Rest Area Ahead - Please Pull Over

With a smart phone, which most people have now, you can do just about everything. You can order a meal, buy an outfit, listen to music, keep in contact with friends, take pictures, work from home, type a letter, talk to friends and family, read the Bible and check the news and weather. Pretty amazing. Amazing more, you can walk around and never even talk face to face with another person and get all this done!  I’m not making fun of smart phones, I have one and so does my husband. We find them to be very convenient. With my car the phone connects to a speaker and I have hands free use while driving.

Just about everything in our lives is instant. But there’s a cost to it all. We now pay more for our phones than we paid for our entire month’s bills when we were first married.  We now struggle when we’re in a “dead zone” for fear someone might try to reach us or we might need to reach out to someone else or check the weather, etc.

Although smart phones have given us instant access to so much information and so many people, we haven’t really found more time. Just like other time savers, it has caused us to become even busier. Our lives are hectic, harried and fast paced. Often we find that the very things that were meant to help us have actually hindered us. We get frustrated when the microwave goes for 30 seconds!

God speaks to my heart: It is in quietness and time alone that you will find your most needed connection and that is with Me. I AM the answer to all your problems, but you must take time to spend it with Me. I know your situation, I know your time constraints and I know your heart. If you will stop and carve out time in My presence I will slow your racing heart, calm your racing mind and give you peace – real peace. As you spend time with Me you will find real answers that you have been anxiously searching for and you will be able to relax and rest. The more you take time to spend with Me, the more you will hear from Me. I will help you, I will guide you, I will speak to your heart about every other thing that is going on in your life. In My presence you will find out how to make it all work, put it all together and have time to do what you have to do. And My presence causes you to have more time because I redeem and bless time spent with Me.

Oh beloved, maybe it’s time to pull over. Take a rest stop from the frantic pace of life. Enjoy time with God. Although everything you do is important to your life, it is also very important that you slow down and rest - Rest in His presence - Rest in His grace - Rest in His power. God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which He must work. His life saving plans are found in His Word and they will sustain you wherever you must go, whatever you must do.

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s what gives you rest and peace for your busy life.   

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] AMP

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, 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 comprehension , will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. NAS

Isaiah 30:15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength…

Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

You Are Favored and Protected

It started out with two little sleepy eyed boys showing up on my doorstep before work. They came in and played while I finished getting ready for work. Long story short, our biggest little boy was supposed to be getting dressed for school. It was a L O N G trip to school with me that morning. When we arrived we walked in to go to his classroom.  Keep in mind I had not been inside that school since our 11 year old grandson was there. So I was surprised that we could not get farther than the first set of doors and the office.

He was “buzzed” through the next set of doors and went to class. I was left feeling sad that I didn’t walk him to class and flustered at the barricade. I realized that things have really changed in our world. Once upon a time I could show up at that school, I wasn’t a stranger, and go through without talking to anyone.  I am glad though, that with all that is going on in the world, our children are protected from someone just barging through.

God speaks to my heart: Oh My favored one!  While there are barricades all over your world in the natural, there is absolutely no barricade between you and Me. You are instantly able to access me 24/7. No locks, no buttons to buzz, no hoops to jump to get to Me. In fact I AM with you wherever you may go. Don’t worry if there appears to be barricades in your path, for I AM the only door you need to travel through and I will make a way where there is no way. 

God speaks yet again: Oh My protected child! You are not out there in danger unprotected for I AM your wall of protection, I AM your Protector! Nothing, absolutely nothing will touch you without My permission and if it happens it is intended for your growth in Me and My growth in you! No weapon, absolutely none, formed against you will prosper for that is your heritage in Me. You are an overcomer, a victor, a champion in Me, for I AM your doorpost, your guard, your shield and your covering.

Oh beloved, aren’t we blessed? What seems to block God from us is just an imaginary line – for God says we have access to Him always. What seems a snare or an attack is just a stepping stone to His glory. Whatever you are going through, He is with you and you most certainly will GO THROUGH. It is no permanent situation; it is simply a stop on the walk of faith.

You aren’t banned from His care and you aren’t barricaded from His love and that’s all that really matters.

Romans 8:38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

Psalm 18:2 The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower. AMP

Psalm 59:10 In His unfailing love, my God will stand with me. He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.

Psalm 16:8 I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.

Psalm 91:14-15 God says, “I will save those who love Me and will protect those who acknowledge me as Lord. When they call to Me, I will answer them; when they are in trouble, I will be with them. I will rescue them and honor them.

Summer Vacation? Not From God...

Our pastor was talking Sunday about the drop in attendance at church which usually occurs in the summer with all the vacations and fun times people partake of during those couple of months, it gets easy after missing a Sunday to fall out of the habit. He encouraged us to call one another if someone misses, because it means more to get a call from a friend than to get a call from the pastor. The pastor is supposed to call. But if we do the calling it’s not something that’s generally expected of us. He encouraged all of us to keep in fellowship with one another.

