PUT THAT BURDEN DOWN!

 

Mary Southerland  shares with us, “Our air conditioner was just not getting the job done.

It only partially cooled the house, running night and day, doubling our already exorbitant electric bill. 

I called John, our friendly air conditioning repairman, with a desperate plea for help.

When he came to the house, the first thing he did was remove the filter from the vent. It was filthy, completely covered by some nasty gray gunk! 

Changing the air filter had never been one of my top priorities, as evidenced by the dirt and hair-caked object in front of me.

With a disapproving scowl wrinkling his weathered face, John continued working, muttering under his breath. I pretended not to hear.

He then removed the coil which proved to be the last straw for him. 

With a sigh of exasperation, John dramatically thrust the offensive coil in front of my face, pointed at the almost unrecognizable object and asked, 'What is this?'

My response was classic. 'John, how am I supposed to know what that is? You’re the air conditioning expert.'

He did not think the comment was funny.

In an attempt to avoid his scathing glare, I stepped forward and began to closely examine the obviously faulty coil. 

It was covered with layers of dog hair, compliments of our West Highland terrier and Australian cattle dog; cat hair, compliments of Sassy, Chocolate and Tiger; and dust, compliments of me!

John then proceeded to chastise me for not changing the filter more often and ended his discourse with an ominous explanation, 'Mrs. Southerland, this unit was never meant to work under this kind of load. 

It’s working as hard as it can, but it’s not strong enough to do something it was never intended to do.'

John then replaced the air filter, cleaned out the coil along with our bank account, and left the scene of the crime. 

The electric bill went back down, the house was cooler than it had been in months, and the unit worked like it was supposed to work. 

I forgave him and learned a thing or two about burdens.

We come to Jesus, asking and trusting Him to save us from the eternal burden of sin, but we find it hard to believe that He can and will carry the burdens we deal with every day. 

We forget that He is our Shepherd and we are His sheep, totally dependent upon Him for every need – big and small.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters." (Psalm 23:1-2).

Notice the words “makes me lie down.” They are not a suggestion. 

The word used in this verse is “rabas,” a Hebrew command meaning to rest; lay something down; to lay down in rest - securely and safely. 

God is commanding us to lay down our burdens and spiritually rest our souls in Him. 

It is important to note that the place of rest to which Jesus is referring - the Judean landscape - is not naturally a place I would describe as restful or replenishing. It is dry, parched, and sandy.

A shepherd has to spend a great deal of time working the land; tilling it, cultivating it and planting it in order to grow the young, tender, green shoots of grass the sheep like best. 

The sheep graze on the finished work of the shepherd. 

The Shepherd of our souls wants us to rest in His finished work on the cross. 

If Jesus can save us, He can certainly handle every burden we will ever have. 

We simply have to make the choice to release each burden to Him.

Some days are harder than others. 

There are so many things that can get us down. 

Long hours at work, difficult relationships, financial difficulties, medical conditions, emotional stress and family responsibilities are just a few of burdens we tend to carry.

“Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest' ”. (Matthew 11:28, NASB)

In Matthew 11:28, the word “rest” literally means 'tranquility in the midst of labor.' 

The implication is to be still before Him and choose to release each burden to Him. How? 

When the kids are screaming and on your last nerve, put on some praise music and dance your stress away. 

Meditate on His Word when you are confused and afraid. 

Pray as you do the laundry. List your blessings as you clean house. 

Look for His hand in every part of every circumstance. 

Our Father does not intend for us to carry the burdens He alone can shoulder.

Jesus understands the burdens we carry. During His time on earth, Jesus healed the sick and set the captives free. 

He established the Church, sent the Holy Spirit to teach us and took His rightful place at the right hand of the Father. 

The church works on His behalf to help us. The Holy Spirit indwells us in order to guide and comfort us and Jesus Himself intercedes for us with the Father.

So when Jesus said “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest,” He really meant it.

What burden do you have? What is weighing you down? Bring it to Jesus. He will comfort and guide you. He will give you rest. 

Right now, in the midst of that worry or issue or concern, the God of the universe is asking you to turn it over to Him. 

Let Him work it out in His timing and His perfect way.

