Tag: daily devotionals

“Have A Warmer Heart Than Usual!”

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“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,” Luke 10:33

I live a good distance from the church I attend which means lots of driving and observing time.  Often times, on my way to church I look out my window and I stare.  Some may think I’m being rude, but it’s the exact opposite.  I look at that person sitting on the stoop or the one standing on the corner, and I wonder.  I wonder about what they may have gone through that day.  I wonder what it is that made that person look so sad.  I wonder about the mom on the bus stop struggling to get the stroller, baby, and bags onto the bus.  I wonder.

How often have we really taken the time to see beyond the people to see the person, to really try to imagine you walking in the shoes of another?  To see what’s going on inside the person without judging the outside?  To show a tender heart instead of a wagging head, disapproving eyes, and a simple tsk-tsk-tsk?

When it’s all said and done, it is the “royal law” of love that wins out every single time (James 2:8).  Thinking beyond oneself will go farther and make more of a difference in the world we live in.  Why?  Because that’s what Christ did for us!  He looked beyond Himself, beyond His own needs and hurts, and saw what the world needed.  The world needed a Savior.

Even during His earthly ministry, it has been noted in the Bible, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion…” (Matthew 9:36).  To the leper: “And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him…” (Mark 1:41).  To the mom who just lost her son: “And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her…” (Luke 7:13).  To the world: “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done,” (Luke 22:42).  To His enemies: “Father, forgive them;  for they know not what they do,” (Luke 23:34).

That’s how warm Jesus’ heart was toward people.  He had a genuine concern to look at people from the inside out instead of the outside in.  He saw the person beyond the people.  So did the Good Samaritan.  Despite the rejection and animosity he had faced down through the years at the hand of the Jews, the wounded man lying before him needed his help.  He was not going to let those years of bitterness or even indifference change his resolve to help the one that needed him now.

Paul taught the church in Ephesus to “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us…” (Eph. 4:32-5:2).

Followers of God are concerned with the person on the inside.  A child of God is warmed to the plight of the human in humanity and sees them for who they are.  They are someone that God is concerned enough about to allow His Son to die.  Shouldn’t we then have that same compassion for one another?

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“Remain Strong in God!”

One morning as I was making a cup of coffee I ran out of creamer and had to open a new container.  I unscrewed the top and picked and picked at the protective seal underneath to no avail.  I couldn’t get it to rip off for anything.  Finally, out of frustration, I reached into the dishwasher and grabbed a knife and punctured a small hole in the top of the seal.  After that, it was easy for me to put my finger in the hole and manipulate the seal for its ultimate removal.  Coffee time!

This had me thinking about how the enemy works in our lives.  As long as we stay sealed up in Christ the enemy can pick and pick but our packaging in Him remains strong.  No wonder Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1-3) felt such a compelling urge to get the walls of Jerusalem rebuilt to their full strength once again.  Wherever there is a hole or a breach in any structure it allows an opportunity for an enemy to poke his nose into and gaining access to manipulate the circumstances of life.  It makes his job easier.

Paul encourages us, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord,” (1 Corinthians 15:58).  Our diligence will pay off after a while.  We must be like a wall without a breach.  We must take our cue from Nehemiah to patch up any deficiencies in our spiritual walls.  We are the ones who have to be “steadfast and unmovable” to have our work count in the end.  If we stop building and maintaining our walls then they will fall to utter ruin and we will have nothing to show for our work.

We must work at the upkeep of all that God has given us.  “Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not,” (Galatians 6:9).  Our press matters.  Our work matters.  Our walls matter.  We must continue forth with the mentality of Nehemiah when he stated, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down…” (Nehemiah 6:3).  The enemy wants to thwart your work so that holes and weaknesses can be left for him to poke and manipulate.  But, if we want to “reap” then we must not “faint.”  We must push forth in doing good and leave the benefits to God.

Obtaining coffee creamer that morning was a struggle until I broke the seal.  Don’t let the enemy break your seal.  Stay covered in Christ and push forth until the end for your reward is coming.  Now is not the time to give in or give up.  If necessary, ask God to help you repair what is broken that you may be whole once again.  Remain strong in God!  You can do this!

Be blessed.

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“Be Anxious for Nothing!”