It reminded me of our tendency in the good times, summer days if you will, to leave God’s presence.  We have hard times and we cling ever so closely to Him. But come a warm breeze and joyous occasions and we tend to drop the spiritual emphasis. Whether it’s Church or Bible Study or Christian fellowship, these things are important to our spiritual welfare. Yet these are generally the first to go when times are good.

Somehow we think we are safe to relax our relationship with God in the good times. We may have survived a storm where we called out to Him. Then He rescued us and made things right. Now it’s summer time and the living is easy. The only problem with this kind of thinking is that we don’t know when another storm of life may blow in suddenly, finding us out of fellowship and weakened from not having daily quiet time and Bible reading. As long as the lovely days of summer are in our lives everything looks rosy. You can’t really “see” a person’s spiritual relationship in the easy times. It’s when the storms come in that the strength or lack thereof in the person is found.

Oh beloved, summer’s arrived but winter will return. Won’t you take a few moments everyday just to thank the Lord for His benevolence. And then look into His wonderful Word and see how He has plans to take care of you, prepare you for hard times and bless you in good times? His amazing love will carry you through the seasons of life. His amazing care will keep you throughout all the changes that come your way. Even when you find yourself out in the storms, He will come after you and rescue you and return you to His loving arms. He knows your problems, He knows your history and He knows the weather ahead. Trust Him, for He is your everlasting God. He loves you and He’s for you and He will guide you always in His loving ways.

Psalm 27:4-5 The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in His temple.   For He will conceal me there when troubles come; He will hide me in His sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

Psalm 148:14 He has made His people strong, honoring His faithful ones— the people of Israel who are close to Him. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 25:4-5 Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You.

Step into God's Presence and Enjoy His Love

With one daughter living right across the street, I get to say bye to Blake every morning before he heads to school.  Yesterday morning as I was watching for him to get in the truck with his dad, I saw a jeep driving by and slowing down. It dawned on me that it was my son! I got choked up because I hadn’t seen him in a quite a few days and we hadn’t had a chance to talk either. I just whispered to myself, “My son, my son”. He came in for just a moment with his buddy and I got a really good hug! Although it was only a quick visit, I was thankful for that little bit of time to see him in person.  I love my kids a lot, so seeing any one of them even for a bit is good to my heart.  I have high hopes and great desires for my adult children, but I love them just the way they are – unconditionally. I would never withhold my love from them even if I didn’t see them for long spells.  They are my children. 

As he and his buddy drove away, I thought to myself, is that how the Lord feels? When His kids spend weeks doing their own thing or being busy with life.  Then to take a moment to open His Word and feast at His table.  Does He get excited to fellowship with his children? You bet He does! He loves His “kids” more than I love my own and that’s something. 

I also wonder at how refreshed I feel when I step into the presence the One Who loves me unconditionally. When I take time to talk with the Lord, and get His perspective on my life and feel His loving and tender care surround me.  

I know how busy life can get, I know how the bills must be paid and the jobs have to get done. I know that it’s easy to fall into worry, fear, guilt, and more. We find ourselves worn out, done in and feeling low. We wonder how we got this way and so we down an energy drink or a power bar and try to hurry on.

Oh beloved, won’t you stop for a moment and bask in the presence of the One Who not only loves you completely and with no hesitation, but cares for you eternally - more than His own life? He went to the cross for you, He descended into the grave for you, He rolled the stone away for you and He’s coming again for you!  Step into His Word and feel His arms around you as the cares of this world melt away in the light of His glory and grace!

Psalm 123:1-2 I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven.  We keep looking to the Lord our God for His mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.

Micah 7:7 As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.

Psalm 37:7 Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

Psalm 91:1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Stop Snacking and Start Feasting!

Lately our grandson Blake hasn’t been eating much at mealtime. He’s pretty worn out from pre-K school and he rarely wants to quit playing just for a plate of food! A very active 4 year old that boy is.  The other night around 9 o’clock he managed to get himself a bag of chips and was found eating them as he sat in a chair. He said he had gotten hungry and couldn’t sleep! His mom explained the importance of eating a good meal during supper. She told him he would have to start eating a healthy meal or nothing else.  The chips filled his tummy but they didn’t do much for his nutritional needs.

Oh beloved! Have you been snacking on what the world has to offer? Does it seem to you that others who partake of whatever they want are happy and full while you feel empty and unfed? Run to the Lord’s bountiful table of health! His Word is your absolute necessity and without it all of us tend to fill up on junk.  Not only does His Word fill you and make you spiritually healthy, God will bring other believers into your life who desire the sincere milk of the word and the meat as well. Great fellowship can be found at the Lord’s banquet!  He loves you so much that He has a plan to fill your heart and mind so that you can rest in His presence and have strength to resist all the junk the world wants to offer you! Now that’s love!

Psalm 103:5 He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

Acts 2:28 You have shown me the way of life, and You will fill me with the joy of Your presence.

Song of Solomon 2:4 He escorts me to the banquet hall; it’s obvious how much He loves me.