February 17, 2020

It’s Okay to Rest

But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”

– 1 Kings 19:5b

Sometimes we just need to rest. We’re so busy doing life, serving the LORD, taking care of the endless demands of others, that we find ourselves empty, frustrated, angry.

Have you been there? Are you there now? It seems as though this season will never end. We can’t see God so we try harder, pray longer, serve better. And, yet, all it seems to do is increase both our anxiety and our fatigue.

God invites us to rest. The world may try to insist that we remain on the treadmill but God says we can take a break. God says we can come to Him for nourishment and strength.

Elijah had done everything God asked of him. He’d stood firm in his faith. He’d prayed for rain and it came. Elijah was God’s servant and because he obeyed, others saw God’s mighty power.

And then, after it was all over, Jezebel vows to have Elijah killed and he just fell apart. He was done. He wanted to die. Aren’t we like that sometimes? We’ve stood strong and then that one more thing, that one more comment, that one more demand sends us over the edge and we are done.

Take a moment. Sleep. Eat. Pray. Meditate on God’s Word. You don’t have to be a superhero, no matter what the world tells you. You can say no to the endless demands. You can retreat into the safety of God’s arms.

God created us to do amazing things. But, as our Creator, God knows just how fragile and frail we really are. Today if you find yourself overwhelmed, turn toward God. He is your strength and your life source. With Him you will find nourishment. The journey ahead is filled with challenges. Recharge yourself – then move forward into your calling.

November 28, 2018

Are You Guilty?

They stubbornly tested God in their hearts, demanding the foods they craved. – Psalm 78:18

Do you ever test God? Are you sure? Do you ever get angry with God because He isn’t doing what you’ve asked, giving you what you think you deserve, providing your requests in a timely manner?

We all know the story about the Israelites who crumbled and complained so much that God refused to let them see the Promised Land. They wandered around for 40 years, waiting for all the complainers to die, before God would let them see what He had promised them.

How often do we miss blessings because we’re so busy making demands of God? How often do we behave like ungrateful children who, instead of being thankful for what we have, increasingly insist that God give us more and more and more.

I love the NLT version of this verse because it talks about the heart. We can do and say all the right things but remember that God looks at the heart. There’s no hiding what you really think and feel from Him.

When you’re secretly jealous because your friend got a new car or a job promotion, God knows. He hears the silent whine of your heart as you wonder why you can’t have those same things.

God knows when you’re nice to someone to their face but in your heart you’re criticizing them for their weight, how they’re dressed, how their children behave. God hears the ugliness that good manners have taught you not to reveal publicly.

God hears you gossip about people. He knows the lies you spread. God sees the selfishness that rests deep inside of you. God hates the pride, the arrogance, the deep certainty that makes you believe you are better than others, deserve more than others, know more than others.

The Israelites had forgotten all that God had done for them. They’d forgotten the oppressive years under the Egyptians. They’d forgotten how God had parted the Red Sea, allowing them to pass safely, before the water drowned their enemies. They’d forgotten how God had cared for them. They were just too focused on what they didn’t have, what they believed they deserved, on their own momentary discomfort. Are we any different?

God loves each of us equally. It’s something we really can’t comprehend because it’s something we’re incapable of doing. God also wants good things for each of us. It’s not about good deeds or worthiness. We will never deserve anything good from Him. Still, God wants to do good for each of us.

What does that look like? The Israelites decided it looked like water and meat. But that was just momentary. Once they got what they wanted, the demands didn’t stop. We’re no different. We want and want. Then we get it and, a short time later, we want something else. We’re trying to fill ourselves up, buy happiness and contentment, with things that will never satisfy us. Will we ever learn?

It all comes back to the heart. Our hearts. Your heart and mine. That’s what determines our joy. That’s where we find our contentment. When Jesus is all we need, we become satisfied and at peace.

Life will always have challenges and obstacles to overcome. We’re on a journey to the Promised Land and the terrain is rocky and uncertain. But we can be joyful. We can choose to see the good, to be satisfied, to trust God to see us through to the end.

Look at your heart. What does it say about who you really are?