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How many times have “anxious” thoughts robbed us of the enjoyment of today?  How many worried days have we spent trying to control the uncontrollable?  How many times do we expend all our energies and might to solve all the world issues only feel like a wrung-out washrag at the end of the day?

Worried thoughts have a way to compel us to look to ourselves for the answers that we can’t find.  Believing that in and of ourselves we are the all end authority to all of life’s issues, at least this is what the human intellect would have us to believe.  Rather, God exhorts us over and over to rely on Him.  To come to Him in prayer and relinquish all of our cares, worries, and frustrations on Him because He cares for us.

The Lord knows what a heavy load humanity can carry.  He has felt it in His own being.  As a matter of fact, He carried it all to the cross so that we wouldn’t have to carry these burdens alone.  Yet, when push comes to shove and trials and tribulations knock on our personal doors we feel a need to answer the call and find a remedy for our problems on our own.  As a result, we struggle to find the answer to the question of why we can’t find peace in the midst of it all.

In actuality, the reason peace seems so evasive to many of us is because of our personal insistence on trying to do it on our own.  We pick up the problems that we are going through with every intention of carrying them to the altar and leaving them with Jesus.  Walking away from the altar of prayer, we pick those same problems back up feeling a need to control the outcome on our own.  As if God can’t handle our specific needs. Our humanness gets in the way of His divineness.  The limits we see on humanity are then applied to God and it gets in the way of His wonder-working power in our lives.

The way to obtain peace during these anxious moments is to give whatever is bothering us; whatever is burdening us over to the Lord and trust Him to give us His best in the situation.  After all, when it came to the matter of saving us He already gave us His best, didn’t He?  How much more difficult would it be then for Him to work out our everyday worries for us?  I believe you would agree that the two can’t compare.  So, if He was willing to do that for you and me, should we not then trust Him to do right by our anxious thoughts?

Would you rather place all of your problems in your own hands or in the hands of God?  Maybe it’s time to try something new.  Give God a shot at wrangling in the worrisome so that you can experience true peace.  Let’s get rid of the anxious for something better.

Be blessed 🙂

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“Dealing with Contentions in the Midst of Blessings”

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“And Abimelech said unto Issac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we,” Genesis 26:16

Oh, how wonderful we feel when God opens the windows of heaven and pours out blessings into our lives, Micah 3:10. It feels good! And, it doesn’t matter if the blessing is material, physical, spiritual, or emotional, if there is something that God wants to do that is special for us, we take joy in receiving from the goodness of our heavenly Father.

One of my favorite verses that keeps me in check and reminds me of just how awesome He is in this area is Matthew 7:9-11. In the verses before these Jesus is teaching His disciples a few of life’s lessons. He just assured them of the “ask, seek, and knock” principle of prayer. Then, to make sure they understood how much the heavenly Father cares He further explains, “Or what man of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”

God knows how to give good gifts! The problem with that is everybody is not going to like you for it. Everyone is not going to be on your side. There will be one, if not more, that will be standing in the corner, grimacing every time God decides to shower you with some of His goodness. It’s sad but true!

Human nature can get almost primal in this area. If you throw a bone to a pack of hungry dogs, what will happen? Only one dog will actually catch the bone, but the others will be on a continual mission to take it from him because they want it for themselves. They’re hungry for it. They want to be fed, too. It’s not fair that the one got the blessing and the rest didn’t. And so, another dog will try to latch onto it to yank and pull it away from the original owner. Another also steps in and tries to get it from the previous two. And on, and on it goes. Until one is successful to lie hold of it and run to safety.

I’ve seen this play out with seagulls also. You throw a piece of bread out for one and suddenly there are what seem to be a hundred gulls thinking they can all survive off of that one piece. They swoop down to grab the bread and try to fly away with the prize, only another has his eye on it and does the same. It becomes a never-ending circle of desire and wants that moves to the contentions of, “If I can’t have it, neither can you.” Swoop! It’s mine!

The same scenario played out for Isaac. God was keeping His promise that He made to Abraham and his son was reaping the rewards of it. God had truly blessed Isaac. “Then Isaac sowed in the land and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants…” (Genesis 26:12-14).

He was blessed! But, the remainder of verse 14 clearly states that not everyone was happy about it. It says, “And the Philistines envied him.” They then put into motion a plan to try to hold down his blessings. “For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth,” (Genesis 26:15). As they stopped up the wells their hope was to stop the blessings.

