““I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket.” Psalms 81:6 NIV
On Surrender Sunday I encouraged us all to lay our burdens down. Well, it was Sunday evening and I had already failed. It was about 7:45pm, coming home from the grocery store and I still needed to cook dinner. I was thinking of my week ahead and I turned down my street. And there was the moon, filling the gap in between the trees. An overwhelming sense of calm came over me as the moon radiated the sky and lit the path ahead.
Doesn’t God fill our gaps? Doesn’t He light our paths ahead? Doesn’t He lift our burdens when we surrender them? In this verse from psalms, it is about God freeing the Israelites. We know how we’ll they listened. We are no different. On this Transformation Tips Tuesday, I will once again surrender. Yes, the week ahead is busy, and yes I still have a lot to accomplish. I can have the peace of God, knowing I don’t have to it on my strength. Recite after me, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13).
“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” Psalms 94:19 NIV
Do you ever feel like life is a tug-of-war between expectations and reality? Between schedules, to-do lists, and deadlines; anxiety sets in. Good news, we have a God who can console our anxiety with joy.
On this Mindset Monday, what war are you facing? Have you already let the anxiety set in? Or have you sat with God and allowed Him to console you with joy? Let’s be proactive and make the choice to win the day with God. Let’s choose joy over anxiety. When faced with busy schedules, deadlines, and to-do lists, take it all one day, one step, one task at a time. Let’s pray together!
Heavenly Father, We surrender this Monday and this week to you. We lay our schedules, deadlines, and to-do lists at your feet. Only you know what the day and week will hold. We surrender control and perfection. We ask in return that you console us with joy. Help us not to forget to give ourselves grace as it has already been given. Today is the day you have made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. In the name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.
““Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.” Job 22:21 NIV
Submit means to accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person. Similarly, surrender means to give up possession of, to yield, to resign. On this Spiritual Sunday, I am encouraging us to be in surrender to our Lord, Christ Jesus. Whatever our worries are, lay them down. We don’t add another minute to our day by holding onto them. Whatever our dreams and plans are, lay them down. We can keep moving forward while submitting to His perfect will for our lives.
I encourage us all to listen and enjoy the words to the song, I’m Going All In by Brandon Lake, ft. Sarah Reeves. As we listen, think about this photo pictured here by Ray White. Even out in deep waters, God takes care of the birds. Some of the lyrics sing, “Cause your power’s found in the roughest waters, where I have no choice but to trust you, Father. Where my every fear has to surrender, I will trust in you forever.”
I am sure you have heard the Clemson Mantra, “All In”. Dabo Swinney says, “It’s a way of life here, and it’s about being committed to just doing the best you can with what you’ve got.” We too must be all in with God, not just on Sundays but a way of daily life. Instead of looking at our neighbors and being worried about what we don’t have, let’s do our best with what God has given us. Will you be All In with God, in full surrender?
“But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”” Ephesians 5:13-14 NIV
In yesterday’s post I encouraged you to look for the goodness of God. Did you see? Did you find God’s goodness? I did! I saw God’s grace and mercy filling my faith up all day long!
When I left home to head to work, I was amazed at the songs I heard on the Christian radio station. Were they picked just for me or was I listening with more open ears? I had a jam packed schedule at work, but God’s grace and mercy gave me the strength and stamina to meet my needs. Several texts and conversations throughout the day reported of answered prayers of mine, family members or friends. Go God! God continually showed off yesterday.
However, when talking with my friend last night of an answered prayer, I had an “aha” revelation. I think God is constantly answering prayers, performing miracles, bestowing blessings and showing off. I think that we are not always looking. I think we are often asleep and in the dark.
You and I rush through life from one task to the other. We are constantly looking to the next big thing while God is constantly working for our good. Let’s make today a Faith-Filled Friday. Let’s turn on the light and be awake to God’s constant work in our lives. Let’s allow Christ to shine on us and fill up our faith for His glory.
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”” Isaiah 40:8 NIV
How has your week been for you? Has it been smooth sailing or has there been bumps in the road. This has been a busy and stressful week for me. I have had activities outside of our home every evening this week. I have run up against some frustrating road blocks that have added to my stress. As I prepared for today’s blog post I was drawn to this beautiful photograph taken by Ray White. I googled “scripture about horizon”. As I read through the scriptures listed, I felt a nudge towards today’s featured verse. As I read it over and meditated on it I was reminded that the promises of God never fail and that God is with me through the stress. I then decided to turn to the scripture and read its context. At this point I really hadn’t paid attention to the scripture “address” (chapter and verse). How had I not realized that this verse comes from the same chapter as my life verse?
“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31 NIV
WOW! God is so good. In the midst of my stress, I was led to a reminder of the goodness of God.
Today is Thankful Thursday. Today may we each keep our eyes open for the goodness of God that surrounds us. May we each praise God and give thanks for the enduring word of God.
Click here to listen to this beautiful song, The Goodness of God. I have shared this several times before, but yesterday a coworker shared that she listens to it every morning to start her day. Let’s do the same today and praise God this Thankful Thursday!
““What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.” Matthew 21:28-32 NIV
I love peanut butter! I especially love chocolate and peanut butter together! A few summers ago, our family was vacationing in Washington, DC. As you may know, touring in Washington involves much walking. One particular day as we walked from one end of the National Mall to the other, we happened upon an ice cream truck. Since it was July, we were hot and we were excited at the thought of a cool ice cream treat. Imagine my delight when the side of the truck, pictured above, had a Reece’s peanut butter cup sundae as an option. Of course that’s what I ordered. Now imagine my disappointment when I was handed the cup of ice cream in today’s second picture. There were no Reece’s peanut butter cups! My cup simply had ice cream with peanut butter smeared on the side and chocolate drizzled on top. That is definitely false advertisement and not what the truck image portrayed!
I am calling today “Walk the Walk Wednesday”. I want each of us to examine the image we are portraying to the world.
Are you walking the walk you claim as a Christian? Are you talking the talk God instructs? Does your walk match your talk? Are you presenting one image, but not following through?
When we say one thing about Christ, but do another, we are being hypocrites. When we portray the Christian life as God instructs us but we don’t walk the walk, we are not being an accurate example of a Christian and we are not growing the kingdom of God.
My prayer for each of us today is that we all “repent and believe him.” May we each walk the walk and talk the talk of Christianity. May each of us not only be the image of Christ, but also be Christ to the world.
***On a side note, the ice cream was terrible and it ended up being thrown away not long after it was purchased . What a disappointment! Even today our family continues to get a good laugh out of my Reece’s ice cream sundae debacle.
