Christian daily devotionals

A Time for Everything

Posted on by Betsy

Ecclesiastes 3 is offered to us today as a lesson that brings a word of reality into our study of God. The writer, who refers to himself as ”Teacher,” says that God is in every part of creation and is present in every moment. Times of planting and uprooting, times of throwing stones and gathering stones, times of keeping and throwing away … everything comes under God’s purview:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 
1 There’s a season for everything
    and a time for every matter under the heavens:
2     a time for giving birth and a time for dying,
    a time for planting and a time for uprooting what was planted,
3     a time for killing and a time for healing,
    a time for tearing down and a time for building up,
4     a time for crying and a time for laughing,
    a time for mourning and a time for dancing,
5     a time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones,
    a time for embracing and a time for avoiding embraces,
6     a time for searching and a time for losing,
    a time for keeping and a time for throwing away,
7     a time for tearing and a time for repairing,
    a time for keeping silent and a time for speaking,
8     a time for loving and a time for hating,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

Even the jarring examples he offers are part of God’s plan. It can feel disconcerting to read that there is a time for killing, a time for hate, and a time for war. Yet we know that in acts of self-defense and in times of battle, killing happens. We know that hate is too often experienced when people engage in anger, sin, and revenge. Yet perhaps it is understandable when we hate evil, injustice, and anything that opposes God. We know that wars are inevitable on earth and will not cease until Christ returns. The Teacher sought not to condone or approve of these things, but merely to pull the listener in with relevant examples. In like manner, he also assured us that there are times when weeping, laughing, mourning, and dancing will be our response to something. We may have little say over things that happen to us, but how we respond to them is important. The Teacher encourages us to respond with trust.
    

By being so specific, the Teacher has captured our attention. But the comfort that he intends to impart is found in the first verse: “There is a season for everything, and a time for every matter under the heavens.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Our Creator set the stars, the planets, and the seasons in motion at the beginning of time. Our Creator is present with us in every matter and every minute. Our Creator is watching everything that happens under the heavens.

Our Creator is here, with us, in it all. What comfort! What joy! To know that things aren’t just randomly happening to us, but that everything has a purpose, is the word of hope we need for today. This word of illumination should bring peace to our hearts. God is in control. God is omniscient (all knowing). Even better, God is omnipresent (always present).

God controls time …. the best of times and the worst of times. Whatever you are going through right now, God is IN IT with you. Thanks be to God!

Time to Rise and Shine by Michelle Robertson

Folding Up Tents

Posted on by Betsy

I grew up in a camping family. In fact, the first time I stayed in a hotel wasn’t until I was 17 years old and on a band trip. We started in a tent, moved to a tent trailer, and finally graduated to a comfy travel trailer in my parents’ later years. In the fifth chapter of 2 Corinthians, Paul writes about tents in a wonderful way:

2 Corinthians 5 (Contemporary English Version)

5 Our bodies are like tents that we live in here on earth. But when these tents are destroyed, we know that God will give each of us a place to live. These homes will not be buildings that someone has made, but they are in heaven and will last forever. 2 While we are here on earth, we sigh because we want to live in that heavenly home. 4 These tents we now live in are like a heavy burden, and we groan. But we don’t do this just because we want to leave these bodies that will die. It is because we want to change them for bodies that will never die. 5 God is the one who makes all of this possible. He has given us his Spirit to make us certain that he will do it..

I love the image of tents in this passage.  My family traveled all up and down the East Coast to campgrounds located near interesting, educational and often historical locations.  My first camping adventure was when I was 6 weeks old and my parents took my sister and me to the beautiful mountains of Central PA where we camped for two weeks in a faded green tent.  Every summer we would return to the Greenwood State Furnace and camp with our grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We all spent many happy moments in this temporary home. But then we would come back to our real home again, and the tent would be put away until next summer.

Last week I said goodbye to a very dear friend whose ”tent” had been taken down and folded away. He was an outstanding human being in every sense of the word, and his death leaves a void on the earth. But our faith in God assures us that we will see him again, and this brings us comfort. For all of our dearly departed, whose tents fell into disrepair and were taken down, we can rejoice in knowing that God has replaced their temporary dwellings with a permanent home in heaven. We indeed live by faith and not by sight.