Let’s Pray

Lord, I bring my burdens to You, knowing that I can do nothing apart from You and Your power. You know my situation. It is not a surprise to You, Lord. Please fill my heart with Your peace and comfort my soul. Guide me, Father. Give me strength. I give You my burdens; please give me Your rest.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen."

Mary Southerland on Crosswalk.com www.girlfriendsingod.com
 

Tomorrow's post: THE BEATITUDES OF ANGER MANAGEMENT PART 1

jowildflowers@gmail.com

Samples of Jean's crafts

http://twitter.com/jeanoathout

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BE PREPARED

“Having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”  (Rom. 5:9, NKJV) 

Read Romans 5:1-11

            “Just as her friends were doing, my daughter Melissa was busily preparing for adulthood. At school, she was getting ready for college by taking the right courses and had signed up for the ACT college entrance test.

            Outside of class, Melissa was learning the socialization skills it takes to get along with people by spending time with friends, classmates, and teammates. At her job, she was learning the relational skills needed for a future career of work. A home, Mell was preparing for future family life by experiencing the way a Christian family would interact.

          Getting ready for life as an adult takes work, and Melissa was making good progress.

            But none of that preparation was what she would need. In 2002, when she died in a car accident at age 17, the only preparation that mattered was her readiness for heaven.

            When the truest test of preparedness came so suddenly on that beautiful June evening—when eternity’s door opened for Melissa—she was prepared. She had put her faith in Jesus and trusted His sacrifice on the cross for her sins (John 3:16, Rom. 5:8-9).

            When she faced the ultimate test of being prepared, Melissa was ready. Are you? —Dave Brannon

And swiftly the seasons roll;

Today is yours, it may be your last;

Choose life for your priceless soul. —Fithian

If death comes today,

will you be prepared to meet God?”

                             (3/31/12)

“We’ll be reunited one day

With our loved ones who have died

If they know the Lord as Savior—

Then with Him we will abide.—Sper

God’s people never say goodbye for the last time.”

(3/20/12)

The above were taken from Our Daily Bread

Tonight’s post:  PUT THAT BURDEN DOWN!

jowildflowers@gmail.com   http://www.jean-oathout.blogspot.com

Jean's book:  http://www.amazon.com/So-You-Plan-Marry-Man/dp/0984765530/

Tomorrow's post:  THE BEATITUDES OF ANGER MANAGEMENT PART 1

WHAT IS MEANT BY SUFFERING FOR CHRIST?

The Message Bible rendition relates Apostle Paul's experiences:  

“All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! he comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. 

We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.

    When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. 

Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you’re just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you’re going to make it, no doubt about it.

    We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. 

As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead! And he did it, rescued us from certain doom.

   And he’ll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing. You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation—I don’t want you in the dark about that either. I can see your faces even now, lifted in praise for God’s deliverance of us, a rescue in which your prayers played such a crucial part.

    Now that the worst is over, we’re pleased we can report that we’ve come out of this with conscience and faith intact, and can face the world—and even more importantly, face you with our heads held high. 

But it wasn’t by any fancy footwork on our part. It was God who kept us focused on him, uncompromised. Don’t try to read between the lines or look for hidden meanings in this letter.

We’re writing plain, unembellished truth, hoping that you’ll now see the whole picture as well as you’ve seen some of the details. We want you to as proud of us as we are of you when we stand together before our Master Jesus.”   2 Cor. 1:1-14 MSG

 “The proper measure of our spiritual condition is the

quality of our lives, which is measure by such attributes

  as lowliness, gentleness, and longsuffering"  (Eph. 4:2)

Our spiritual maturity

is measured by the quality

of attributes that others see

produced in us by Christ." --Sper.

Our Daily Bread   9/6/11

"The following is an endorsement for Outrageous Grace, written by Virelle Kidder:

    “I’ve known Grace and Edmund Fabian since their early years as missionaries in Papua New Guinea. But it was not until the shock of Edmund’s murder that I began to really know Grace through her letters. 

Her honest faith poured through the bare elegance of her words. Now captured in this book, Grace’s stories bring tears of compassion and joy, and a sense of wonder at the tenderness of God’s greater plan. 

