One of the great benefits of living in Houston is that you can attend Beth Moore's bible study that she leads every Tuesday night at FBC Houston. Tonight I went with Lauren and Aimee. She is such an amazing communicator of God's Word. I love it! I have been meaning to go w/ these girls to this for weeks now, but I have a different bible study that I'm apart of on Wednesday mornings that I usually still have homework to finish up on Tuesday nights.
As her part of the service started tonight, she was talking alot about praying to be free from whatever addiction or thing that has us in bondage. I sat there thinking to myself and praying..."God, there really isn't anything that I'm addicted to or in "bondage" to, I know I'm here for a reason tonight, so show me what it is that you want to reveal to me tonight." And boy did He....let me just say, her teaching tonight was out of the book of Matthew 11:28-30;
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
So many times have I read this passage of scripture in my life, but tonight God revealed this to me in a whole new light.... I don't know about you, but I find myself so busy being BUSY!! As a wife, a mother, a minister's wife, daughter, sister, friend, etc etc... I live such a blessed life, but it is one that leaves me feeling quite scattered, busy, stressed, and honestly, just plain tired most days! This is NOT what the Lord desires for my life to be like! Resting is something that is SO hard for a mother/wife to do...there are just so many things on our TO DO list that is ever growing that it is just so hard to RESPOND to Jesus' INVITATION to rest, much less even remember that the option is from Him on the table!
She compared that passage with Isaiah 28:9-13;
9 “Who does the Lord think we are?” they ask.
“Why does he speak to us like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned?
10 He tells us everything over and over— one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there!”
9 “Who does the Lord think we are?” they ask.
“Why does he speak to us like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned?
10 He tells us everything over and over— one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there!”
11 So now God will have to speak to his people through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language!
12 God has told his people, “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.” But they would not listen.
13 So the Lord will spell out his message for them again, one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there, so that they will stumble and fall. They will be injured, trapped, and captured."
12 God has told his people, “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.” But they would not listen.
13 So the Lord will spell out his message for them again, one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there, so that they will stumble and fall. They will be injured, trapped, and captured."
As a believer I should rest in knowing...
- I am accepted by Christ, just as I am. No need to impress the One who created me!
- He is in charge of ALL things, so I do not ever have to worry.
- He will fight for me! If I will just keep my tongue on the roof of my mouth and keep my mouth shut in difficult circumstances, he will fight the battle FOR me!
- IF I live a life of Obedience to Him, HE WILL BLESS!!
- rest in knowing WHO I AM & who I am NOT!
- rest in knowing that I know where I'm going and at the end of this journey called life, I will see Him face to face!
- rest in knowing if He has given me a word...it's over! Claim it! And be thankful...quit questioning...
We are not forced to rest...we are INVITED by our Creator!
If we want to stay stressed out and burdened, He will let us stay there...but with an open invitation to COME!
One point she made was: "A NEED seen in my life does NOT constitute a CALL to fulfull it!" I am so guilty of this...stretching myself to fill a need or position, etc etc when I'm already spread to thin. I need to focus on doing what I need to do and what I'm CALLED to do and do it with excellence and dilligence. It is NOT Jesus who wears us out...we CHOOSE it!
As I walk with my Savior in a daily relationship with Him, I will see his heart...it will shape me and form my heart to have a heart like His. He doesn't win us with His LAWS...He wins us with His LOVE. And when we grow and mature in our Faith to the point where we see Him not as a Father who has a list of all these RULES for me to follow...and see a compassionate Father who LOVES and CARES...our life will be a whole lot more meaningful and fulfilled.
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"His path of humble service is the pattern for us to follow. So much of OUR fatigue & burdensome toil stems from PRIDE. If we are successful, our egos are inflated & we try for more...If we falter, the rejection of others and our self condemnation weigh us down in guilt and self-doubt. It is much more FREEING to take Christ's attitude of serving others..." (excerpt from Life Application Bible Commentary)
I know I'm not the only wife/mother who feels this kind of stress & burdens of life... I hope these tidbits from her lesson tonight touches you today! One version of this verse uses the word "repose" along with rest... the secular dictionary definition of "repose" means "to relax; to lie down, supported by something; a place of trust." He know our to-do lists and all the things we need to get done, but all He wants is for us to take his invitation to just come sit with Him & rest!
Rest in Him today!!
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