For all believers, death is the beginning of life.  That is what we believe.  Our Lord has taught us that our finish here is but our beginning there.  It means we will have a new and glorious life in the Father’s home. Paul concludes with this reminder:

6 So always be cheerful! As long as we are in these bodies, we are away from the Lord. 7 But we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We should be cheerful, because we would rather leave these bodies and be at home with the Lord.

It is hard to be cheerful in the face of loss, but we can be cheerful in the face of gain. We will all gain a place in our Father’s house … Jesus assures us that there are many rooms there, one for each of us.

John 14 selections (New Living Translation)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”  “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

This last part may be the most important thing you will hear today:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

The world, and all of it’s temporary things, will never give us peace. Only Jesus, with his heavenly mansion of many rooms, can bring us real and everlasting peace. So do not let your hearts be troubled! You can trust this, even to the end of your life.

A Sign From Heaven

Raising Up a Roar

Posted on by Betsy

Coastal storms (often called ”Nor’easters”) in the Outer Banks are a very present reminder of the power of the water. Certainly during storms and hurricanes, we see extraordinary and damaging tides, waves, and flooding. I had a conversation with an Atlanta friend last week about the precariousness of living on a small island off a small island, and explained that sometimes the road connecting us to the main road gets so flooded that it becomes impassable. Of course it is usually a matter of waiting about 12 hours for the wind to shift, but even as I was saying it, I had a renewed appreciation for the majestic and dangerous power of water.

During a recent off-shore storm, I could hear the roar of the ocean from the front steps of my church. Given the fact that the church is located three miles inland, that is saying something.

The 93rd Psalm uses imagery of robes, thrones, floods, and waves to describe the power of God. Even with the first line, we see the psalmist taking a stand against all of the earthly powers and pretender idols:

Psalm 93 (Common English Bible)

The Lord rules!

Right out of the gate, the psalmist makes his position clear … the Lord reigns over everything. Substitutions and fakes need not apply. Then the writer goes on to describe how the Lord is clothed:

He is robed in majesty—
    the Lord is robed,
    clothed with strength.

The word majesty conveys a sense of dignity, sovereign power, and grandeur. The first listeners to this psalm would have had a beautiful word-picture of God that could stand in contrast to the wooden or metal false gods of their neighbors.

Yes, he set the world firmly in place;
    it won’t be shaken.
2 Your throne is set firm for a very long time.
    You are eternal!

This invites the listener to compare the temporary thrones of the earthly kings to the permanent throne of God. The psalmist contends that there was never a time when God’s throne didn’t exist. What a comforting thought!

3 Lord, the floods have raised up—
    the floods have raised up their voices;
    the floods raise up a roar!
4 But mightier than the sound of much water,
    mightier than the sea’s waves,
    mighty on high is the Lord!

Hurricane Irene hit the Outer Banks during the first year that we lived here. The flooding and winds caused $25,000 worth of damage to our home. We lost a chimney, followed by two days of rain water that poured into two rooms of our house. We lost a dock, and the canal water flooded the entire back yard up to the house, where it took out our HVAC system. And we lost a car. When you live through something like that, you understand the power of water and floods. But God’s power is far greater, thanks be to God!

5 Your laws are so faithful.
    Holiness decorates your house, Lord, for all time.

This short but impactful Psalm is a great reminder today of the strength of the God we serve. There is nothing in this life that has more power than God. There is no earthly power, no force of evil, no demon or antagonist that can ever threaten or harm those who are children of God. Even death bows in obeisance to the eternal throne of the Lord.

No matter what you are up against today, take heart. God rules! His covenant lasts forever! And he is mightier than the storm that you are in. Thanks be to God.

Water’s Power by Michelle Robertson

Famous Last Words

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever wondered what people said the moment they knew that death was imminent? I am curious about that. According to Business Insider, these are some examples of famous people’s last words:

Nostradamus predicted, “Tomorrow, at sunrise, I shall no longer be here.” He was right. Joe Dimagio said, ”I finally get to see Marilyn again.” (Referring to his beloved ex-wife, Marilyn Monroe.) Winston Churchill’s son-in-law offered him a glass of champagne, and Churchill replied, ”I’m just so bored with it all.” And finally, former Beetle George Harrison: ”Love one another.” That will preach, George.

