Rest

Does your life need a “pause button”? 

When God created the world, He set certain “rhythms” in motion; such as day/night, wake/sleep and growth/dormancy. He even modeled it for us by creating six days, then resting one. If you’ve ever spent extended time in the woods, you’ve probably sensed nature’s “rhythm”. There’s activity, there’s silence, and there’s newness each morning.

In the Psalms, the word “Selah” is placed at strategic points to direct the reader (originally singers) to pause and reflect on the potency of the words. It’s a pattern worth noting and incorporating into daily life…a pause to reflect on the potency of God’s provision, protection, and presence. Consider this question for today:

“Will I incorporate a natural rhythm of work/rest, or will I continue to be “On” 24/7?”

Finding a way to pause and reflect is incredibly valuable. Of course it looks different with everyone, but maybe silencing your phone on occasion, turning off the radio while driving, or cramming less into Sunday afternoon would reveal a “pause button” previously hidden. Unfortunately, the problem of “busyness” is here to stay, but the Lord will provide guidance when asked.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
– Matthew 11:28 NKJV

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You may also be interested in this great new book…

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Work

Is your candle burning at both ends (while the middle melts away too)? Truth is; balancing life in our modern world is challenging. A simple list of “what to do & what not to do” would be nice, but real life isn’t that easy. So, instead of a list, consider this question for today:

“Will the things I do (work, school, family) define me, or will I define them based on who I am in Christ?”

Paul charges us in Colossians 3:23 with this:

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord.”

It helps to remember just whose approval we should be seeking. Paul had known great success in Jerusalem’s inner circle. He was a popular “mover & shaker” with widespread name recognition, but after conversion he gained a new perspective on how to invest his time (Phil. chapter 3). He continued working hard with his hands making tents (Acts 18:3), but his goals and influence around the marketplace changed. Instead of trying to win, he modeled the attitude of laying aside hindrances to finish well (Hebrews 12:1-2). “Well” isn’t about busy, it’s about priorities and some of the lesser stuff may need to wait until later…way later…if ever.

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You may find this book helpful too

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Wisdom 1.7

Are you wise? You’ll probably hesitate to answer “yes” because most people aren’t so bold as to refer to themselves as wise. However, consider what the Bible lists as the criteria for someone to be considered wise:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” – Proverbs 1:7 NKJV

And later this is also included:

“…and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” – Proverbs 9:10 NKJV

Wisdom is about seeing things God’s way. Knowing the Lord is to be aligned with Him. When a person embraces God as the source of absolute truth, there is by default an admission of not having all the answers. That’s the point of being teachable and opportunities for true learning open-up. “Fearing the Lord” is maintaining a healthy respect for Him and His unique position as King over all creation. Reading, studying, praying, listening, trusting, asking, sharing; it’s all part of knowing Him and learning about His perspective on life, death, work, leisure, pleasure, relationships, and the future.

Seek to know Him more and your wisdom will increase too. Are you praying to be wise today…according to His definition?

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This is powerful little book may also be of interest…

 

 

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Influence

When it comes to influence, there’s a lot of voices speaking about method, style, tone, and strategy through a never-ending supply of books, conferences, and social media. When you narrow the subject to Christian influence, it’s still much the same, but consider the words of a man who never knew he would have a lasting global impact for the Kingdom of God:

“The people who influence us the most are not those who detain us with their continual talk, but those who live their lives like the stars in the sky and “the lilies of the field” –simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold and shape us. If you want to be of use to God, maintain the proper relationship with Jesus Christ by staying focused on Him, and He will make use of you every minute you live – yet you will be unaware, on the conscious level of your life, that you are being used of Him.” – Oswald Chambers

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” – 1 Timothy 6:6 NKJV

The words of Oswald Chambers have influenced millions. Here’s the most popular collection of his thoughts:

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Daily Devotions

FYI-Daily Devotions will resume August 1st. May you and your family be blessed today! – Chris

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When America Said No to the Bullies

Every year on this day, I’m captivated by this thought, “The Founding Fathers didn’t know how it would all end, but they sent the Declaration anyway.” Think about that for a moment. Their words equaled treason in the eyes of the most powerful bully in their day, and he would most certainly respond with brutal force. And locally, many of the elite and powerful lobbied against it to maintain “status quo”.

It reminds me of Bible stories where people of God did what they knew was right without knowing the future; such as the Hebrews in the furnace, Daniel among the lions, or David facing Goliath. They didn’t know the outcome beforehand. I’m sure there was a measure of fear in each one, but they trusted the Lord and did what they knew was right.

