Tag Archives: Life

Needing Some Rest

Matthew 11:27-28 (KJV)

27 “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

I can remember a time when I was able to work an 18 hour day in the Marine Corps. I would spend the entire day moving, seldom taking more than a few minutes to devour some chow. After working a long day, sleep was never a problem. Getting a few hours of sleep was all I needed, then it was back to work…and the cycle continued for years.

Oh, how those days are but a memory and reminder of my youth. But one thing remains and will remain the same, we all need rest. With the winter months upon us, the long sun filled days are slowly passing away. The frigid cold that will keep us from spending a long day outside, will keep most of us inside for a majority of our day. This may lead some of us to exercise less. Adding to this change is the approaching holiday seasons, which usually adds some additional challenges for some.

Two thoughts come to mind from the text. First, we have a time when things can get stressful. During the holidays we may find ourselves under more stress than usual. Stress is a normal part of life, but there may come a time when our stress becomes dangerous. Second, our stress not only affects us physically and mentally, but also spiritually.

Application

Stress awareness is vital to being able to recognize the signs and the ability to make adjustments in order to reduce added stressors. The same holds true for us spiritually. We must take time out of our busy days to come to Him and find our rest. Think of it like recharging our spiritual batteries. But we can’t recharge until we stop and plug-in. Slowing down will not allow us enough time to fully charge, we have to stop. “Take my yoke upon you…”, teaches us to come along side Christ. This does not mean that we are taking on more afflictions, but calling us to refocus our priorities to ensure we are doing His will. If we come along side Christ and join yokes with him, we will have no other choice but to follow, learn, and serve with him.

In Christ,

The Silent Preacher

Lesson in Life

    Learning a Lesson in Life…

Psalm 90:10-12 “Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (KJV).

One of the many points that a preacher will make from the pulpit is the warning that we may not be here tomorrow. Warning us to make sure we take full advantage of our time on this earth. Our days are numbered and we can all agree that no one knows the exact time of our departure.

Here the psalmist is reminding us that our time in life is limited, regardless of how healthy we are. With the advancement of modern medicine, we are still not living that much longer than we did years ago. Sin takes its toll on the human race, and we no longer see the long lifespans recorded in Genesis.

Sin may be an ugly word for some Christians to ponder; we may shy away from admitting our own sins. But why, I ask? The word sin reminds me of God’s wrath, not something I would like to see or be part of. We don’t like to think about the wrath of God, but every obituary in the newspaper is a reminder that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).

Reflection

Time is a gift and a blessing given to us by our Father. We are responsible for our own time. We have been given full power over the management of it in our lives. If we are honest and take a moment to look back over the last week or our lives; ask this question “Have I given enough time to the Lord”? I can admit that I have not!

I go back to asking myself the same simple question to my own response “Why”. I forgot to empty myself of all that I am; prepared myself to be the lump of clay that the Lord needs in order to mold me. Time is sacred and we should manage it as faithful stewards. Take the time today and ask the Lord for wisdom so we may become better stewards of our time and opportunities.

My Prayer

Lord, forgive me where I have failed you. Cleanse me of all that I am, all those things that occupy my time and keep me from focusing on you. Fill me with all that you are and use me as you desire for my life. Bless those that have taken the time out of their busy schedule to read this post. Speak to their hearts as you have spoken to mine. Lead us to victory over our sin and turn us again unto your righteousness. Thank you Lord for all that you do in my life, thank you for each blessing and gift that you have delivered into my life. Amen!

In Christ,

The Silent Preacher