Today’s Scripture takes a look at the last words of King David, as recorded in 2 Samuel:

2 Samuel 23 (Common English Bible)

23 These are David’s last words:

This is the declaration of Jesse’s son David,
    the declaration of a man raised high,
    a man anointed by the God of Jacob,
    a man favored by the strong one of Israel.

2 The Lord’s spirit speaks through me;
    his word is on my tongue.
3 Israel’s God has spoken,
    Israel’s rock said to me:
“Whoever rules rightly over people,
    whoever rules in the fear of God,
4     is like the light of sunrise
    on a morning with no clouds,
        like the bright gleam after the rain
        that brings grass from the ground.”

David made many mistakes in his life, and yet at the end, he was reconciled to God. His words about ”ruling rightly” were hard fought and hard won. He learned through his errors what it meant to rule rightly. As he was looking toward the next generations of leaders, he likened them to the light of the sunrise and the bright gleam after the rain … as long as they were ruling in the fear of God. Listen now to his words of appreciation and the acknowledgement of God’s faithfulness in keeping his part of the covenant, even when David had failed:

5 Yes, my house is this way with God!
    He has made an eternal covenant with me,
    laid out and secure in every detail.
Yes, he provides every one of my victories
    and brings my every desire to pass.

David lived a turbulent life, but he died in the peaceful security of the eternal covenant God had made with him. He relished the security he found in his restored relationship with God, and credits God with every good thing that happened in his life. Then he ends with a warning, perhaps one born of his own experience of thorniness:


6 But despicable people are like thorns,
    all of them good for nothing,
    because they can’t be carried by hand.
7 No one can touch them,
except with iron bar or the shaft of a spear.
    They must be burned up with fire right on the spot!

If David can be redeemed, so can we. If David can be restored, so can we. If David can die with gratitude and security, so can we.

Have you grown thorny? It is never too late to return to your eternal covenant with God. If a despicable, adulterous murderer can come back to God, so can we. Thanks be to God!

Last Road Home by Nancy Barniskis

Clean Slates

Posted on by Betsy

Our journey through Hebrews continues this week as the writer again makes the case for Jesus’ superiority as the once-and-for-all sacrifice for our sins. He points out the futile efforts of the human priests, who can’t make a dent in the sin problem, and the single sacrifice made by Jesus that wipes out sin forever:

Hebrews 10 (The Message)

11-18 Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God and waited for his enemies to cave in. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.

You just have to love Eugene Peterson’s creative writing ability in this passage. ”It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people.” Preach it, Eugene! We are indeed some very imperfect people.

The Holy Spirit confirms this:

This new plan I’m making with Israel
    isn’t going to be written on paper,
    isn’t going to be chiseled in stone;
This time “I’m writing out the plan in them,
    carving it on the lining of their hearts.”

Again, the imagery of God’s new plan being written on the lining of our hearts goes a long way toward a deeper understanding of the depth of God’s plan. God desires his covenant to be engraved not just on our hearts, but on the lining … in other words, the deepest, inside part … of our hearts. Peterson reminds us that God does not desire a superficial relationship with us, but wants us to present him with the most inner part of our souls. He literally wants us to love him from the ”inside-out.”

He concludes,

I’ll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.

Once sins are taken care of for good, there’s no longer any need to offer sacrifices for them.

Let’s take this in a different direction now. If God provided the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, can we really be unforgiving toward each other’s sin? And if we continue to hold grudges and refuse to forgive one another, what does that say about the power of the cross? That our stubbornness is greater than the blood that was shed there? Does that make sense?

God calls us to forgiveness. Jesus made it conditional: ”Forgive us our trespasses AS WE FORGIVE those who trespass against us.”

Is God calling you to forgive someone today? Maybe it is time for you to wipe clean all the slates.

Blustery Day by Michelle Robertson

With All That I Have

Posted on by Betsy

I have done my last wedding for the season. It was a beautiful fall day on the beach in Corolla, and I was blessed to marry a “sister of the cloth” to a very nice man. She is a retired United Methodist pastor from the Michigan conference, and their small family came to stand with them as they exchanged vows.