In our day, the political bullies have gotten louder and bolder. Some are trying to silence Christian voices with the “separation of church and state” argument, but their understanding of history is fundamentally flawed. The Founders were men of faith and their Declaration reflects it. Liberty is endowed by God, not a benevolent ruler or group. So today as we celebrate, I’m thankful for those who did what was right in the face of bullies, and I pray I can do the same in my day.

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Wisdom 25.28

“Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.” – Proverbs 25:28 NKJV

Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit for many reasons; one of which is our own benefit.

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The Lord’s Day 6-11-17

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright. Save Lord! May the King answer us when we call.” – Psalm 20:7-9 NKJV

Trust reflects a confidence placed in something or someone. Do you trust God today? He has been, is now, and always will be faithful to those who trust Him.

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Psalm 23-Dwelling Forever

“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” – Psalm 23:6b NKJV

“Where will you live forever? In the house of the Lord. If His house is your “forever house”, what does that make this earthly house? You got it! Short-term housing. This is not our home. ‘Our homeland is in heaven’ (Phil. 3:20).”

– Max Lucado, “Traveling Light”

“….what is referred to by “house” is the family or household or flock of the Good Shepherd. The sheep is so deeply satisfied with the flock to which it belongs, with the ownership of this particular shepherd, that it has no wish to change whatever.”

– W. Phillip Keller, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good…

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” – Psalm 23 NKJV

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Psalm 23-Goodness and Mercy

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…” – Psalm 23:6a NKJV

“Our moods may shift, but God doesn’t. Our minds may change, but God doesn’t. Our devotion may falter, but God never does. Even if we are faithless, he is faithful, for he cannot betray himself (2 Timothy 2:13). He is a sure God. And because he is a sure God, we can state confidently, ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.’”

– Max Lucado, “Traveling Light”

“He looks on my life in tenderness, for He loves me deeply. He sees the long years during which His goodness and mercy have followed me without slackening. He longs to see some measure of that same goodness and mercy not only passed on to others by me but also passed back to Him with joy.”

– W. Phillip Keller, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”

The path of rich abundance…

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…” – Psalm 23:1-6a NKJV

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Psalm 23-My Cup Runs Over

“You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.” – Psalm 23:5b NKJV

“So we, like sheep get wounded. And we, like sheep have a shepherd. Remember the words we read? ‘We belong to Him; we are his people, the sheep he tends’ (Ps. 100:3). He will do for you what the shepherd does for the sheep.”

– Max Lucado, “Traveling Light”

“In a sense we are a stiff-necked lot, and were it not for Christ’s continuing compassion and concern for us, most of us would be beyond hope or help. Sometimes I am quite sure Christ comes to us and applies the oil of His own Spirit to our minds in spite of our own objections. Were this not so, where would most of us be? Surely every gracious thought that enters my mind had its origin in Him.”

– W. Phillip Keller, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”

Consider the precious oil of the Good Shepherd…

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.” – Psalm 23:1-5 NKJV

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Psalm 23-A Prepared Table

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…” – Psalm 23:5a NKJV

“What if your Shepherd did for you what the shepherd did for his flock? Suppose He dealt with your enemy, the devil, and prepared for you a safe place of nourishment? What would you say if I told you he has done exactly that?”

– Max Lucado, “Traveling Light”

“It is not always apparent to us what tremendous personal cost it has been for Christ to prepare the table for His own. Just as the lonely, personal privation of the sheepman who prepares the summer range for his flock entails sacrifice, so the lonely agony of Gethsemane, of Pilate’s hall, of Calvary, have cost my Master so much. When I come to the Lord’s Table and partake of the communion service which is a feast of thanksgiving for His love and care, do I fully appreciate what it has cost Him to prepare this table for me?”

– W. Phillip Keller, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23″

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…” – Psalm 23:1-5a NKJV

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Psalm 23-You are with Me

“For you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” – Psalm 23:4b NKJV

“Just as for the sheep of David’s day there was comfort and consolation in seeing the rod in the shepherd’s skillful hands, so in our day there is great assurance in our own hearts as we contemplate the power, veracity, and potent authority vested in God’s Word. For, in fact, the Scriptures are His rod. They are the extension of His mind and will and intentions to mortal man.”

– W. Phillip Keller, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”

“Rather than turn to the other sheep, David turned to the Shepherd. Rather than stare at the problems, he stared at the rod and staff. Because he knew where to look, David was able to say, ‘I will fear no evil’.”