This is a must read, a powerful story needing to be told."

--Virelle Kidder, conference speaker and author of six books, including Meet Me at the Well and The Best Life Ain’t Easy.

Tomorrow's post:  JUST LISTEN

A PAGE FROM MY BOOK

From time to time, I'll be sharing a page from my book, SO YOU PLAN TO MARRY A MAN

http://www.amazon.com/So-You-Plan-Marry-Man/dp/0984765530/

This is page number 30 of devotion # 7:

Maybe It's True You've

Not Been Shown

Maybe it's true you've not been shown

Just what God's love can mean.

And could it be you've never known

Your need which you've not seen?

You may think you are quite oday

By your "good living" now.

You don't know Jesus is The Way

And to Him you're to bow.

The Lord with love your sins did take

And hung them on His cross.

His mission He did not forsake

Or we'd be at great loss.

Christ's blood was there for us outpoured

For punishment of sin.

Some folks believed but some ignored

What all it did cost Him.

Into the grave His body went.

He took our sin and shame.

It is for this that He was sent;

Because of love He came.

He rose again that we might live

And have New Life inside.

To us we now have found He'll give

His Spirit to abide.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only

begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should

not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Father, I believe in Jesus. Please forgive my sins!

Amen.

"Pray for your husband and your

relationship every day--

even  if you're mad at him."

Tammy Johnson Jones

RUNNING TO WIN

          "The year was 2008. The race started out like any other race: runners at the starting line, fans in the stands, excitement and anticipation thick in the air. But this race was a big one. An indoor track and field conference championship for the collegiate women’s 600 meter run.

          At the sound of the gun, the runners took off – each with a heart longing to win the race – each competing fiercely for the prize. Just three quick laps stood between the four athletes and their destinies. It was clear from the beginning, this race would be tight.

          My family and I watched on an internet video as the long and lean runners vied for the lead. In unison, we gasped with horror when, as they began the final lap, one of the competitors caught the slightest edge of another runner’s shoe and went crashing down onto the track. My heart sunk when she fell. I didn’t know this fallen woman, but I do know what it feels like to fall and to have your hopes dissolve in a split second. I felt the despair of the crash with her.

          The fans in the crowd all stood to their feet and rallied cries of encouragement to this young runner. The seconds that followed will be etched into my heart and mind forever. She could’ve walked off the track and everyone would’ve understood. She could’ve thrown in the towel and quit the race in humiliation. But she didn’t quit. She got up and kept running. Now a full quarter-lap behind the other runners, this athlete fixed her eyes on the track before her and ran like the wind.

          With just half a lap to go, this determined young woman overtook third place. Unbelievable. The crowd swelled with amazement. Then, just a hundred yards before the finish line, she inched up to the other two runners and – at the tape – leaned forward to win the race! No. Stinkin’. Way. The crowd went wild. My family went wild. What a race! What a fall! What a recovery! What a victory!

          The next day, as I took my teenage son to school, he and I had trouble connecting. I was frustrated with him; he was frustrated with me, and what I’d hoped would be a warm send off to a great day became an icy goodbye as he got out of the car. I felt like a loser-mom and lamented to God about it on the drive home. As I poured out my frustrations in prayer, the Lord reminded me of the race.

          Like the young runner, I got tripped up on the shoes of another runner and fell down mid-race. Now, I had a choice. I could stew and lick my mama-wounds, allowing my disappointments to keep me from running, or I could call on the grace of the Lord, put one foot in front of another, and get back in the race. The writer of Hebrews talks about a cloud of witnesses that encourages others in faith, and as I prayed I could almost hear them cheering me on.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

          Game. On.

          I got back up. I chose to run again by asking the Lord for the grace and strength to finish the day strong in Him. By the time my son got home from school we had both cooled down. Grace ran before us. I asked him to forgive me for frustrating him and he did the same.

