Rest Now

Matthew 11:28 (NRSV)

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

This is my devotional this morning. I couldn’t have said it better. Let it speak to your heart as the passage speaks. 

“Yes, come for rest. But stay for rest, too. Stop all feverish haste and be calm and untroubled. Come unto Me, not only for petitions to be granted but for nearness to Me.

Be sure of My Help, be conscious of My Presence, and wait until My Rest fills your soul. Rest knows no fear. 

Rest knows no want. Rest is strong, sure. The rest of soft glades and peacefully flowing rivers, of strong, immovable hills. Rest, and all you need to gain this rest is to come to Me. So come.”

Russell, A. J.. God Calling: Expanded Edition (p. 378). Barbour Publishing, Inc.. Kindle Edition. 

enough for now.

Live

Psalm 91:1,2 NRSV

“You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”

This a psalm of wisdom, of secrecy in the spiritual disciplines. It is not a psalm of safety. It’s not to be left opened in your house. That means nothing. But the words on the paper are life changing for us. When we realize that we have a place that keeps, that protects. 

Wisdom is when we realize that we live in God’s shelter. (Talk about the high rent district, and we pay no rent.) And we stay in his shadow. It’s time for us to move into what is already provided. It’s time to let him keep us safe in his shadow. It’s time to trust what he is doing in our lives.

The move is to shift our focus to God and live life from that position. We already know what God will do. That is our testimony. The more we realize it, the more we see. And there is so much more. He has us. Trust him in that. Live life in a new reality. enough for now.

Your Mouth

“The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” (James 3:6).

Go back and read verses 1-12.  Our mouths mess us up. We must take care what comes out. How can we?  Check our thoughts,  check our heart. 

When we were young we all sang, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.” How terribly wrong that was. Words are like missiles that are fired to do harm. That harm stays with us long after broken bones have healed. 

Our tongue betrays our heart, all from our mind. We must catch our thought before they becomes thoughts. Yes, we can. When our heart and mind is stayed on things of God, on positivity and not negativity, we can control. You see, what comes out will be positive. enough for now.

Be Careful

  Numbers 11:4

“The rabble among them had a strong craving; and the Israelites also wept again, and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.” “

Please note ‘the rabble among them’. These were the foreigners that came out of Egypt with the Israelites. These were people who did not know God. These were people who were not accustomed to the diet of the Israelites.  But they complained and complained so much, so loud that some Israelites began to complain. These complaining Israelites had forgotten how God had already kept them

.

While God answered the complaint (there is a difference between complaint and prayer) with quail- those who complained were stricken with a plague and died. 

We must be careful what and who we side with- we have a different way of seeing things unlike nonbelievers. Be careful not to take up the wrong banner. Check with God by listening and watching what he is doing in your life.

Steadfast

Matthew 5:10-12

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

These verses are regarding our attitude toward humanity. Jesus warns and encourages that we will have times,  but we can rejoice. For the Jewish people listening that day -they considered  verbal abuse as vicious. The Rabbis considered it as evil as idolatry, formication, and bloodshed combined. The one whose name was defamed would be so bad that he would consider suicide.  Persecution plays with your mind. Remember it’s never the person or thing that hurts you, but how you feel about it. That’s why people act differently to the same circumstance. 

A Spanish proverb says, “Truth, like oil, always comes to the surface.” 

We can settle and rejoice knowing that the kingdom is here and now and here and then. God has us now and will have us then. Can you see how much weight comes off your mind when you understand that? That is being blessed, that is being favored by God. enough for now.

He Will

 Matthew 5:7-9  NRSV

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

When I was a union rep we paid close attention to “shall” and “will”.  “Shall” may or may not happen. “Will” is binding. Hold that. And then remember that the blessings are here and now and in the future. We will experience God in the sacred space here and will experience in the sacred place. 

We work toward releasing any negativity that keeps us from experiencing God’s blessings. We don’t work toward getting in his presence. It doesn’t work that way, but we work toward following, listening, being guided by him and we find ourselves in that space. He will do what he promised he will do. Read your contract! enough for now.

Pray

Today, pray for Haiti and what they are facing from the earthquake. Pray for Afghanistan. Pray for leadership everywhere. Pray that wisdom abounds. Pray for yourself. Recognize that you need prayer also. Pray for me. enough now.