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 NLT When things are going well, we tend to drift into relying on our old habits, our own wisdom and the help of others to get us through. It seems we can forget we need to rely and trust God in the ordinary, not just the extraordinary moments of our lives.
When a crisis breaks over our lives, an accident steals our peace, or a sudden loss interrupts our routine, we are brought back to the reality that we are hopeless without God, his favor and protection in our lives. It becomes easy, even automatic for us, as believers, to cry out to God in those moments. “Lord, help me! Save my family. Heal my friend. Lead me to another job.” And God who is merciful, kind and full of compassion answers us. We recognize he is working for us. He reassures us of his care and presence and restores our peace of mind and heart. I wonder, though, if we forfeit the power, protection and potential for greater things when we ignore our need for God every day? When we consciously acknowledge our need for God, we tend to listen to him and make every effort to align with his desires and plans. Could it be that when we call our spirits to awaken in the morning and consciously align with the Holy Spirit working in us and through us, we plug into greater spiritual possibilities for the day? Are you satisfied with your level of dependence upon God? Listen to Galatians 5:25 “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” Let’s surrender our control and fall into the arms of our loving Savior and let the Holy Spirit guide and empower us every day, not just in times of crisis, but especially in the mundane, ordinary routines of our lives. Let us practice being conscious of God’s presence in the ordinary drudgery of our days. Let us learn to rest in the Lord and grow in our trust and awareness of who he is. Could it be that our awareness that he is with us in every moment would transform the ordinary into something extraordinary and supernatural? I challenge you to try it, and let me know! Pray with me: “Father God, I believe that, as Psalm 139 says, your Spirit is always with me, no matter how I feel or where I go. Holy Spirit, teach me to grow in my spiritual awareness. Awaken my human spirit each morning and align me with your plans and purposes. Thank you, that when I do, you will guide me into greater possibilities and transform my ordinary days into something extraordinary for the Father’s glory. Amen.” Dear friend, be blessed as you surrender control and learn to trust and rest in the Lord. May you be overwhelmed with his love and peace and surprised by his joy, as you learn to experience his presence and rely on his wisdom and power in the ordinary moments. Amen. Mary Sumner November 30, 2018
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The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.” Psalm 65:1 NLT Why is it that Thanksgiving seems to be the first day of Christmas? My husband is Canadian, so many years ago we chose to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Canadians, on the first Sunday of October. That may seem crazy, but it leaves us free to enter into the holidays with less stress and bother, and more able to focus on what really matters.
After all, the challenge of this wonderful time of year is to stay focused on what really matters. What really matters to you? As a woman and a mother, it can seem like everyone is depending on you to “make” the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, happy and wonderful for everyone else. Have you fallen into that trap? What and who “makes” the holidays amazing is our wonderful Father God. He is the One we are to thank for our blessings. He is the One who sent our Lord Jesus, to become one of us, to rescue us from death and darkness and restore our relationship with him. God cares about our families and friends, and wants us to enjoy them, but we cannot appreciate them and love them as we should, without, first, stopping to love God and thank him for all he is and for all he has done. This is a time God has given us to draw closer to him, not just your family and friends. He wants to give you a fresh revelation, a new insight into who he is, that will strengthen you in the years ahead. So, here is the challenge. What will you commit to do and NOT do this year to honor and please God first, so that you are aligned with his plans for the holidays and can be positioned to be filled with his love and joy, so that you can pour it out on those around you? Remember we love others with God’s love and his joy is the strength we will need to give us the patience and endurance we will need to make it through to January in his peace. Further on in Psalm 65, after telling his people they are ignoring him (above), God says that those who ignore him “will starve”, but his faithful seekers, his servants, “will eat”. Will you choose to starve spiritually this year, or be fed richly and abundantly from the Father’s storehouse of blessings? Pray with me: “Father God, forgive me for letting the rush and craziness of the holiday season steal my time, passion and focus from you. Holy Spirit, strengthen me to resist the temptations of this world. Convict me when I begin to wander from my focus on God. I want to please and glorify him in all I do. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.” Dear friend, be blessed as you release the expectations of others and seek only to please God for Christmas. May you feel his delight and be filled with his joy as you seek and find him in the details of your days ahead. May your roots sink deep into his heart and keep you committed and strong. Amen. Mary Sumner November 16, 2018 But I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. ~ Psalm 16:7 NLT The Lord has been very patient with me when I need instruction. Even though I may miss his guidance, the Lord is always “speaking”, that is communicating with me, and all of us, in many ways. Some of us may be more sensitive to one means of revelation more than others. For example, the Lord may give us a number repeatedly, and our spirit tells us that it refers to a specific Bible verse. Songs often speak to me. Others may be sensitive to what is going on in nature, or to a Bible principle she hears multiple times in a short period of time. The Holy Spirit nudges us, and, finally, we get it! “Oh, you want me to know that!”
It is a sad commentary on the state of our lives, that even the most mature Christian misses most of what God is trying to tell us. We are just too busy. Our lives are too crowded with other things. Our souls resist the silence when God can most easily get through. So, here is a reassuring verse for us. In Psalm 16:7 David, who must have been very busy, shares that God talks to him in his sleep. Now most of us have had dreams that we believe have spiritual meaning. But I have come to believe that the Holy Spirit is “instructing”, tutoring, my human spirit during the night when my mind is quiet and he can get through. I have woken up “knowing” something that only God could have downloaded. And, suddenly, there it is. Have you ever had that happen? Isn’t it reassuring that God knows us so well and is so kind and patient, that he gives us every opportunity to grow and know him better. He literally “guides us” during our sleep. Pray with me: Father God, forgive me for not expecting you to be speaking to me all day long. That is the relationship you desire, a daughter talking to and listening to her Father. Holy Spirit, please, continue to train me, guide me and grow me deeper in that relationship. I want to know and love God with my whole being and life. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.” Dear friend, be blessed as you become more alert to ways God is talking to you. May you grow deeper and more comfortable in your relationship with your heavenly Father. He is worthy of all your attention. May you receive all of his love. Amen. Mary Sumner November 3, 2018 |
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