Releasing heavy loads…

“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord. Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? 
Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who steal my words from one another. Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who use their tongues and declare, ‘declares the Lord.’ Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the Lord, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the Lord. “When one of this people, or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the Lord?’ you shall say to them, ‘You are the burden, and I will cast you off, declares the Lord.’ And as for the prophet, priest, or one of the people who says, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ I will punish that man and his household. Thus shall you say, every one to his neighbor and every one to his brother, ‘What has the Lord answered?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ But ‘the burden of the Lord’ you shall mention no more, for the burden is every man’s own word, and you pervert the words of the living God, the Lord of hosts, our God. Thus you shall say to the prophet, ‘What has the Lord answered you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ But if you say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have said these words, “The burden of the Lord,” when I sent to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ ” therefore, behold, I will surely lift you up and cast you away from my presence, you and the city that I gave to you and your fathers. And I will bring upon you everlasting reproach and perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.’ ” (Jeremiah 23:23–40)

This passage offers a puzzle. Why interpret a word that is normally used for an oracle from God as a burden? With a bit of searching, I found that the Hebrew word for oracle is the same word used for a burden, in the sense that this is the weighty responsibility the the Lord gives. However, it can also refer to false teaching that puts a heavy weight on people, a burden that they cannot carry.

This sheds light on what Jesus said in the NT. Could it be that He was talking about the burden of trying to sort out truth and the burden of all the false ideas floating around?

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

One reason to connect His statement with the OT prophet’s words is that the words Jesus says are a similar expression of comparing heavy with light, such as a heavy crate with the invoice on the top.

Jesus, I’ve tried and preferred the rest You give, even when life loads me down. How wonderful to see Your remedy ‘suggested’ by Jeremiah and later made clear and fulfilled by You.

Resting in the Lord

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.” Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.” (Psalm 95:6–11)

There are two kinds of spiritual rest hinted here, the rest of being eternally with Jesus in heaven and the rest that He describes in the NT. 

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

Biblically, the word ‘rest’ can mean a physical rest, but also spiritual. Compared to this OT verse, it refers to resting from my own labors, and in both passages, it means just that — working in the strength of the Holy Spirit and not doing my own thing.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

In plain words, the Lord wants me to do His will which will be marked by the fruit of His Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If that fruit is missing, then I am not resting in Christ and as long as I insist on doing things my way, I cannot enter His rest.

Examples of my way: resenting people, wanting always to win, worry, thinking unkind thoughts, withholding when some is in a need that I could help, not keeping my promises, harshly rebuking others, no self-control at the dinner table, boasting, taking credit that belongs to God… need I go on?

A larger description of His rest starts in Hebrews 4:

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’ ” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this passage he said, “They shall not enter my rest.” (Hebrews 4:1–5)

For unbelievers, this is about no faith in Christ at all, but Christians can wobble in and out of trusting the Lord, in and out of walking in the Spirit, in and out of rest. I see it often when trust says “God can do it…” and the response beings with, “Yea, but…”

I have problems at times with His timing, and even His methods. I’m thinking “right now” or “this way” instead of trusting His timing and letting Him surprise me. Like a child, I want my way and right now. This is not faith.

Jesus, children are not noted for their ability to wait, but even a child knows who is trustworthy. They also understand the logic of trust for those who have proved themselves. I’m humbled when You tell me to grow up, yet blessed when Your grace enables the wonder of resting in You. Life is full of outer events and inner attitudes that test to see if I will trust You or if You will need to say “grow up” to me again.

Heavy Burdens?

 

Tuesday — a day of fatigue. I can blame staying up too late last night but hoped a Blue Jay win would perk me up. Finally, I went to bed long before the tie-breaking home run by the Dodgers. 

This morning, God reminded me that weariness happens because of the energy it takes to stay connected to needy people. Our granddaughter made it to Canada, was not allowed to fly to our city and sent to a nearby hospital on the west coast. Today, she is released to fly and trying to get a ticket, last we knew. This five days of long-distance care has drained my emotional resources, was lifted on Sunday by the music and message, and two surprising and wonderful answers to prayer. But I am still tired. 