Afterward, the king of the Philistines, Abimelech, just out and out told him, “We don’t want you here anymore – get out!” If they can’t stop the blessings then they don’t want to be around you while God is blessing. Why? Because it hurts to see some receive and some don’t. Humanity doesn’t like it like that, unless, of course, they are the ones on the receiving end of it.

It’s a hard pill to swallow. I’ve been on both sides of this fence: the side of being blessed and the side of watching others get blessed. Oftentimes, I didn’t always understand, but that’s just the way it was. Like it or not, I have to believe in God’s sovereignty over it all. Did it always register right away? Um, no. For I am human also and don’t always see things as God does. (If I’m going to write about it, I have to be totally honest about it.)

So, it shouldn’t surprise us that as God moves on our behalf to elevate us and bless us, that contentions can arise. What do we do then? First and foremost, is to trust God. After being kicked out, Isaac went from one well to another, there was always a fight with someone about it. Isaac could’ve gotten ticked off, but he kept trying to find where God was leading. Just because you are blessed by God doesn’t mean you can settle anywhere. You have to be where God wants you in order to continue to grow in Him. That requires trust.

Eventually, Genesis 26:22 tells us, “And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not…  For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” If one keeps following the leading of God, God, in turn, will put you in a place where the gifts and blessings He has given you will thrive. You are not going to just flourish anywhere. You have to be where He can ensure your growth.

If that weren’t enough, God made those that hated Isaac to be at peace with him. “We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee… let us make a covenant with thee,” (Genesis 26:28). They came to him. They sought him out to seek reconciliation. How did it all end? Very good, I might say. “And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace,” (Genesis 26:30-31). All grudges and animosity were gone and peace entered in.

The Bible says, “the same day, that Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water,” (Genesis 26:32). This was refreshment for the body and soul after dealing with such contentions. I think that means he was finally where God wanted him to be, in mind, body, and spirit. The water didn’t come until the covenant for peace was made.

When God blesses there will sometimes be contentions to deal with from others. But, we too, have a responsibility in the midst to try to go as God leads us and to still keep the peace.

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

“God is in Control. It’s all about Him!”

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“Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I,” Isaiah 52:6, KJV

The taunting of the enemy was too much to bear at times.  Captivity kept them bound and ridicule and defeat kept them shackled in despair.  God’s people have suffered under bondage due to their own spiritual neglect, but God in His grace and mercy, showed them a compassionate heart and sought for their redemption.  He was going to bring them back.  All hope was not lost, He will redeem.

Reading this, I know there are times when we seemed locked in my life.  If things are going okay and we are dwelling in peace, well then, that’s okay, lock me in!  But when we feel overwhelmed by burdens and enemies, it’s hard to believe deliverance is on the horizon.

In Isaiah 52:6 God displayed His personal investment in His people’s redemption.  When He brought them out there was going to be no doubt in their mind that He is the one that fought for them, loved them, and redeemed them.

Doubt is the enemy of our faith.  We often try to walk by faith and not by sight but end up walking by sight and not by faith even though it is the very things we see that make us question.  How is this going to turn out?  Will I ever see the light of day?  Doubt is a killer of dreams.  Doubt already erases the possibility of something better because it doesn’t see it.  Doubt is a robber of paradise and a hinderer of what can be.

But God is looking to change the focus of His people from their circumstances to their God.  Four times He refers to Himself in this verse as the One who orchestrates and fulfills all for them.  “My people . . . My name . . . I am He . . . It is I,” and He wants His people to know it.

