Releasing Our Burdens

What is weighing you down today? Is it finishing your tax return; the heavy burden of concern over cancer in a loved one; struggles with a difficult child; financial woes as the stock market takes a dive; a past sin that remains in your mind, even after Jesus wiped it from your soul; concern over how to afford groceries this week; or a multitude of little things that keep handing off our shoulders. Stop a moment and take these words from Jesus to heart:

"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," (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV). 

I have always loved these verses. There is such peace within the promises of Jesus! Let yourself take a deep breath, close your eyes and rest in the Lord. Jesus promises love, healing, and peace with a relationship with God. He isn't saying there will be no trouble or work or struggles in life. Jesus says if we allow Him to walk with us (as if we shared a yoke with Him) the burden will never be too heavy.

Heavenly Father: we come to You today to drop our burdens and ask You to carry them for us. We are tired and weary and need Your rest. Lift us up, Lord, for we want to learn from You. Thank You for being gentle and humble in heart. We accept Your easy burden while we let go of the pains and struggles we have carried so long. Give us rest Lord, we pray in the Holy Name of Jesus, Amen.

When to Choose to Fast

I confess. Every Wednesday I fast until weigh-in time at WW (formerly Weight Watchers).  Every week, although I am below the weight I set as my goal, I fluctuate a couple of pounds one way or another.  So I fast the morning before I weigh in so I will be as low as possible. It is a silly thing to do.

John the Baptist's followers learned to repent of their sin and prepare for Christ's coming. It was a powerful message that brought them to their knees in prayer and in fasting. My Life Application Study Bible defines fasting as: "an outward sign of humility and regret for sin, and an inner discipline that clears the mind and keeps the spirit alert. Fasting empties the body of food, repentance empties the life of sin."

Jesus himself fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert when He was tempted by the devil. He encouraged fasting for the right purpose. The Pharisees routinely fasted twice a week to show others how holy they were. Fasting to impress others is not what fasting is for.

"Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?"  Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.""  (Mark 2:18-20 NIV).

Dear God and Father of all things, we come to you this day to ask for Your guidance in our life. Show us the way to follow You and to worship and praise You. Teach us when we should choose to fast for Your purpose. During this season of Lent we prepare our hearts for the sorrow and the joy that Easter brings. We thank You for sending Your Son to save us from our sins. We love You and thank You for our many blessings. We pray in Jesus' Holy Name. Amen.

Calling All Sinners

"Hey, you. Yes, you. Jesus is calling you to follow Him, today! Drop what you are doing and rise up and worship our Lord, Jesus. Today is before us, ready for us to do God's will.  Lift your voice and sing praises to our Savior! Walk with Him to Jerusalem where evil awaits Him. Watch as He alone leads sinners like me to the Cross. 

"Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.  Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with ta collectors and 'sinners'?"  Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," (Luke 5:27-32 NIV).

I try to imagine what it would be like to stand in the presence of my Savior, Jesus Christ. That will only happen when I arrive in heaven. What a glorious day that will be! No need to be filled with sorrow, be happy for me to finally reach my true home, prepared by Jesus. I don't plan to go there soon, but only God knows the day and the time.  I will be ready. 

Heavenly Father, we come as sinners to the foot of the Cross where we are accepted as believers. We kneel down before You today and empty our souls of all our sins. We repent of those sins and ask for Jesus' blood to wipe them all away. Now we stand before You as white as snow. Thank You for Your forgiveness that comes through Jesus alone. We try to live our lives without sin but we always fail to fully realize the self that You desire of us. Thank You for sending Your Son to save us from the dread which we are due. Encompass our whole being with Your merciful love and grace. We thank You, O God, for all things. We pray in the Holy Name of Jesus, Amen.

The Great Authority

Gather your walking stick and a bottle of water for we are again walking toward Jerusalem with Jesus as a new week begins. Jesus and his followers went to Capernaum to begin His teaching in a local synagogue on the Sabbath. Mark tells about some of the experiences Jesus had during His early teaching.

"Jesus began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"

"Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.  The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching--and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."  News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee." (Mark 1:21-28 NIV).