It is uncommon anymore for people to want to write their own vows. Nowadays, folks seem to be content with the traditional ones, or perhaps don’t want the stress and worry of writing something and having to remember it on a day that is already fraught with anxiety. Indeed, it is easier on the nerves to rely on the pastor for the ”repeat after me” vows. But this couple wrote their own vows and they were stunningly beautiful.

As we progressed to the exchange of the wedding rings, we got to a “repeat after me” moment. I have a tender fondness for the ring vows in the United Methodist wedding service. Truth be told, there is one phrase that makes me tear up every time:

I give you this ring
as a sign of my vow,
and with all that I am,
and all that I have,
I honor you;
in the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.

There is something very poignant in the words “With all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you”. To make that commitment is a bold and audacious thing. It tells the other person that you promise that nothing will ever be withheld from them. It affirms that there is no part of your personhood that will be shared with anyone else. It says that you are “all in,” and they can count on you for the rest of their life. It is a precious commitment.

In our passage from Mark today, notice how a poor widow demonstrated to Jesus that she was “all in”:

Mark 12 (The Message)

38-40 He continued teaching. “Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preening in the radiance of public flattery, basking in prominent positions, sitting at the head table at every church function. And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they get. But they’ll pay for it in the end.”

41-44 Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all.”

Are you all in for Jesus? Are you willing to say to him that with all that you are, and all that you have, you will honor him? Have you committed your time, your talent, your resources, your giving, and your future to the furthering of his kingdom?

Jesus calls us to a covenant relationship that will outlast even our earthly ones. Are you all in? He is.

Nothing Withheld by Michelle Robertson

Beautiful Things

Posted on by Betsy

What can you do when your heart is heavy with concern for someone you love? I have a colleague who is dealing with the murder of his daughter and her unborn child. An arrest has finally been made, and we are praying that justice will prevail. Another friend is watching her marriage crumble after decades of being together. A neighbor is struggling to negotiate the depths of her mother’s dementia, and a young woman I know has just received the news that the baby she is carrying has Down Syndrome. When someone you care about is hurting, you hurt.

A few days ago when I woke up early to write, this Psalm popped up in the lectionary assignments for this week. I had already been reminded of all four of these situations before I logged into my lectionary library, and here was David’s reminder for all of us about what we can do in the heaviest of situations. Before you read it, think about what is troubling you today, and pray that God will enable you to lay that burden down at the foot of the cross. Then read this as his answer to you:

Psalm 16 (Common English Bible)

Protect me, God, because I take refuge in you.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord.
    Apart from you, I have nothing good.”

God is our only place of refuge when we are in trouble. I remember once being chased by bullies on the way home from school one day. This may be the moment when I happily discovered that I am a decent runner. All I kept thinking was that as soon as I reached my house and the safety of my mother, I would be okay. David is reminding us that we can run home to God whenever we are in trouble.

3 Now as for the “holy ones” in the land,
    the “magnificent ones” that I was so happy about;
4     let their suffering increase because
        they hurried after a different god.
I won’t participate in their blood offerings;
    I won’t let their names cross my lips.

David has realized that following after people who don’t follow after God is a fruitless and useless pursuit. Does that resonate with you today?

5 You, Lord, are my portion, my cup;
    you control my destiny.
6 The property lines have fallen beautifully for me;
    yes, I have a lovely home.

This brings me such comfort! To know that all these people I have been praying for are completely being cared for by the Lord, who is the one who controls their destiny, is a blessing beyond measure. It also reminds me that God is God … and we are not.

7 I will bless the Lord who advises me;
    even at night I am instructed
    in the depths of my mind.
8 I always put the Lord in front of me;
    I will not stumble because he is on my right side.
9 That’s why my heart celebrates and my mood is joyous;
    yes, my whole body will rest in safety
10     because you won’t abandon my life to the grave;
    you won’t let your faithful follower see the pit.

My prayer for you today is that you can tap into the kind of relief that David describes when he says that his heart celebrates and his mood is joyous knowing that his whole body will rest in safety. Our life crises are not beyond God’s reach! God is on our right side.