  • My people:  “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture,” (Ps. 100:3, KJV).  A shepherd’s job is to care for, lead and guide, and supply for the sheep.  Isn’t it wonderful that despite their disobedience God was not ready to relinquish ownership of His own?  Israel may have gotten themselves into captivity but they were still His people and because of that God was still willing to take a leading role in their care and in ours.  Being identified as God’s people is a special privilege but it only comes to those who are under a covenant with God.  Galatians 3:29 says, “And if ye be Christ’s, then ye are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise,” (KJV).  Abraham was under a covenant with God (Gen. 15:18-21).  Those that come under Christ now receive the same benefits as His “people,” (see also Rom. 8:17; 1 Cor. 3:23).  You are God’s people, therefore, He wants you to know that He wants to take care of you and love you as His own!
  • My name:  “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into, and is safe,” (Pr. 18:10, KJV).  There’s something about applying God’s name to deliverance.  When someone puts their name on something it signifies ownership.  People also sign their names to documents to state that they will perform a deed stated therein.  His people shall “know my name.”  His name will be glorified and remembered for their deliverance.  He signed it and He declared it!
  • I am He that doth speak:  God is the author of all.  In the beginning “I am He” spoke things into existence and it obeyed.  That which He called forth manifested itself into reality.  It went from a holy thought to a physical appearance because “I am He” spoke.  When God speaks people better pay attention.  Especially when He is speaking of your deliverance, as He was with His people.  “For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I speak shall come to pass …,” (Ezekiel 12:25, KJV).  His word is infallible and “I am He’s” word will be fulfilled in your life and you better know it!
  • It is I:  This takes me back to the time when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and commanded Moses to go to Egypt.  Moses asked, “What shall I say unto them?” (Ex. 3:13, KJV).  God’s response, “I AM THAT I AM . . . I AM hath sent me unto you,” (Ex. 3:14, KJV).  When one is waiting on deliverance they have to realize it’s all about God!  His mark of sovereignty is over His whole plan.  God referred to Himself as the total of all they needed to know!

Difficult times are never pleasant but when we know who it is that is on our side, we have nothing to fear in waiting for our deliverance.  “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31, KJV).  Isaiah 52:6 claims He is there with you; He’s the one fighting for you; He’s the one planning your deliverance; He’s the one speaking it over your life; He’s the one that owns all of this and will redeem His people out of it.  It’s all about Him!  In the midst of it all, He’s got you covered!  It’s all about Him, in the midst of it all, He will be glorified!  It’s all about Him and God is in control!

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

“The King to My Rescue!”

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“Save, LORD! May the King answer us when we call,” Psalm 20:9, NKJV

I am definitely a girly girl, to an extent.  I love the idea of love.  I can bury myself in stories of romance and rescue.  What is a lovelier picture than that of a knight in shining armor coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress?  I’ll tell what a lovelier picture is, when the King himself gets personally involved in the rescue.

As long as we live in this earth days of trouble are never far from any of us.  There will always be an occasion that we need to be rescued, be it mind, body, or spirit.  We will never be the end all of every answer to every trouble we face.  There will arise at one point or another a situation or a trial where nothing and no one can help unless the most powerful in the land intercedes on our behalf.

“Save, LORD!” becomes more of a desperate plea than a battle cry.  When adversity has made itself too comfortable in your presence and you don’t know how to rid this awful pest, a plea to the King to answer our most urgent request comes forth from the lips, seeking a life saver to lift us up out of the drowning depths.

Our King is not so high that He cannot hear.  Our King is not so secluded behind palace walls that He doesn’t see the plight of His people.  Our King has granted us an open access policy to reach Him when hard times weigh us down.  “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need,” (Hebrews 4:16).  Therefore, we cry out, “Save, LORD! May the King answer us when we call,” (Psalm 20:9).

“In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me,” (Psalm 86:7).  Over and over again we see the plea.  Over and over again we see the promise.  The King is waiting to hear from you and me.  Stop carrying the trouble alone.  Seek the King’s intervention in your life.

Sometimes a knight in shining armor just won’t do.  You need the King to come to the rescue.  Be blessed.

Image by Owensart from Pixabay

“Be a Promise Accepter!”

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“For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him amen, unto the glory of God by us,” 2 Corinthians 1:20

 It’s back to school time around here. Each school year starts out brand new. New backpacks, new supplies, new clothes; along with new hopes and dreams with the anticipation of promise lingering in the air. This is going to be a wonderful year!

By the end of the first month of school, children and sometimes parents too, start looking forward to days off, delayed openings due to weather and such. The reality of the daily grinding and horse race schedules overshadows the promise that was once felt. Instead of realigning oneself to keep hold of the promise that was once felt in the atmosphere, we begin to gripe and complain. Looking forward to the end of the school year, or at least Christmas break for some relief becomes the new goal.

Often times, we treat the promises of God in the same manner also.

