‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ NIV — Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Often our weariness comes from overcommitment. Our “get to” turns to “have to” because we haven’t set proper boundaries and we leave the door open for animosity to creep in. Whether we are serving in our homes, church, workplace or communities we must prayerfully look at each task as an opportunity. Steven Furtick has said, “Sometimes the interruption is the assignment.” 

Another God Wink on this week’s theme was when my daughter shared with me an excerpt from the 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna West, on you don’t “have to’” you “get to.” “This is one of the simplest changes in perception, and yet also something truly fulfilled people master: the knowing that everything is an opportunity to experience. You don’t have to go to work; you get to go to work. You don’t have to wake up early; you get to wake up early. When you start considering things not as obligations but as opportunities, you start taking advantage of them rather than trying to avoid them.”

Ask God to hold onto you in your times of weariness. Sunday I encouraged you to worship with, Hold On To Me by Lauren Daigle. Some of the lyrics sing, “When the best of me is barely breathin’. When I’m not somebody I believe in. Hold on to me. When I miss the light the night has stolen. When I’m slammin’ all the doors You’ve opened. Hold on to me.” 

Let’s pray. Dear God, give me strength to do Your will. Guide me in setting boundaries. Give me a heart of submission to Your purpose so that I don’t get weary focusing on the tasks outside of Your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭MSG‬‬ — Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Another God Wink on this week’s theme was when Deborah shared with me a second quote by Jon Gordon: “Let Go. Focus on the things that you have the power to change, and let go of the things that are beyond your control. You’ll be amazed that when you stop trying to control everything, it all somehow works out. Surrender is the answer.”

I had just waited an hour in the dermatology office with my daughter while my mom waited for us in the car. My car battery drained as a result of me leaving my keys resting in the ignition for my mom’s convenience. Thank goodness AAA was able to come to my rescue in a timely manner. As a result of these two events, I had to surrender my plans of making dinner. Eating fast food seemed like the best option since we had other stops to make on the way home. If we keep our minds on things that are true, our mindset shifts. That day, I got to take my daughter to the doctor. I got to sit and eat a corndog with my family at Sonic. Today’s quote was a good reminder to surrender my plans. In the end, God worked it all out. We read in ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for times when I can surrender my plans to You. Thank You for opportunities to support my family by taking them to the doctor. Help me to stay in the “get to”  mindset. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

The theme of this week unfolded after many God Winks. Deborah recently shared with me a quote by Jon Gordon: “Mondays are a great day to focus on what we GET TO do instead of what we HAVE TO do. Life is a gift, not an obligation.” For daily inspiration quotes by Jon Gordon you can subscribe to dailypositive.com.

I encourage you today to meditate on the following scripture verses. Prepare your hearts and minds for the message God has for you this week.

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭MSG‬‬ — Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭17‬ ‭MSG‬‬ — So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

@biblegateway

@jongordon11

I encourage you to worship with the following songs:

Hold Onto Me by Lauren Daigle

“When the best of me is barely breathin’. When I’m not somebody I believe in. Hold on to me. When I miss the light the night has stolen. When I’m slammin’ all the doors You’ve opened. Hold on to me.”

Child Of God by Crowder

“Clap them hands, stomp them feet. Devil ain’t got no hold on me. Dance all day, dance all night. Good God, I’m on fire. I may be flesh and bone. But in my haunted soul. I got the Holy Ghost. I know where I came from. Can’t keep me from my home. I am a child of God.”

Strong by Anne Wilson

“I hit my knees with my hands held high saying, “Dear Lord, Jesus, you know I can’t do this on my own. Lord knows I’ve tried, but I’m good at falling down. Thank God you’re good at picking me up off the ground. The world’s gonna try to break me but I know the one who makes me strong.”

John‬ ‭15‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV — I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.‬‬

Thank you for joining us this week! Welcome to See You Saturday. Today we will wrap up our week on abiding in Christ and finding joy in the journey!

Prayer is the strongest form of abiding that there is.

A retired teacher was giving her little nephew some help with his school work. He was normally a good, attentive child, but on this occasion he could not fix his mind on his work. Suddenly he said, “Aunt Sally, may I kneel down and ask God to help me find my marble?” She told him to go ahead, the little boy knelt by his chair, closed his eyes, and prayed silently. Then he got up and went on with his lessons contentedly.

The next day, his aunt was almost afraid to ask about the prayer request. She was a little worried that if he did not find the marble that his simple faith would be damaged. She finally decided to ask anyway and said to him, “Well, dear, have you found your marble?” “No,” was the reply, “but God has made me not want to.”

When we abide in Christ, especially in prayer, I believe that we develop and grow into a healthy branch that conforms to God’s image. He changes our hearts desires and helps us to trust in His actions in our lives.

From Thomas Bowen’s Sermon “Blank Checks”

Read the various versions of today’s scripture.

Psalm 91 KJV

Psalms 91 NIV

Psalm 91 MSG

I want to be in constant conversation with Christ so I am covered in dust. Yes, you read that correctly. I realize that sounds strange so let me explain. In Mark Batterson’s book Draw the Circle he states, “The complete devotion of discipleship is sometimes described as being ‘covered in the dust of your rabbi.’ It was an allusion to the fact that disciples followed their rabbi so closely that the dust of the rabbi kicked up with his heels would literally cover the disciples who followed him.” What a beautiful reason to be dusty. I want to be that close to Christ! That is the epitome of the word abide.

We have talked about the word abide all week. In the various versions of today’s featured scripture, abide, rest, and spend the night are all used to illustrate dwelling in the shelter of God.  When I think of abiding with Christ I think of lingering as I study His word. I think of talking with Him throughout my day. I think of resting in His presence. What does abiding in Christ mean to you? How have your thoughts about abiding in Christ changed or deepened this week? 

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for Your almighty presence and for the ability to abide in You. Please continue to shape my understanding of abiding in You and may I continue to seek new ways to rest in Your presence. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

@biblegateway