,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
Salvation comes from the LORD." (NIV)

Verse 8 really jumped out at me. How often do we as humans cling to something worthless and miss out on the things God wants to give us. We think we are hanging on for dear life and if we let go, we would fall to our deaths, but what we are really doing is forfeiting what God wants to do in our lives. He wants to give us grace to let go of the worthless things that we put in place of God and to receive the salvation He is waiting to bring.

When I was hanging on the anxiety and fear, I wasn't able to grasp hold of God's grace. Fear would grip me so tight, I would get into a panic and not be able to function. For example, if there was something new I had to do in the morning, like start a new job, do public speaking, I would worry about it all night giving up good sleep so that in the morning, I would make it so I wasn't able to function very well.

When I learned to let go of my anxiety and fear in these new situations, not believing the lie that I couldn't do it, I would be able to sleep well and function so much better in the morning. There were so many nights that I lay in bed wringing my hands and allowing fear to overcome me. The later it got, the more I would give in the fear, knowing I couldn't make it in the morning.

I was clinging to worthless idols, putting fear and anxiety above the peace of God. As I learned to allow God's peace to rest on me, I could let go of my fear, knowing that God had given me everything I needed to do the task set before me. I was able to find the grace from God that brings peace and rest.

Friends, I want this same thing for you. Don't allow the enemy to lie to you thinking you have to cling to something that brings fear and anxiety into your life. God has something so much better. He wants to bring you salvation in your area of greatest need. He wants to come in and save you from that worthless idol you are clinging to thinking it is the only thing that will save you. There is nothing you are experiencing that is too big for God. Let go, and allow God to bring about his salvation. It's easier said than done but it is not impossible. If I can do it, so can you!