Relationships are complex and I long for the day when all brokenness, whether hearts or bones, gives way to perfection. I also look forward to an eternity of no more grudges or complaining, hard-heartedness or fragile-hearts, hurt feelings or bullying, broken communication, innuendo or bravado or anything that hides the beauty of Jesus, the One who calls the weary and heavy laden to come to Him for rest:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

I note this says “souls” and not “bodies” and know that watching sports doesn’t give that physical rest either. Instead, this is rest for the weariness of trying to carry the things that burden me, rest that only Jesus can give — for He isn’t into giving me a load too heavy and that I have to carry myself.
These days of deep concern for our GD bring words like, “God bless you” yet we Christians tend to interpret that to mean comfort and no problems. The Lord’s definition of blessing is not always about the perks of living…

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. (Psalm 32:1–2)
Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. (Romans 4:7–8)

One writer says he is blessed: “whether I live in a penthouse or an outhouse, drive a BMW or pedal a bicycle, feast on caviar or munch on a crust of bread, have a retirement fund or live from paycheck to paycheck, wear updated fashion or hand-me-downs…” There is no greater state of blessedness than simply to be in Christ, and to know that He is looking out for me. 

That said, I’m not to use what I have been blessed with for my own glory. It is not wrong to be on the comfortable side of things, but to fix my trust and reliance on them is to rob God of His due. He is my Creator, Lord of all, supreme over all things, even the discomforts and trials of life. To make personal comfort my sole goal is idolatry. Complaining is evidence of that sinful goal, also evidence that I think my ideas and desires are more worthy than His. Shame on me. He sends me to bed when I’m tired, but I still try to run my own life. This can show up in prayer by my impatience, and my telling Him what to do rather than surrendering to His will. If I limit Him that way, I would miss all His awesome surprises.

PRAY: I notice that fatigue can easily send me away from You and also into self-pity, which is another way of mocking Your goodness, as if You do not care. The gospel is always the answer to this and other foolishness. You died for me that I might live. Whatever else happens is part of Your good plan to transform me into Your image. All my complaining only slows the process and robs You of glory. So I come to You for rest from my anxieties and ask clarification concerning “light burdens” because You do ask me to be yoked with You.

Where do thoughts come from?

Last night I had two totally unrealistic dreams. In one I was golfing with two balls tied together and scored no matter which one went in the cup. The other was at a funeral and the director was scolding me and my sister for not having flowers. He then described what each color and type of flower represented to prove his point. 

Now awake, I wonder where such nonsense comes from. My dad used to joke that dreams depended on what we ate for supper. Someone else told me that if you remember them, they have something to do with unresolved problems. I gave away my golf clubs a long time ago, and have never planned a funeral that left out flowers. Nor did I watch weird shows on television or read related books. Over-tired? Maybe.

Yesterday’s devotional reading was about knowing and deeply thinking about what God says. That does not fit either. However, Piper does quote verses like these:

Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. (1 Corinthians 14:20)
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16)
Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. (2 Timothy 2:7)

Piper says that the Lord gives wisdom about the things He says in His Word, but he also quotes this verse:

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)

It makes me wonder if my silly dreams are included in “all things” being from Jesus. Could He be saying that the golf dream means I’m trying to play life with twice as much on my to-do list than is necessary? Or that I don’t add joyful thoughts (flowers) to the sad things of life? I must stretch my thinking to come up with metaphors like that. Even if they are accurate, the Lord is able to tell me so with greater clarity.

Piper does say that Jesus is the ground and goal of all thought, or at least He should be. It does not take a great deal of discernment to see that evil or childish thinking is not from Him. I could waste a lot of time and energy with such things as rehearsing how to get even with someone, or having imaginary conversations with people, or in worrying, or in being anxious about getting everything done for today. Far better to rest in God’s thoughts… 

PRAY: and to do that, Jesus, I need to spend time with You, reading and meditating on what You say, submitting to it with all my heart — and my mind. If those odd dreams were actual metaphors from You, then here are two things I need to think about:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4–9)

Key to Joy

Yesterday was exhausting yet a total delight. The quilt guild I belong to held their show of over 200 incredible quilts, with venders, door prizes, a featured quilter, a memorial booth honoring those who have died, and the community outreach booth where I served for a couple hours. This is the division that receives donated materials and makes quilts for needy people.

In my first trip around the space (a well-lit curling rink) I met dozens of people that I’ve not seen for months, even years. We had joyful conversations and that alone was the most obvious reason that the Lord prompted me to attend and to serve in a small way. I thank Him for such a blessed experience.