11 You teach me the way of life.
    In your presence is total celebration.
Beautiful things are always in your right hand.

I hope you can take a moment to breathe into that last line: beautiful things are always in God’s right hand. Even in times when you can’t see it, they are there. Lord, give us insight and patience as we wait for our vision to clear. Your presence with us is a total celebration … thanks be to God.

Refuge by David Bevel Jones

Pointless

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever engaged in a pursuit that you discovered was absolutely pointless after awhile? I have had projects that I had to abandon because I realized I was not suited to the task. Sometimes these experiences are life lessons about trying to do something outside of your natural skill set, also known as “spiritual gifts.” Learning about your own giftedness is a good exercise for everyone, and spiritual gift inventories are easy to find online. I know a fellow who has a significant job helping run a major corporation, and spends his Sundays working in Children’s Ministry. While he is perfectly capable of running any of the administrative functions of the church (and has, on occasion), the one place of serving that brings him joy is working with the kids. He is an incredible blessing to his church! When you work and serve in places that make you feel content, you know you are working in the place to which you’ve been called. If there is no satisfaction, it may be time to move on.

Psalm 127 comes along as a reminder that we must follow the Lord’s leading when it comes to many things: building a house (or church, or family), guarding a city (or church, or family), and doing hard labor (for the church, or for the family).

Psalm 127 (Common English Bible)

Unless it is the Lord who builds the house,
    the builders’ work is pointless.
Unless it is the Lord who protects the city,
    the guard on duty is pointless.
2 It is pointless that you get up early and stay up late,
    eating the bread of hard labor
    because God gives sleep to those he loves.

3 No doubt about it: children are a gift from the Lord;
    the fruit of the womb is a divine reward.
4 The children born when one is young
    are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
5 The person who fills a quiver full with them is truly happy!
    They won’t be ashamed when arguing with their enemies in the gate.

I want to interject my thoughts on the second paragraph. I don’t think the psalmist means to say that ONLY by having children can you be truly happy. We know that is not the case. Many couples can’t or choose not to have children and are perfectly content with their lives. Having a child is not a guaranteed blessing when they are born into extreme circumstances. Indeed, Paul counsels against even getting married so as to not have distractions from following Jesus. (1 Corinthians 7).

But in those situations where children are wanted and welcomed, children are a gift from the Lord and a continued blessing for those who are called to be parents.

Are you laboring in vain right now with a task that has brought you no joy? Are you volunteering in an area that is wearing you out rather than lifting you up? If the Lord hasn’t called you to it, you are laboring in vain. Think about that, and perhaps take a spiritual gifts test to see where God wants you to serve.

God never calls us to a pointless mission … thanks be to God!

Spiritual Gifts Test

Breaking Dawn by Michelle Robertson

Running on Empty

Posted on by Betsy

The classic rock song, ”Running on Empty” by Jackson Browne, was written as a result of his daily grind and daily commute to a music studio when he was recording his hit album The Pretender. According to an interview he gave to Rolling Stone magazine, he lived close enough to the studio that he never bothered to fill up his tank with gas. But then there were those days when that caught up with him, leaving him running on empty AND running behind:

Everyone I know, everywhere I go
People need some reason to believe
I don’t know about anyone, but me
If it takes all night, that’ll be all right
If I can get you to smile before I leave

Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels
I don’t know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels
Look around for the friends that I used to turn to to pull me through
Looking into their eyes, I see them running too

Running on (running on empty)
Running on (running blind)
Running on (running into the sun)
But I’m running behind

We’ve all been there. If we don’t stop long enough to fill up our emotional and spiritual tanks, we can suddenly hit a wall and realize we’ve run out of ”gas.” This happens when caregiving, working late, the loss of a loved one, parenting, helping a friend through an emotional crisis, raising teenagers, etc. gets overwhelming and we don’t allow for enough rest and refill.

If that is you today, take a look at this wonderful story from the Old Testament about a widow who was running on empty in every sense of the word:

1 Kings 7 (Contemporary English Version)

8 The Lord told Elijah, 9 “Go to the town of Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I’ve told a widow in that town to give you food.”

10 When Elijah came near the town gate of Zarephath, he saw a widow gathering sticks for a fire. “Would you please bring me a cup of water?” he asked. 11 As she left to get it, he asked, “Would you also please bring me a piece of bread?”