            We all run. We all fall. Each day presents us with fresh opportunities to allow the mercy, strength and grace of God to intervene in our lives. When writing to the church of Philippi about the discipline of perseverance, the apostle Paul said this:

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained." (Philippians 3:10-16)

              So whatever you face today, friend, run. Run to win the prize. Run like the wind. And when you fall; don’t throw in the towel, don’t point fingers, don’t stew, and don’t quit. Get right back up and run again… in the mercy, strength and grace of God.

Let’s Pray

                  Dear Lord, Thanks for being a God of second chances and eternal grace! Please help me to run in your mercy and strength today.

              In Jesus’ Name,

              Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

              Grab your Bible and read the book of Philippians today. It’s only four chapters long. You can do it! It will bless your socks off! If you don’t have time to read the whole thing right now, then read a chapter a day for the next four days.

“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”  (Philippians 3:12)

              Look up Isaiah 40:28-31 and fill in the following blank spaces:

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the ­­­­______________ ______, the _______________ of the ends of the earth. He will not grow ________ or ___________, and his __________________ no one can fathom. He gives ________________ to the _______________and increases the ____________ of the ____________. Even youths grow _____________ and ____________, and young men _____________ and _____; but those who _________ in the LORD will ___________ their _____________. They will _________ on wings like eagles; they will _______ and not grow weary, they will ___________ and not be ______________.”

Gwen Smith on Crosswalk.com    info@girlfriendsingod.com   www.girlfriendsingod.com

This afternoon's post:  A PAGE FROM MY BOOK

Tonight’s post:  WHAT IS MEANT BY SUFFERING FOR CHRIST?

jowildflowers@gmail.com   http://www.jean-oathout.blogspot.com

Tomorrow’s post:  JUST LISTEN!

REVOLUTION IN WORLD MISSIONS

    

 K. P. Yohannan shares with us, "In my prayers I began to seek a message from God that would bring a change in lifestyle to the American Church. It came over a period of weeks.

     And that message came loud and clear. Unless there is repentance among Christians—individually and in concert as a community of believers—an awesome judgment will fall on America.

     I was certain then, and still am today, that God's loving hands of grace and forgiveness remain extended to His people. 

     Two reasons, it appeared to me, were the cause for the current malaise that has fastened like cancer on American believers. 

     The first is historical. The second is the unconfessed sins related to three basic iniquities: pride, unbelief and worldliness.

     Historically, the Western Church lost its grip on the challenge for world missions at the end of World War II. Ever since that time, its moral mandate and vision for global outreach have continued to fade.

     Many average North American believers can hardly pronounce the word missionary without having cartoon caricatures of ridiculous little men in pith helmets pop into mind—images of cannibals with spears and huge black pots of boiling water.

     Despite a valiant rear guard action by many outstanding evangelical leaders and missions, it has been impossible for the Western missionary movement to keep up with exploding populations and the new political realities of nationalism in the Two-Thirds World. 

     Most Christians in North America still conceive of missions in terms of blond-hared, blue-eyed white people going to the dark-skinned Two-Thirds World nations. 

     In reality, all of that changed at the end of World War II when the Western powers lost political and military control of their former colonies.

     When I stand before North American audiences in churches and mission conference, people are astonished to hear the real facts of missions today. 

     The front-line work of missions in Asia has been taken over almost completely by indigenous missionaries. And the results are outstanding. 

     Believers are shocked to learn that National missionaries are starting hundreds of new churches every week in the Two-Thirds World, that thousands of people a day are coming to Christ, and that tens of thousands of well-qualified, spiritually able men and women now are ready to start more mission work if we can raise their support."

This is taken from K. P. Yohannan's book, Revolution in World Missions

Visit their websiet at www.gfa.org for information about sponsoring a national missionary.

     "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."   Luke 6:38, NKJV 

Tomorrow's post:  RUNNING TO WIN

THE BEST OF HE SAID, SHE SAID

Risk Forgiveness - He Said

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12

The woman pushed open the front door of her home and stepped inside. In the reflection of the hallway mirror, she saw movement. She tried to run but it was too late. The man pounced, pinning her against the wall, pressing his forearm across her neck.

“Just relax,” he whispered. “You’ll enjoy this.”