He gives us this wonderful volume (the Bible), filled with sixty-six books. And in each of those sixty-six books therein is packed with “more.” God has “more” for you than this. Line upon line and precept upon precept tells us how much He cares for us, loves us, and wants more for us. The Bible starts way back in the book of Genesis with promise. And, it goes all the way through to the end of Revelation. How does it end? With promise! “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen,” (Rev. 22:20-21). That’s a promise!

Unfortunately, as it is with the school year so it is in life. In the beginning, when the promise is fresh we are ecstatic. Then, as the everyday issues begin to settle in it starts to wear on the assurance that once was, leaving one to do nothing but constantly focusing on the end. Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly,” (John 10:10). He doesn’t desire for “life” to be something tolerated. Rather, He wants it filled. And with that, there is the anticipation of something better.

Promise!

Promises only work when one accepts it. You can quote it all that you like, but unless it is internalized as a hopeful thing in the life of each of us, it does absolutely no good. Many people can read of the promises but they can’t believe in them for themselves. Only seeing with the eyes but never touching. They never experience the greatness that God wants to do. That’s not God’s intention for you. “For all the promises of God in Him are yea.”  That means “YES!” Now, it may be just me but when I see the words “all,” and “promises,” and “God,” and “yes,” I get excited! If you are in Christ, God says yes to every promise that comes with that salvation. Yes!

Won’t you accept it today? Yes!

I don’t have enough space or time here to even begin to list what He has in store for us. And, the half has not been told. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him,” (1 Cor. 2:9). The promises are there in His Word. All you have to do is believe it and receive it!

Be a promise accepter today. Go through the Bible, find verses that speak to you right now, highlight them, and write them down or whatever you do to remember a verse, then, lay hold of it as your personal treasure. Let them be your source of strength when life doesn’t feel as “abundant.” Accept what He said anyhow. Step out in faith, holding on to those precious promises for dear life.

“Carry God’s Presence Today”

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“Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai . . . Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him,” Exodus 34:29

No matter what you do today:

WORK ………………………………………………….

SCHOOL ………………………………………………

PLAY ……………………………………………………

SNOW ………………………………………………….

RAIN …………………………………………………….

SUN ……………………………………………………..

HARDNESS ………………………………………….

PEACE …………………………………………………

ADVERSITY ………………………………………….

SPOUSE ………………………………………………

CHILDREN ……………………………………………

FRIENDS ………………………………………………

MOM …………………………………………………….

POP ……………………………………………………..

VACATION ……………………………………………

DAY OFF ………………………………………………

PRAYER ……………………………………………….

BIBLE …………………………………………………..

CHURCH ………………………………………………

OUTREACH ………………………………………….

VISITATIONS ………………………………………..

WITNESSING ………………………………………..

TEACHING ……………………………………………

EXERCISING …………………………………………

GYM ……………………………………………………..

HOME …………………………………………………..

LAUNDRY …………………………………………….

DINNER ………………………………………………..

BEDTIME ………………………………………………

carry God’s presence with you!!!!  Let people know that you have been with Him!!!  Let your life reflect it!!!

When Moses met with God his face shone, carrying evidence of being in God’s presence. What kind of evidence do people see in us that lets them know that we have met with God. As we start this new day, are we carrying God’s presence with us no matter what we are doing? May we shine for Him and let His presence be magnified in us!

“Our Status has been Changed!” | Word For Life Says Devotional

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In the areas of social media, you have an opportunity to let people know more about you.  You can attach personal details of who you are and who you are associated with to your profile.  One of the ways to do this is by clicking the status button customizing it to your current life situation.  If you are single, married, just got engaged or divorced . . .  Whatever your status, you can let the world know.

A lot of those statuses come by way of change.  Particularly, the change of entering into a new relationship or leaving an old one.  Because of what Jesus did, and because of those who made that decision that they needed Christ as their Savior and accepted Him as their own, now their status in this world has changed.

How awesome is that!

In our spirit, when we accept Him as our Savior, we clicked the status button and changed who we are or are not associated with.  We let the everyone know that we have left our old relationship with the world and entered into a new one with Jesus.  We put on it blast that the life people used to see in us no longer exists.  We blow up the spiritual timelines with the transformation that has taken place deep down in our souls.

