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Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. Psalms 116:7
We carry a variety of burdens every day. Physical burdens of exhaustion, sore muscles, illness, or the inevitable ‘old age.’
The emotional burdens we carry are legion. Relationships that are difficult. Our kids make choices we never raised them to make. The rising cost of living seems out of control. Politicians talk about solutions but never act on them. Our minds never seem to stop reminding us of all the struggles we have.
Spiritually, we struggle with doubt. We struggle to understand. We struggle to pray and read as we know we should. We struggle to have the desire to spend time with God. We never seem to be able to fill this void in our lives that leads to true happiness and fulfillment. We long for rest, but it seems just out of reach like the gold ring on some maniacal carousel.
Jesus calls us to rest in him in the midst of our struggle. In Matthew 11:29 he calls us to “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Sometimes the best rest we can have is worship.
True Worship draws us into rest at every level (physical, spiritual, emotional/mental). Jesus is humble and humble people don’t judge. Jesus is gentle and gentle people understand and aren’t critical.
When we focus on worship, the distractions can become less as we rest on the promises, presence and peace of Jesus.
After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River— the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” Genesis 15:17-21
Some think Grace is a New Testament thing, but Grace is a thread that begins in Genesis and will continue through all eternity.
The story in these verses is one of grace. God seemingly randomly calls a man named Abram to a new land of promise. Abram was anything but perfect, yet he believed God and God credited it to him as righteousness. Grace. It’s about believing, not action.
God tells Abram to cut up two animals and lay them in such a way that there was a walkway between them. Later, God appears in the form of a smoking fire pot and flaming torch. In ancient days, a covenant was finalized by both parties passing through the carcasses, but here, only God passes through.
Grace isn’t a two-person event, but God reaching down to mankind knowing full well he could not fulfill his end of the bargain. If you know the history of this Abram (later Abraham) you know his descendants constantly rejected God and his ways. They rebelled. They fought against each other (the ultimate family feud) they worshipped other idols.
But God’s grace continued to put up with them, and in Jesus their salvation was complete.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. My chains are gone. I’ve been set free! You are always within the reach of God’s grace. His covenant promise is for all eternity.
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. But you would have none of it. Isaiah 30:15
We live in a world of visual and audio noise. Screen time has become a buzz word for the noise we’ve created through technology and life in general. It seems as though our lives are made up of circles. Family circles, workplace circles, social circles, political circles and you can probably think of a few more.
Imagine all of those circles intersecting in such a way that, while remaining separate, they intersect in the middle, and that middle…is YOU!
Each circle has it’s own demands, some more important than others, some louder than others. The volume of each circle doesn’t necessarily correspond to it’s level of importance. As I write this I envision a picture of me pulling my hair out and having eyeballs bulging from my face!
The world tells you to advance and tackle each situation. God tells you to step back. The world tells you the more active you are the more you’ll accomplish. God tells us in Psalm 46 to be still. In that stillness we can find confidence because we realize our strength comes from God, not from tackling yet another challenge.
Take time away from the screen or whatever circle is calling you. Build confidence in your faith in God working through you. He wants to see you succeed and longs to have you take refuge in him so he can work more completely through you.
Then I will sing praises to your name forever as I fulfill my vows each day. Psalms 61:8
Music has the amazing way to both express our moods and change our moods. Have you ever noticed that? How many songs have been written due to grief or broken relationships or shattered dreams. If the performer does the song well, you can feel your heart melt along with theirs over whatever tragedy the message sends.
On the other hand, a song that expresses joy can make your heart sing as well. I remember back when I was young, when my favorite song came on the car radio in the summer, the windows went down and the volume went up!
David begins this Psalm (song) in dire straights we know little about. All we know for sure is that he’s struggling. But as his song moves on there is a gradual progression from distress to praise; from fear to courage; from questioning God to worshipping God.
What was the difference? We don’t know for sure but I’m convinced his physical situation hadn’t changed. What changed was his heart. His focus turned from his problems to his God.
How is the condition of your heart today? The mind plays amazing games with us. The songs you listen to have a profound and secret affect on your mindset.
So when you are unsure if God hears your prayers, if you are struggling with the news and events around you let me suggest you listen to some good praise music. Allow the words of praise music to permeate your mind, work to change your mood and turn your focus towards the promises of our almighty, loving and never failing Father God. His music will do your heart good!
May he reign under God’s protection forever. May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him. Psalms 61:7
Have you ever noticed how people slow down when a police officer is behind them? Maybe it’s just me. I don’t drive fast, at most I’m 4-5 MPH over the limit. But when a police car is behind me I tend to drive at order a couple MPH below the limit!
Why is that? Because we are being watched! You may see that at the workplace as well. The old adage “When the cats away the mice will play” has real meaning when the manager/boss steps out or leaves for the day.
In Psalms 61:7, King David continues his prayer to God, asking him to protect David in his daily activities, whether in the palace, on the battlefield or in his personal time.
He acknowledges that God watches over him, “…May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him”, but asks that the watching is covered in love and faithfulness.
God is not some angry cop hoping we step out of line so he can ticket us. He’s not a micro-managing boss that doesn’t trust us and is always worried about the bottom line.
He’s a loving father that has promised to love us unconditionally. He’s a loving father that keeps his word. He’s a loving father that always has our best in mind.
May you feel his love today in whatever you face. May you be reminded of his faithfulness in the past as you look into an uncertain future!
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 