Interesting that today’s devotional reading is about His zeal — He wants me to serve Him in gladness. John Piper says it and quotes examples from the Bible. One of them is a surprise. I have read it many times and didn’t realize the impact…

Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you. (Deuteronomy 28:47–48)

This is loaded with meaning. Serving the Lord involves being filled with His Spirit. Many other passages verify that I cannot do the will of God unless I am abiding in Him and unless He is filling me with what I need to do it. Also, the fruit of the Spirit is joy — the indicator of being filled. I keep saying that if that joy is not there, I’ve taken over the control of my life. Joy is the mark of being Spirit-filled. The above verses tell the results… if I’m not joyful in serving God then I am serving something else. Not only that, without the blessing of the Holy Spirit, my life will be empty and my efforts for whatever I am doing will wear me out.

All of this is reflected in the words of Jesus. He calls those who fall away into joyless and tiresome work:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

Of course the yoke is easy for when I take it. Joy comes with the burdens that God gives. I recall one time walking and praying and complaining about my responsibilities. I was feeling heavily laden and not happy about it. As I grumbled, the Lord whispered to me: “Get out of My to-do list” — and I burst out laughing. His words released me and instantly restored my joy.

This is not about being happy. Circumstances may not change and happiness is based on circumstances. Joy is different, supernatural. It is released from a trusting heart by the Spirit of God who lives there, regardless of the circumstances. Why is that so? In a passage about using spiritual gifts, the NT explains why:

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:10–11)

PRAY: Oh Lord, You are amazing. No other master, boss, god, or even my own self can rule my life and include joy as the main indicator that I’m serving the right or the best way — only You. Yesterday I went to the show because You put it on my heart to go, to serve, and it was a day of incredible joy in talking with others. The quilts were spectacular, yet that joy came from You and it involved serving people. My body became very tired in all the activity, but You made my heart sing. Thank You for the joy You give! 

Summer selections?

 

Summer brings with it many more options. In our country, winter is easier because cold, snow, icy roads, and so on keep us from doing many things. But today the sun is shining and my to-do list has more possibilities than can be done in the hours ahead. How do I choose?

Piper says “Jesus Christ is the refreshing center of summer” and that He is preeminent in all things because He is my head, the One who runs my life as a member of His body: 

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. (Colossians 1:18)

That means He governs my life, not just church activities but vacations, picnics, softball, long walks, and cookouts and all other options. Yet I must remember His words: 

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

He does not intend to govern me with burdens that make me exhausted. His burdens are light, even in the summer, meaning I need to seek Him and select what is from Him so that I am not worn out from trying to do it all.

In our many moves, even this latest one, new options appear. Add them to the load? Not possible. Some things must be dropped and I am certain it should not be devotional time, prayer, concern for others, and family needs. Priorities cannot be set aside so there is more time for the new choices, yet some of them are important too. I need the wisdom and energy God gives. 

Piper asks, “Do we want it? Christ gives himself to us in proportion to how much we want his refreshment. He quotes, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) That includes seeking Him for answers about what I do with each day. Even this very ordinary Tuesday has more responsibilities than I think will fit and I slept an hour longer than normal besides. I need to seek the Lord’s leading.

Piper offers another thought: “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. . . .”  (Acts 3:19–20)
Sin is simply wanting to run my own life. Repentance is not just turning away from that sin; it is also turning toward the Lord with hearts open, expectant, and submissive. Am I willing to drop the I-wants in favor of His will? And therefore be refreshed?

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1–2)

Yesterday I started a massive project that invites me today to advance progress on it. But there are household chores, garden chores, a shopping list (this is 15% off day at the grocery), and at least one person to talk with, plus that project. Can it all be done in 14 hours? Not likely.

PRAY: Jesus, my prayer today will again be much longer that is written here. Guide me in the praying but also in the choosing. May Your will be clarified and accomplished. Like most days, there will be interruptions and unexpected demands. May my mind be on You and my heart listening for Your voice — sincerely and whole-heartedly — and may You be glorified in all of it. Amen.

Holy all the time?

 

Our church is focusing on what it means to keep the Sabbath. The emphasis is restoration from the stresses of life by making one day in seven special. The Bible terms it “holy” which means ‘consecrated to God’ plus synonyms such as blessed, chaste, dedicated, devoted, devout, faultless, glorified, god-fearing, godlike, godly, humble, immaculate, just, messianic, pietistic, pious, prayerful, pure, reverent, righeous, sacrosanct, sainted, saintlike, saintly, sanctified, seraphic, spotless, uncorrupt, undefiled, untainted, unworldly, venerable. An online thesaurus lists 353 synonyms and antonyms for this word.