June 10, 2018

You Are Loved

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:17

Who are you struggling to please today? Is it your spouse or your children? Maybe a parent or a boss or a friend? Take a deep breath. You are enough.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the expectations and demands of others that we miss the simple truth of a loving God. He is pleased with us. We belong to Him and we are enough. We don’t have to do anything, provide anything, be anything. He loves us without any of that.

The sad truth is that we will always disappoint people. And they will disappoint us. No one can always meet the expectations of another person. We might be irritable, we might be busy, we might not be physically or financially able to take care of what they want.

Somehow, we always expect people to be better than they are. We expect our children to always have perfect manners. We expect our boss to always value us and give us lots of pay raises and plenty of time off. We expect our friends to always have time to do what we want, when we want. And we get upset when they aren’t always able to live up to our expectations.

Who are we to demand so much from others? And who are they to demand so much from us?

It’s just such a relief to know that we don’t have to perform in order to earn God’s love and acceptance. We don’t have to be perfect. He loves us when we’re irritable and when we mess up and when we don’t have a clue. With God, it’s not about bank account balances and what we can give Him. He’s God. It’s all His anyway.

He wants our love. That’s all. Because when we love God, everything else falls into place. It becomes about Him and not about us. It becomes about serving Him, living for Him, placing Him first.

How would your life change if you truly understood that you are a beloved child of God? Would you make different choices if you truly felt His love and acceptance? What steps would you take if you knew that you lived in the security of His arms?

Jesus never doubted God’s love. He had many trials during his time on this earth but He knew that His strength came from God the Father. He understood that time alone with God would direct His steps. Do you remember what Jesus did before He chose the twelve disciples? He prayed. Alone, I might add.

We are such achievers. We value ourselves based on the opinions of others. We tell ourselves we are worthy based on what we own. We lift ourselves up and call it self-confidence when it’s really just pride. We are nothing without God. And we are everything with Him.

Today is a new day. You are human. You will make mistakes in this day. Something will irritate you. You’ll say the wrong thing. You’ll disappoint someone who was counting on you. You’ll do the best you can and it will never be enough to satisfy the demands.

Take a deep breath. Rest in your Father’s love. Say you’re sorry if it’s appropriate. Try again. Reach out to others in love. Offer them the same grace you’ve been given. Be quick to forgive and slow to lash out.

God loves you. Let that soak in as you go through your day. Feel His Presence. You’ve got this because He’s with you every step of the way.

Friday, February 17, 2012

God Lights The Dark Path

Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. -- Psalm 119:105

Some days are just, well, days. One stumbling block after another. One setback after another. One hurt after another. One duty after another. And on and on until fatigue rests so deeply within that it’s almost impossible to see the light.

But it’s there. Beckoning us onward when we’d much rather curl up in a fetal position and forget the world and all its unrelenting demands. We trudge forward but the world weighs us done. We turn around. Confused. Where is the lit path? Where did it go?

Yesterday was one of those days. I did what I had to do, what I needed to do, what others expected me to do. I gulped down a large medical bill that I anticipated but that still brought deep upset. I listened to a friend talk about her new man and how lonely she’s been, all the while aware that she never once asked about me or allowed the conversation to veer to anyone other than herself.

I heard the excuses of someone whose boss had made a promise and now, when I didn’t have time to go elsewhere, wanted me to know she hadn’t kept her commitment. I should have known, I told myself. An attempt at a good deed and now I’ve got to scramble. More work. More time. More worry. Didn’t I already have enough on my plate?

Which always leads to self-loathing as I berate that selfish part of me. I mentally start counting my blessings. Tears flow. I start again. Surely I can focus enough on the good to overcome the despair of the day. It’s just a day. I’m tired. Why does it seem that everyone wants something? The well is empty. I am empty.

So I turn to the only place I know with answers. I kneel before the only One who listens. I search for peace and answers and the light. I know there’s a light. He promised and He always keeps His promises.

There He is! I see Him. God. I’ll be okay. Strength for another day. I take a deep breath. Exhale. He’ll walk me through it step by step. I can make it after all. I’m not alone. He never left me. He promised to stay by my side. God always keeps His promises. I really will be okay.