12 The widow answered, “In the name of the living Lord your God, I swear that I don’t have any bread. All I have is a handful of flour and a little olive oil. I’m on my way home now with these few sticks to cook what I have for my son and me. After that, we will starve to death.”

13 Elijah said, “Everything will be fine. Do what you said. Go home and fix something for you and your son. But first, please make a small piece of bread and bring it to me. 14 The Lord God of Israel has promised that your jar of flour won’t run out and your bottle of oil won’t dry up before he sends rain for the crops.”

15 The widow went home and did exactly what Elijah had told her. She and Elijah and her family had enough food for a long time. 16 The Lord kept the promise that his prophet Elijah had made, and she did not run out of flour or oil.

This story comes to us today as a reminder of God’s provision. There is one source where we can go to get everything refilled … our personal resources, our family’s needs, the things lacking in our communities, and especially our spiritual emptiness.

The problem is that we try to fill ourselves with things that only end up emptying us farther: drugs, alcohol, inappropriate relationships, over-eating, over-spending, temporary distractions … useless nonsense that the secular world offers in the absence of a meaningful relationship with God.

But we know better.

If you are running on empty today, STOP RUNNING. Sit in the silence of your room and wait on the Lord. Rest in his grace, rest in his POWER, and fill yourself with his presence. Ask God to fill up your cup, and fill it up to overflowing.

The Lord keeps his promises! You can never run out of his grace.

Reflections of Grace by Kathy Schumacher

Forswunk

Posted on by Betsy

I came across a new word on Twitter the other day, and now I am trying to use it as much as I can. The word is forswunk. It harkens back to the 13th century and it means to be exhausted from overwork. Holy cow, people! There is a NAME FOR IT. Raise your hand if you are forswunk! The poster went on to make a marvelous joke: being ”forEswunk” is to be exhausted before you even begin. I don’t know who Susie Dent is, but this got an immediate follow from me. She is my soul sister when it comes to having fun with words.

I have been both for- and fore-swunk. The recent push to publish a book, writing these devotionals, plugging away on a huge writing assignment for Cokesbury, attending my alma mater’s Alumni Association Council meetings for several days in Pennsylvania … in addition to my usual church and family responsibilities …I am forswunk! How about you? Are you forswunk? And as Halloween approaches in two days, are you realizing how quickly Christmas follows … so now you are feeling foreswunk as well?

What can we do when forswunkness overtakes us??

Stop.

Breathe.

Reevaluate.

Prioritize.

Then take things OFF our lists.

Jesus never used the word, but he certainly understood what it was like to be exhausted by overwork. Here is his counsel for you and for me:

Matthew 11 (New Revised Standard Version)

28 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 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.

Come to Jesus. Lay down your burden, lay your head in his lap, and rest. When he invites us to take his yoke rather than the heavy burden we are carrying, it is a reference to how a young ox is paired with older, stronger, more experienced ox. The older ox carries the weight of the yoke and guides the younger ox along. It is only in Jesus that we will find rest for our souls.

Are you tired? Have life, relationships, work, worries, and the troubles of the world got you down? You are not alone. Jesus longs to walk beside you and carry that load for you.

You don’t have to stay forswunk. Jesus is able! Just come.

If you are looking for a way to stave off foreswunkness as your mind turns toward the busy-ness of Christmas, consider this Advent devotional resource. It was deliberately written to encourage all of us to slow down, minimize, re-focus, and appreciate Christmas for what it is … the greatest gift we could ever receive.

Excerpt from ADVENTuring to the Manger:

I wonder what Christmas would look like if we had kept it as just a birthday party for Jesus, instead of the giftpalooza-partypalooza-spendtoomuchpalooza-shoptilyoudroppalooza that it has become. Imagine it: we would wake up, talk about how wonderful Jesus is, plan a nice meal, bake a birthday cake, have the celebration, blow out the candles, and call it a day. And it would truly be just about him. How can we make Christmas just about Jesus again?

But for today, stop, breathe, reevaluate, and prioritize. Jesus’ yoke is easy and light. Come!

Stopping to Rest by Michelle Robertson