What comes out just from these words is that the Sabbath is not a list of do’s and don’ts like no fun games, have a nap, no shopping, etc. but an attitude and focus that is not like any of the activities that cause me stress, fatigue, or to forget God, or live as if I can handle life without Him. It seems that Sabbath is more about an attitude and focus, one that the goal is to be at rest in Christ all the time, not just one day. I’m to always be talking with Him and doing what He says.

Not only that, Jesus is the model. He healed people on the Sabbath. Some might call that ‘work’ but helping a beast that has fallen into a ditch is not work either. Jesus said:

Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.(Matthew 12:11–12)

Jesus also said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) We live in a day when stress is killing us. God intended that we take time from whatever is wearing us out and rest. . . .

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

The first burden is a heavy crate; the light “burden” is a word about the invoice on the crate. This illustrates what that load of trying to do life in my own strength is not God's idea. Eventually, it fails. I’m a capable person, but not God. Life teaches that without His grace, my mind runs out of focus and ideas, my emotions rob my energy, and my choices add to the pile. I need the mind of Christ, the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit, and the ‘invoice’ of God to give me direction so I don’t fall into the same pit. His grace grants all that and more.
The problem comes when I foolishly revert back to those habits of doing life without God.

Eventually those activities are “labor and heavy laden” and I need to return to resting in Christ. This is not about restraining from work, but about pursuing meaningful, soul-renewing rest—a shift in my habits toward something good, not just away from something bad.

Sabbath and rest does give me an opportunity to relax my physical body, but it is also about keeping that day holy. One author calls it “repopulate the time” or replacing it with worship and giving attention to more than simple inactivity. When I am not doing my work, I have to remember His work.

For some, the emphasis falls on rules or the do’s and don’ts taught in previous years, but these put us in slavery by taking over our mind-set. God wants His rest to be a gift to our souls not a mere change of pace or stoppage of all that stresses us.

PRAY: Jesus, this is talked about in terms of one day in seven, yet I’m thinking it is also a life-style, a way of thinking and a transformation into being more like You. You did good all the time, yet often went alone to pray to the Father. Sometimes You shed tears. Sometimes You served needs. Sometimes You sweat blood, but always Your focus and strength depended on Your yielded attitude and Your delight in serving whenever You saw the need. You are what it means to be holy.

Finding Rest. . .

Sunday is supposedly a day of rest. I’m thinking that it isn’t always. Some people must work or lose their job. Pastors and church leaders might be ‘resting on the inside’ but they are not idle. In our church with a massive crowd for brunch each week, the volunteers who prepare the food and those who set up, and those who clean up are busy working. We also have friends that see needs and their mantra is, “I’ve got to do something” regardless of the day.

Some time ago God used a word search to enrich this passage:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

There are two ‘burdens’ in these verses. The first is ‘heavy laden’ and the original Greek word refers to a large cargo that is by no means easy to carry. The second one is translated from a different Greek word and basically refers to the invoice that is attached to the cargo.

The contrast is evident; when Jesus wants me to do something, it will not wear me to the bone but be relatively easy. Why? Because when it is from Him and done in reliance upon Him, the Holy Spirit is involved and while my efforts may require muscle, they will not be wearisome. I will not feel like I’ve been carrying a big load.

Piper quotes Lamentations 3:22–23: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Then he adds, “With every day’s measure of pain, he gives new mercies. . . .  God’s mercies are new every morning because each day has enough mercy in it only for that day. This is why we tend to despair when we think that we may have to bear tomorrow’s load on today’s resources. God wants us to know that we won’t. Today’s mercies are for today’s troubles. Tomorrow’s mercies are for tomorrow’s troubles.”

Isn’t that true? Instead of being concerned with today’s invoice, I can get overloaded with tomorrow’s to-do list. I can worry if I don’t know what to expect, or if I think my burden will weigh more than my time or energy can handle. It is easy to forget that Jesus isn’t into letting His people carry more than we can handle — like two day’s problems in one day, or tomorrow’s issues all night, both robbers of energy and forgetting the lessons from manna in the wilderness. (Exodus 16)

Jesus supplies what I need for today. This is not only a day of rest but a day of worship and fellowship with His family. He will fill my heart with joyful worship as long as I kick out plans for the afternoon, or what to have for supper, or what is on my calendar for Monday, or all next week’s responsibilities. He wants me to experience the delight of His faithfulness and new mercies on this day and entrust tomorrow and the future to Him, including the future of what is going on in this world, what is lacking, how many family members we have that have not yet said yes to Him, or anything else that piles a burden on my mind. Focus on Him is incredibly restful.