Now there is a special, heavenly bond between God and us.  No longer are we just mere men and women.  Now our status says that through Jesus Christ we have been changed and our position in the world is known as being His child (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26).  Now our profiles read that the condemnation that once hung over our lives has been lifted (Romans 8:1).  Now, we are now free in Him to experience life anew (John 8:36).  Now, we are able to cry out to Him, “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6).  Now, we are carriers of His Spirit and He lives in us (1 John 4:13).

In our new relationship with God, our focus is no longer on what has been, but now it is on the promise of what will be.  Our future now looks brighter than our yesterday.  Our outlook on this life is now based on our new status in heaven.   Our hope for a better tomorrow is completely bound up in Him whom I am connected with today!

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God,” (Romans 8:16) and our status has been changed!  

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“When it’s too heavy to carry…”

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When it’s too heavy to carry on our own, we look to others for help.  Think about it, if we need to move heavy boxes, furniture, grocery bags, or what have you, we call out for help.  When we come across something physical that is just too much for us to lug from point A to point B, we seek assistance.

But, what about heaviness of the heart?  Often when we are facing emotional and inner turmoil of the spirit, we continue to try to press on our own, hesitant to ask for help or support.

Burdens, they’re so heavy.  Many times they can feel like a ton of bricks just sitting on you, slumping your posture and bogging down your heart.  With the brow creased in concern and eyes moist with hurt and confusion, it’s hard to raise one’s self to the position of being alightened in happiness and hope.

The thought hit me during one of my prayer times – I wonder if it’s harder, at times, because we look at what we can do to press out some joy in our own lives.  Our real joy comes from a natural flow due to our relationship with God.  Any ounce that we can squeeze out in our own time, strength, and power is just a temporary fix.  But, what we find in Christ is pure, real, genuine, and it lasts.  Oh, we will still experience moments and times of sadness from time to time.  But, what He offers us is filling, it’s encouraging, and it’s overflowing into all those cracks and crevices where our own abilities have fallen short of reach, if we will just seek Him for it.

Recently, I had an experience with an artificial or substitute sweetener that I didn’t care for.  I’m not knocking on no one else’s preference of what they put into their drinks and such, but for me, I didn’t like it one bit.  It took away from the pure taste of my coffee that I was accustomed to and it made it taste funny.  When we try to substitute or exchange what God can bring into our lives with our own attempts to patch the burdensome holes we feel with band-aid like plans and faith, it’s not as pure and strong as what He can do for us, and like any band-aid, it comes off easy showing itself weak in really being able to help us.

We need something more.  Rather than temporary relief, we need something or Somone stronger to help us carry the burdens that are weighing us down (remember the furniture above); to assist us in the troubling times we are facing.

We can find that help when we draw closer to God in our search for relief from the heaviness we carry.  One of the ways we can do that is to meditate on what He already speaks to us through the promises He has given us in His Word.

It is there, where His Spirit speaks through those words, to help remind us of the peace we can obtain when we give our worries over to Him.  “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 4:6-7).  And, the peace He gives is not like the world’s, therefore we can rest securely in it (John 14:27).

Those words tell us of the joy and love that is part of the package deal of being in this sweet and wonderful relationship with Him.  “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing,” (Zephaniah 3:17).

In those words, we find that we are not walking on this journey alone.  Our steps may be heavy at times, but even when we can’t physically feel it, His promise says, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” (Hebrews 13:5).  No matter how fearsome, His Word speaks to our hearts, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you,” (Isaiah 43:2, NASB).

And, in the time of our sorrows, His promise declares, “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds,” (Psalm 147:3).

Yes, it definitely can get heavy at times.  But, in those times, we remember, we don’t have to carry it alone.  For every burden and heavy load we are given this promise: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you,” (1 Peter 5:7).

He cares for you, are those last words.  Look to God, He is there for you.  When something is too heavy to carry, God invites us to come to Him to find the help we need.

This is my heart, Lord.  It has its failings at times.  It has its inadequacies, too.  But, it also has You.  And, where You are, O God, there is help, wholeness, completeness and healing.  Therefore, I pray, wherever there is brokenness, cover with Your salve of love.  Whenever there is confusion, whisper sweet words of peace to calm it.  And, in the times of heaviness, I pray that You would help me to carry that which is too much for me to bear on my own. AMEN!