She did not. For the next few hours she remained a hostage in her home while an escaped rapist and murderer assaulted her. During one of their “interchanges” her Bible crashed to the floor, landing next to a busted lamp. Her bookmark remained on the nightstand. Because her eyes were the only part of her body free to move, she read the Lord’s Prayer. “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

“O God, how can I? Not him. Not after what he’s done.”

She sobbed. As she cried she remembered another time when she’d wept, the evening she’d given her life to Christ. That night her addiction to prescription drugs, wounds from a failed marriage, and years of lying and stealing had been lifted from her shoulders. The burden vanished during a moment of forgiveness. In that secret place deep in her heart, she read the bookmark again and heard the words anew. “Forgive us… in the same way we forgive others.”

“God, I don’t know if I can,” she prayed, “but you did so I’ll try.”

She stopped resisting him. He grew bored, removed the tape from her mouth and they began to talk, first about prison, then about his own sexual abuse. She listened, not as a caged animal seeking a way to escape, but as another human being, beaten and broken, scarred by her own mistakes.
A bullhorn sounded. Police officers surrounded her house.

“Why don’t you scream for help?” he asked. “Aren’t you scared?”

“Yes, but not of you. Not anymore. I’m scared for you. For what they’ll do when you surrender.”
He said he was hungry. She cooked him breakfast. He took his coffee black. She made it strong because he said in prison the coffee was weak, like the men who gathered in gangs and beat him.
At last he said, “You’re free to go.”

“No. When I leave they’ll storm the house and probably kill you. If that happens I wouldn’t be able to visit you in prison.” Taking his hand she said, “We’ll go out together.”

She opened the front door and, walking ahead, covered him with her body. Covered him the same way Christ covers us. She risked her life to save his.

To risk forgiveness is to risk death but there is life and liberty in mercy. Who are you holding hostage through anger and guilt?

Release them today and let them go free.

The Depth of my Debt - She Said

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12

Recently, I turned up a box of old letters and journals. Staring at the mildewed box, I pondered sending it straight to the trash without a second glance. But I couldn’t. I knew without sliding away the top, it held the history of a soured relationship and a failed marriage that had stolen my self-worth. I was left broken. Now 30 years later, I wasn’t sure I could ever forget the pain of the past.
Pulling my shirt collar over my nose, I lifted the lid. Page after page of journal notes and diary entries forced me to relive the hurt I’d felt toward my ex-husband.

My hands shook as I read: I can’t give anymore. There’s nothing left, nothing to offer. I’m broken. No money, no self-worth. Lord, I don’t have an ounce of hope. The price of hope is too high.
I felt un-savable as bitterness hovered over my heart.

Jesus instructed us to forgive our debtors. How could He expect that from me? This man had crushed my spirit and broken my heart. No, my capacity to forgive was gone. He’d robbed me of that, first.

Each time I fail to forgive, I hammer the crucifixion nails deep into Jesus’ palms. In my sin I crush Him. That's when I saw it...the outstretched arms of Christ - His words calling me to “let it go.”
Even in the facade of our goodness, we all carry debt. Most is buried deeper than we care to search, but Jesus sees it, seeks it and forgives. Now that’s love.

I released my debt, the trunk of angry letters and the memories of his drunken actions. The debt was more than I could bear, but Christ tossed it on His shoulders. The beam of the cross lifted from me and dug deep into His beaten back. Jesus carried it away.
And He’ll carry yours, too, if you’ll let him. Release the agony of the past and trust it into the hands of the one who will save you.
Read Cindy's devotions

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio's Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. Eddie and Cindy travel and speak at conferences across the country and they are available to speak at your church or conference. Contact them at cindy@christiandevotions.us.


Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children, and God? Try He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion. This compilation of 54 devotions includes scripture verses, space for journaling, individual prayers and words of wisdom from two of today's funniest and insightful Christian authors. This heart-warming collection of stories will inspire you to reach for the true source of joy: a life lived for and through God. These deeply personal devotions offer biblical insights and spiritual truths from the perspective of one man and one woman.

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This compliments my blog post today: REMODELING 101

jowildflowers@gmail.com http://www.jean-oathout.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/So-You-Plan-Marry-Man/dp/0984765530/

Tomorrow's post:  RUNNING TO WIN