PRAY: Jesus, I get tired when I take on a burden that is not from You. Or when I try to deal with obligations that are not going to hit me until next week. Planning ahead isn’t wrong, but letting the future become a burden indicates I’m not listening to You and definitely not resting in You. Forgive me. This kind of thinking is fleshy and sinful. Today I come to learn from You and to rest — with just the invoice.

 

In all my need, Jesus

Yesterday was moving day. We are weary and face a mountain-sized to-do list to sort and settle. This morning, the Lord gave me a simple yet profound Word to start the day with great joy. It began with praise for all that Jesus has done:

“As we look at the life of Christ and listen to His words, we can hear God saying, “I am rest for the weary…” With that, the Spirit led me to verses that verify that truth, then the remaining italicized truths from the reading:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28–30)

I am peace for the storm-tossed;

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27)

I am strength for the powerless;

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

I am wisdom for the foolish… righteousness for the sinful;

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, (1 Corinthians 1:30)

I am all that the neediest soul on earth can want;

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

I am exceeding abundantly beyond all you can ask or think,

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— (1 Corinthians 2:9)

of blessing and help and care.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 1:3)

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:26)

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:18)

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6–7)

PRAY: Jesus, what is left for me to say except praise to You and great gratitude. Your timing also, for this is what I need to remember this busy day!.

Whatever the need, God is enough…

The night before last, I slept nine hours and woke filled with energy. Even so, I prayed for the Lord’s strength for the day and finished well, praising Him. Last night, I didn’t sleep well. The tasks of moving and fitting furniture in new spaces kept running through my head. I woke tired and wanted to go back to sleep, but those tasks will not get done all by themselves.

Again, I’m praying for God’s strength, yet realize I need an attitude fix. Does having His energy only happen when I’m well rested? Or is it more than that? Can being well rested mean I’m working in my own strength? This fatigue may be one of God’s teaching moments, and for me, a big lesson in how He works. First He invites me…

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

These speak of two words for burden or labor. One is about a heavy load — like boxes of books or dishes, and those big bins of fabric. The other is those light boxes — but they are few and still require a trip up a flight of stairs.

It would be nice if a few friends with muscles and time to spare dropped by to help. That would be a welcome illustration of His easy yoke. But is the application of this invitation not so much the ease in the physical stress of moving, but the feeling of being overwhelmed with so much to do?

I recall the story of the child who would not sit down in the back seat of the family car. After much effort, mom got the child to sit but he said, “I’m still standing up on the inside.” This opens my understanding. Could I go through the motions of not complaining with words, yet still be “whining on the inside” as I do what is difficult? These words from Jesus are an answer…

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4–5)

The fruit He is talking about is fruit that only His Spirit can produce. Even if I am not verbal with my inner attitude, when I am not abiding in Christ I cannot be bearing His fruit either. It must come from the heart, the inner person of the Holy Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22–23)

While producing fruit drains energy from the tree, this fruit comes from a Source whose energy and power have no end. The branch may become fatigued, but again, rest is also promised. You provide rest for my soul — my mind, will, and emotions even as my body is tired.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

PRAY: Lord, again I pray for a Spirit-filled day, not based so much on this need for bodily or emotional energy, but more based on my desire to glorify You and to demonstrate, as You allow it, that You are always God — who is enough.

Later: As soon as these words were recorded and prayed over, that tiredness vanished. Again, God is always enough.

 

Ruckus or a Rest?

 

Every now and then things happen that require either acceptance or a fight. Because God is sovereign and controls all things, and uses them for my good, I can rest no matter what those things might be.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28–29)

This teaching was one of the first things God put into my heart and mind. It works well with my mother’s mantra. She often said, “We must need it or we wouldn’t be getting it.” While she said it most often about the weather, this trust in God for every circumstance held even when she suffered from Alzheimers and faced all sorts of changes and challenges. She had this amazing attitude of acceptance rather than fighting life, and that attitude fits well with being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

I’ve said I want to be like my mom when I grow up. Now, into my later years, I’m still learning. One area is with new situations, or with many decisions to be made. Our recent decision to move into another place that is more suited to our needs is giving me reasons to repeat mom’s mantra.