Jesus showed His power and His authority over evil. His teaching began and immediately the people who heard knew His authority was unlike any other. They listened and followed Jesus.

Have you ever heard a speaker with authority? Someone who spoke eloquently or with charisma? Only Jesus speaks with truth. The Scriptures are filled with examples of the power of God in Jesus. That is why it is so important to read and know the Word.

Thank You, God, for sending Jesus to lead us closer to You. We are so blessed by Your Word and we know that it is the truth. Protect us from the evil of this world, and guide us along Your path of righteousness. Speak Your truth to us as we study Your Word and fill us with the desire to know You better and to live our lives for Jesus. We thank You for sending Your Son to bridge the way to You. We love You, Lord. And we pray in the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.

Welcome, Spring!

Awe! The first day of spring is here! We have waited so long for you to come. But, our hope remained steadfast that you would arrive as always. Thank you, spring. We are so glad you are here. you make life so much brighter. You add color to our landscapes and joy to our hearts.

"See! The winter is past; the rains are gone. Flowers appear on earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land," (Song of Songs 2:11-12 NIV).

As we walk with Jesus to Jerusalem, it is good to have moments of joy along the way. Jesus encountered  many people. He brought healing to so many, chased demons out of some, and brought hope to others. The life-giving hope of salvation! 

Thank you, God, for the new season before us. We are in awe of Your plan for seasons. We imagine ourselves walking in the presence of Jesus and we are so blessed. Guide our footsteps as we walk through this day and the next. Help us find hope, peace, and joy along the way. We place our trust in You as we walk this path called life. May we praise You and worship You in all that we do. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

The Fisher of Men

Continuing our walk to Jerusalem, I am reminded of one of the Sunday school songs I sang as a child: "I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men, I will make you fishers of men if you follow me, if you follow me, if you follow me..."

"Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"  (Mark 1:14-15 NIV).

When Jesus announced that "the time has come" to begin His ministry, we are told by John Mark that He first encountered friends near the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was not shy about spreading the Good News He had to share.

"As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen."Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him," (Mark 1:16-20 NIV).

The Sunday school song I used to sing was perfect for teaching children about Jesus, complete with actions and plenty of repetition. It was easy to picture Jesus and His followers walking together along the Sea. What better directions could we receive than to, "Follow Me".

Beyond being a believer, we are still called to follow Jesus and be fishers of men, inviting others to come along with us in our journey of faith. 

Oh God, as we begin a new week, help us to be fishers of men to the Kingdom of God. Give us courageous voices to speak our faith to others. Help us follow Jesus in every step we take. Show us those who need to know the Good News, and let us speak boldly to show them how to follow the Great Fisher of Men, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

He Cares For You

After Jesus was baptized he was filled with the Holy Spirit. But, before Jesus began his ministry, he was led by the Spirit into the desert where he was tempted by the devil for 40 days. I don't know about you but temptation is bad enough to resist in a fleeting moment, let alone for 40 days! 

I forget sometimes that it is satan who is out there waiting for Christians to fail in their path toward heaven. He is the one who tempts us in any wait he can think of. He especially likes to find Christians who are vulnerable or those who are feeling strong. He likes the challenge. Jesus was the perfect target for satan in the desert, alone. 

Jesus experienced being human, like us. He knows exactly what it is like to face temptation in our daily lives. He understands us and He took the ultimate test. But, He resisted satan's powerful temptations, one after another. He used Scripture against satan but He did not sin. When we are tempted we must remember we only sin if we give in to satan's temptations which can come in areas of a physical need or desire, in possessions or power, or in our pride. When we are tempted we must turn to God for strength through our struggles.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you," (1 Peter 5:6 NIV).

Dear God, we see how Jesus fought the devil and won, over and over. Help us Lord, in our daily temptations to use Your strength for good. Help us make the right decisions even when we are tired, lonely or hungry. Help us resist the temptation to use our strengths in prideful ways. Lead us, O God, through this difficult mass of struggles called life. We need You. We put our trust in You, and we thank You for Your care. We pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.