At The End of Your Rope...

You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. Matthew 5 (The Message)

Life is not a 'bowl of cherries'—far from it. Sometimes it's the pits—not what we thought was promised to us. It almost leaves us hanging, dangling above the fire of our circumstances, swallowing us up. Life has a 'flavor' all its own, just like the cherry, and it's not always sweet. Sometimes we expect too much out of life. And when it doesn't deliver what we expected or what we truly wanted, we experience a sense of vulnerability. Things don't always go as we planned.

We need to recognize the fact that when we have done all we can do; now it is up to Him. But we have to move toward Him, not religiously but from a relational standpoint. Relationships are personal--we get to know the real person and their heart. That is what I am talking about. A lot of us have had a jaded point of view religiously but when we move toward him from this relational attitude, it is and will be different.

Matthew 11:28 -30 ( The Message):

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Life is not a 'bouquet of roses'. It sometimes has its own bed of thorns! Thorns don't set too well with our tender flesh. They prickle our skin, and if the spot isn't cleaned thoroughly, it might begin to 'fester'. That's the same thing that happens with things in our everyday life. If we let a situation in our life put us in the 'pits', digging at us with its 'thorns', then we will begin to sink deeper and deeper into the mire. It will bring us down so fast, leaving us depressed, down on life, and a down and out Christian! We will be of no effect on the lives around us or even in our own lives.

I Timothy 6:11 (KJV): But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Life can be glorious, if you follow after the Lord and are obedient to him. It has its ups and downs, but he asks that we cast our cares upon him and let him shoulder our burdens. He is there in time of need, only a call away. But sometimes we fail to make our voices heard, to utter that simple prayer that GOD is waiting to hear from us. He wants only our willingness to turn to him - he already knows what we need.

Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence [is] fulness of joy; at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore.

Blessings,

 

 

Time to Rest...

“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him...” (Psalm 37:7 NKJV)

Have you ever been at a point in your life when you felt boxed in and filled with conflict, chaos, confusion and you are looking for just a ray of light at any moment? If you have been there before and I have been there, then that gives us something in common! I don’t know your patterns of response to these situations but my default response can be taking control and trying to fix everything.

Well that sounds all well and good but it usually puts me in my place. I find myself getting frustrated with people and relationships weaken. In some cases my faith is even challenged. The next step that usually follows this downward spiral is really trying to make someone else change or live in the way I think is right.

Well if you are like me, you mean well and have good intentions. But if we are trying to orchestrate things to happen our way, on our timetable, we are only going to frustrate ourselves. At some point, we have to turn these circumstances and people over to God and trust that He has our best interest at heart.

Well that sure sounds easy, doesn’t it? Okay, so how do we turn things over to God? What I have learned is that I need to make the choice and declare my resolve. Simply say, “Father, I choose to let you be God of this situation. I take my hands off. I trust You Lord.” Then choose to worship Him. Worship is one of the best ways to set your heart and mind in the right place. (Psalm 96:1-13 KJV)  You can’t worry and worship at the same time! Worship is a sign that you are trusting God; worry is a sign that you are trying to control things. Find yourself a place where you are sharing life with other Christ-followers. That is where strength and the testimony of others can really encourage us more than we know. We need the relationships around us to be healthy, and this will allow us to get on the road of health.

Today, make the choice to take the pressure off yourselves and turn things over to God. Give Him control and let Him take your setbacks and turn them into comebacks. Remember, the God who holds the universe holds you in the palm of His hand. Trust Him and let God be God in every area of your life!

Blessings,

 

B