Jesus gave an invitation that also fits with this idea and reason for accepting life as it comes. He said:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

I’ve learned that this passage uses two words about burdens. The first is the heavy load of a shipment that requires muscle or equipment to move it. However, the “burden” that Jesus said He would give us is merely the paper invoice that is attached to the shipment! In other words, His yoke is nothing compared to the weight that most people try to carry. He does not want me to take on the heavy loads, only those that are in His will for me.

The Bible also talks about rest. It is typified in Sabbath rest, one day in seven to stop working and take it easy, but it points to the same type of rest that Jesus talked about, the rest of not laboring with the full load but trusting Him and coming to Him for only what He wants for me. This is also implied in the words, “I must need it…” for what He gives is needful that I might be like Him. What I might take on in my own strength does not do that for me. Instead, it makes me tired, worn out, grumpy, and hard to get along with.
In other words, my load is the work of the flesh, and taking His load is walking in the Spirit. One is a fight and also a disobedience. The other is acceptance, trust, and full obedience.

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:6–13)

PRAY: Jesus, I am so aware of the difference between being heavy laden and taking on the yoke with You that You give. I cannot manage daily life, never mind moving to another home, without Your grace and strength. All that I try on my own makes me irritable and anxious. Trusting You fills me with peace and joy. Thank You for my mother — and thank you for being who You are, the giver of good things that I might become more like You.

His Peace

Prayer is hard work at times. Part of that work is physical because the only way I can keep my easily distracted mind from wandering away from conversing with God is by walking while I pray. The older I get, the more challenging is the walking part.
However, in some ways, prayer is lighter because God is teaching me to say yes to His will in all things, not just those prayed for, but He is working to bring all my desires into conformity with His own  perfect will, even when I have no idea what He has in mind.

Today’s reading reminds me that God works miracles in wills that are surrendered to Him, not that He does what I ask, but that He changes the hard thing into an easy one, and makes me love to do the thing I formerly avoided. Like an ox, if I rebel against the yoke and try to avoid it, I find it hard and galling, but when I take His yoke on by consenting to it, that hard thing becomes easy, even comfortable. As the devotional says, in this life I need not carry my burdens alone because Jesus is my burden-bearer and I can lay on Him every concern.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)

Jesus promised peace, not like the peace we often pray for. We pray for the problem to be fixed or removed, but His peace is an untroubled heart.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27)

He also gives me my part in finding this peace.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15–17)

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26:3–4)

Peace rules when I am thankful, when His Word fills my heart and mind, when I am in rich fellowship with other believers, when my heart is filled with worship, and when I am doing all that He wants me to do:

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9)

Peace isn’t about walking less or slower, just as it isn’t about expecting God to do everything the way I want it done. It is about focus and trust, and about total surrender.

PRAY: Jesus, I’m also noticing that peace sets me free from that nagging sense that I’m not doing enough, or saying enough, or being what I should be. Your peace is about focusing on You to the point that I can hear Your voice when You want me to speak or act, and be content and resting in You, letting You decide how best to answer my prayers. It is easy and light — and if I am not content with that, perhaps I am thinking too much of myself (pride) instead of letting You be my Savior.

Like a child? Or childish?

We know a family from another culture and another part of this world who have become close friends, even calling us by family names. They are Christians who have been persecuted and learned to deeply trust God for everything. In their faith, they are transparent with us, like children in their attitude and joy. Sadly, some people think that because of that child-like trust and simple joy, this family has a low IQ and are unable to make good choices.

Christ said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.” (Matthew 18:3–5)

That attitude of a child is not about how much they know or how dependent the child is on adults to take care of them. It is about trust, receptivity, being eager to listen and obey, about being open, being who they are without putting on a false layer to cover up their sense of inadequacy.

Think about the result of a child of loving parents getting the idea that his parents would not give him food and clothing unless he earned them in some way. This is part of what Jesus meant. Children of God are to remain trusting, not spoil their sweet relationship with God by thinking they must work for spiritual blessings. The NT describes this:

You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. (Galatians 5:4)

This could be illustrated by one person who also knows the first family I described. When I mentioned the mature godliness I saw, he described it as “childish” in critical terms, rather than “child-like” as a virtue. Later, that same person expressed that applying Scripture is paramount rather than first interpreting it properly. He is heavy into ‘doing’ without first seeking what God wants. He seems to be always tired and without deep joy.

