A Promise for those who are weary and burdened....

“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 in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Matthew 11:28-29

Cease Striving.. Be Still

"Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations."  Ps. 46:10

This is a verse most folks who attend church have heard ... are familiar with... I learned it from the NIV.  Recently in my Bible study, I heard it in the NASB and it was like a whole knew verse to me...

"Cease striving and know that I am God."  

Cease Striving... seems so much more than Be Still to me. When I am not still, it could be due to busyness.. the normal ebb and flow of the day... and, for me, does not indicate much about my state of mind or emotions. I could be rushing here and there frazzled.. or just going about my daily routine.

Cease Striving, however, sets a different tone for me. If I am striving, I am determined to do something or to make something happen no matter what!

When I hear Be Still I think of resting in Him.. just stopping what I am doing and resting in Him. But with Cease Striving I picture a fussy child... probably a toddler.. Mom or Dad has picked her up and that child is thrashing about and squirming... striving to get loose from that parent's grip... so the parent holds tighter and often says something like "Be still... settle down..."

That child is wanting her way... she may be scared of what is to come next (shot at the doctor, discipline etc...) or she just doesn't want what comes next (nap, bath, bed time etc...) or maybe she is upset over something (didn't get her way, got hurt playing or is mad etc...) and Mom or Dad is trying to make it better but the child is fighting against them.

I wonder... am I like that with God? Are you? Do I buck and balk and strive to get my own way.. fighting against Him when I know I have sinned and discipline is at hand? Or I know He is calling me to obey and I don't really want to. Or maybe I am hurt, frustrated, angry, scared etc. and I'm having a bit of a fit.. a pity party.. and don't want to give that up just yet.

Any of those and much more can cause me to strive .. to not be still... and in the process I miss out on what God is doing and on getting to know Him deeper and in a new way.

Lord, Teach me to be still.. to cease striving.. to stop and let You be who You are... to see what You are doing in my life and around me... to acknowledge that You are God and I am not!  May I exalt You among the nations.

Are you running about today.. striving to get things done.. providing God with a moving target? STOP... Cease... Be Still... and rest in Him.

Rest of Faith

"Rest is uniting the Word with faith and living in it at that very moment. It's the action of faith for today -- for this monent, this situation."  -- Kay Arthur

Psalm 60 - 64

When I started reading Psalm 60, I thought here is another whiny Psalm where the author feels God has rejected him… and in a way that is true… but then I saw how timely and pertinent this Psalm is. 

So many feel God rejected our nation with election of Barak Obama.  They fail to acknowledge that God establishes authority (Rom. 13:1) or that he has a plan in all this (Hab. 1) 

This Psalm sounds like the “cries” I’ve heard recently. 

Verses 1- 3 “You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; You have been angry – now restore us!  You have shaken the land and torn it open… you have shown your people desperate times…” 

Certainly we are seeing desperate times and our land has been shaken and I personally feel more is to come. 

Verse 4 proclaims hope and truth “But for those who fear You, You have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow.” 

Jesus is our banner – our faith in Him – we must cling to Him … walk in faith no matter our circumstances. 

God is at work. We need to seek Him and trust Him always… for “the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory.” (v. 11 & 12) 

Psalm 61 follows as a prayer crying out to God in time of need. 

“… lead me the rock that is higher than I .  For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.”  (v. 2 & 3) 

Jesus is the Rock and He is most definitely higher. 

Psalm 62 is a familiar friend. 

“My sould finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”  (v. 1 & 2) 

What verses to pray and promises to stand on! 

And the Psalmist reminds us again of who God is… 

“Find rest, O my soul,. In God alone; my hope comes from Him.  He alone is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.  Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.”  (v. 5-8) 

Psalm 63 is another familiar friend... one of the most wonderful Psalms David wrote. 

“I God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my body longs for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (v. 1) 

How I want to always long for and seek God in this way. 

“Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.  I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands.  My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You.”  (v. 3-5) 

This should be my heart… my life… each day… to praise God because He is good.. He is better than life! 

And for David it is 24 / 7… in Verse 1, earnestly can also be translated early… so early will I seek you. 

Then in verse 6 He says “on my bed I remember You; I think of You throughout the watches of the night.” 

For David, seeking God … praising Him… worshipping… was all day and night… every moment. 

Psalm 64 again finds the Psalmist crying out to God, but not in a whiny way… it is more of an “OK, God, here are the problem in my life.. take care of them.”  In a way the Psalmist is doing what Ps. 55:22 says to do. “Cast your cares on the Lord…” and he knows God will take care of Him.  Verse 10 “Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him; let all the upright in heart praise Him.”