Without knowing the human heart, I cannot say what goes on in this critic’s mind. He doesn’t seem to think Jesus is a “hard man” like the one He describes in Matthew 25:24, yet without the transparency of a child, who can know what drives him or others like him who dismiss the ‘children’ of God as naive and in need of much guidance.

Another characteristic of those who deeply trust Christ like a child is that they have realized the truth Jesus describes here:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

Jesus would not have to say this if so many people, Christians included, have not bowed their necks to the yoke of Christ as to a yoke of bondage. They read these verses as if they are a fairy tale. Sometimes when a Christian is in bondage and then finds true liberty, they think there is something wrong about their experience.

I get that. The liberty of transparency and total trust at times has made me feel like I should be ‘doing something’ or be more burdened for the messes and the needy people that I have prayed for. Then God reminds me that He will tell me what to do and when to do it. As for my thoughts, He says this to show me how He wants me to think:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8–9)

PRAY: Jesus, there are times for being burdened about the ugly stuff, for thinking about needy folks and doing what I can for them, but I’m not to be driven by a sense of duty, only by what You reveal to me and speak about directly to me. I’m also not to care if others think I’m naive or childish. They simply do not realize the freedom for which You have set me free. Forgive them and even better, show them what it is like to be Your child.

 

Two ways of self-care…

 

Caregivers need to also take care of themselves. Otherwise there is no energy or even no attitude to take care of someone else. I learned this when my parents lived with us for a year. I found a senior’s daycare where they could go five days a week. They enjoyed their outings and the visits they had with like-minded others. And I enjoyed the break from meeting their daily needs.

My wounded hubby is not as demanding, yet the anxiety I have about him means taking a break from thinking about his situation and his pain. I’m reading a Baldacci mystery, absorbing and being engaged in a complex plot is an escape. So is the 1000-piece puzzle on our dining room table, definitely the most difficult one so far. This puts my mind in ‘blank’ mode, almost. This morning I was praying, drinking tea, and talking to Jesus about our needs while putting pieces mostly in the wrong places.

Today’s devotional says there are always two attitudes of mind toward anything between which we may choose. One is on the flesh side of things; the other is on the spiritual, spoke of often in the NT:

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:11)

Paul goes on to explain the importance of making that choice:

Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:13–14)

I tried that during puzzle solving. I know this is a form of mental escape and also that this is not something Jesus did. If He was tired, He slept. If He was pressured, He withdrew and prayed. Making the right choice and thinking the facts in these verses helped my attitude from sliding into a “poor me” and pulled it back to presenting myself to the Lord — to do whatever He required of me rather than trying to escape.

The devotion suggested to take no interest at all in the old nature and its desires. I need to say my self-centered choices and that old nature is dead, foreign and not of interest. Deny it and its demands. But does that negate self-care? Likely not, for the Bible also says:

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28–31)

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

God’s rest is not a mystery or a puzzle to be solved. It is an answer to prayer, a restoration for those who wait on Him, drawing closer and choosing His way rather than the way of the flesh.

His rest is a bit of a mystery though. When I come to Him and pray about everything…

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6–7)

…His peace does not make sense when life is not offering much peace, but when waiting on Him, and coming to Him, and praying about all things with a thankful heart, and doing His will by choice rather than trying my own efforts — His peace goes beyond making sense; it is just there no matter what might be happening.

PRAY: Lord Jesus, how persistent is my old nature to try and solve things. Forgive me AGAIN for being so self-ruled rather than yielded to You. I know these things and know that You and Your will are what this terribly slow-learner needs. Thank You for your amazing patience, and for Your remarkable peace that defies my rational mind as it sets it to rest.

Jesus is my endurance…

 

In “Streams in the Desert” the author tells of a deep trial in which God revealed to her the why of the agony she experienced. An old oak log in her fireplace began to ‘sing’ releasing noises that was trapped in its knotty hardened growth. She realized that those sweet sounds would not have been released if the log had not been in the fire.

This was the Lord’s way of showing her that His sweet music was like the songs of praise that flow out of hearts that are purified by trials, something like the singing of Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16) but even more — like Jesus who died on the Cross and out of that great pain brought forth the sweetest music of all time, the song of forgiveness and eternal life.

This story speaks to me of two things. One is that my trials are to produce the music of Jesus, His very goodness comes forth when my hard heart is totally yielded to Him in that fire.

It also speaks to me of the yielding. That log had no choice. It was in the fire and it could burn without a sound, but it yielded a song. I can be the opposite — silently enduring, making no music. Or I can deny myself and let the trial be my cross, my place of dying to self where music can come forth.

Today’s devotion says that trusting Jesus is both simple and very difficult. The old nature continually resists. When Jesus said to take up my cross, He was not talking about the challenge of obedience being a difficult cross, but the challenge of death to self and being willing to obey, even dying for Jesus.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? (Matthew 16:24–26)

Some have assumed that “taking up the cross” means doing the will of God and the challenge of obedience is the ‘cross’  but that is not the main idea. While obedience means giving up what I want to do, the heavy burden is not in obeying God but dying to sin. That old nature resists death rather than welcomes it. As for obedience, Jesus said:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

He never indicated that taking up His cross is about serving Him. Instead, it is about leaving me, myself, and I out of it. Doing His will is a delight and the abundant life. Denying myself is a battle and all about death.

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:38–39)

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:6–11)

This is where I always need to remember that facts pull the train and faith follows facts, not feelings. The old nature bases its desires on what feels good or what I think will feel good. The new person in Christ bases its desires on the will of God and considers the old nature a bothersome noise and a slave to sin. But that slave is dead.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

PRAY: Lord, that old nature already died on the cross in You. I need to take up that cross and quit trying to retain anything of that old life. This is a wonder and a joy. May I stop fighting to keep a dead thing alive, always remembering I was crucified with You, but also that “if I endure, I will also reign with You” (2 Timothy 2:12) — and not only that, You are my endurance!

A load transformed by the yoke that carries it

 

A YOKE joins two draft animals at the neck so they can work together as a team. It looks heavy and uncomfortable. Many OT uses depict it as a literal yoke that binds two oxen or to figuratively describe a heavy duty or partnership, or forced labor.

The first mention of a yoke is in a reminder from God: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.”

God never intended that anyone be yoked in slavery to anything, yet this was not always lived out in the lives of His people. For instance, one OT king was advised to serve the people kindly, but he said, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

The Lord used this term to speak of bondage under pagan kings and to idolatry. In Jeremiah 28:14, He says: “I have put upon the neck of all these nations an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him, for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.”

In his Lamentations, Jeremiah said, “My transgressions were bound into a yoke; by his hand they were fastened together; they were set upon my neck; he caused my strength to fail; the Lord gave me into the hands of those whom I cannot withstand” revealing the suffering of being disciplined for sin. However, he and other prophets also wrote promises from God using the symbol of a yoke:

Jeremiah 30:8. “And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him.”

Ezekiel 34:27. “And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them.”

Hosea 11:4. “I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.”

Nahum 1:13. “And now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart.”

In the NT, Jesus also used the image of a yoke to show the severity of spiritual bondage. That is, the bondage of a life yoked to sin is doubled by the heavy labor of trying to plow through it in our own strength, not realizing that this ‘teamwork’ with my own self is the cause of my struggle. He said,

Matthew 11:28–30. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

I imagine being yoked like an animal with an apparatus fitted to join me with a partner. We are attached with neck pieces attached to a heavy top bar that is attached to a load pulled by two rather than one, but both are me! The yoke itself is heavy so I am bearing the weight of it as well as pulling the load. Jesus invites those who are yoked in that way to take on the ‘way’ of life that He offers. In other words, He wants to set me free from the weight of trying to cope using a ‘partner’ that is part of the problem not the solution.

Sin is defined as doing things my way without God. The human answer tends to either deny sin exists or tries harder to be good enough. Both make the burden even heavier because both are the burden! Trying to fix life apart from the enabling power of God is simply impossible. Jesus says His way gives rest because His yoke is nothing like mine and His burdens are also nothing like mine.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. An NT verse illustrates the simplicity of Christ’s burdens: “Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.”

In life, all who work for overbearing taskmasters with a motivation for personal gain carry a heavy load of resentment and frustration. Jesus’ way is to honor that taskmaster and be motivated by doing their work “as unto the Lord” — a change of intention changes the weight of our task. Doing the tough stuff for Jesus makes it a light load compared to doing the tough stuff for some sort of personal gain or to please a tyrant. This yoke business is more than being set free from burdens; it is being set free from the tyranny of self. Galatians 5:1 sums up what I need to remember and do: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”