– Max Lucado, “Traveling Light”

Perhaps your circumstances seem overwhelming. If so, look where David looked; to the Shepherd and remember how skilled He is.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” – Psalm 23:1-4 NKJV

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Psalm 23-Valley of the Shadow

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…” – Psalm 23:4a NKJ

“It is a most reassuring and reinforcing experience to the child of God to discover that there is, even in the dark valley, a source of strength and courage to be found in God. It is when he can look back over life and see how the Shepherd’s hand has guided and sustained him in the darkest hours that renewed faith is engendered.”

– W. Phillip Keller, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”

“For what the shepherd does with the flock, our Shepherd will do with us. He will lead us to the high country. When the pasture is bare down here, God will lead us up there. He will guide us through the gate, out of the flatlands, and up the path of the mountain.”

– Max Lucado, “Traveling Light”

What evil do you fear today? Look ahead and see the immense strength of the One leading; and catch a glimpse of the affirmation in His eyes.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…” – Psalm 23:1-4a NKJV

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Psalm 23-He Leads Me

“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” – Psalm 23:3b NKJV

“When the desire for self-assertion, self-aggrandizement, self-pleasing gives way to the desire for simply pleasing God and others, much of the fret and strain is drained away from daily living. A hallmark of the serene soul is the absence of “drive”, at least “drive” for self-determination. The person who is prepared to put his personal life and personal affairs in the Master’s hands for His management and direction has found the place of rest in fresh fields each day. These are the ones who find time and energy to please others.”

– W. Phillip Keller, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”

“God is righteous. His decrees are righteous (Rom. 1:32). His judgment is righteous (Rom. 2:5). His requirements are righteous (Rom. 8:4). His acts are righteous (Dan. 9:16). Daniel declared, ‘Our God is right in everything he does’ (Dan. 9:14). God is never wrong. He has never rendered a wrong decision, experienced a wrong attitude, taken the wrong path, said the wrong thing, or acted the wrong way. He is never too late or too early, too loud or soft, too fast or too slow. He has always been and always will be right. He is righteous.”

– Max Lucado, “Traveling Light”

When we follow His lead, the destination is right. Are you willing to let Him lead you along His path today?

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” – Psalm 23:1-3 NKJV

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Psalm 23-Restoration

“He restores my soul…” – Psalm 23:3a NKJV

“When I read the life story of Jesus Christ and examine carefully His conduct in coping with human need, I see Him again and again as the Good Shepherd picking up “cast” [fallen] sheep. The tenderness, the love, the patience that He used to restore Peter’s soul after the terrible tragedy of his temptations is a classic picture of the Christ coming to restore one of His own.”

– W. Phillip Keller, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”

“Our Shepherd majors in restoring hope to the soul. Whether you are a lamb lost on a craggy ledge or a city slicker alone in a deep jungle, everything changes when your rescuer appears. Your loneliness diminishes because you have fellowship. Your despair decreases, because you have vision. Your confusion begins to lift, because you have direction.”

– Max Lucado, “Traveling Light”

Hope and a sense of well-being are a natural product of His restoration. If you need restoration; it’s available. If you’ve experienced restoration; give thanks. If someone else needs restoration; please share.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul…” – Psalm 23:1-3a NKJV

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Psalm 23-Still Waters

“He leads me beside the still waters.” – Psalm 23:2b NKJV

“All the long and complex history of earth’s religions, pagan worship, and human philosophy is bound up with this insatiable thirst for God. David, when he composed Psalm 23, knew this…‘He [the Good Shepherd] leadeth me beside the still waters.’ In other words, He alone knows where the still, quiet, deep, clean, pure water is to be found that can satisfy His sheep and keep them fit.”

– W. Phillip Keller, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”

“He leads me. God isn’t behind me yelling, ‘Go!’ He is ahead of me bidding, ‘Come!’”

– Max Lucado, “Traveling Light”

Is your soul “leadable” today? There is deep, satisfying refreshment to be found in Him…

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” – Psalm 23:1-2 NKJV

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Psalm 23-Green Pastures

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures…” – Psalm 23:2a NKJV

“[For sheep] it is significant that to be at rest there must be a definite sense of freedom from fear, tension, aggravations, and hunger. The unique aspect of the picture is that it is only the sheepman himself who can provide release from these anxieties.

– W. Phillip Keller, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”

“Green pastures were not the natural terrain of Judea. The hills around Bethlehem where David kept his flock were not lush and green…hence when David says, ‘He makes me lie down in green pastures,’ he is saying, ‘My Shepherd makes me lie down in his finished work.’ With his own pierced hands, Jesus created a pasture for the soul. He tore out the thorny underbrush of condemnation. He pried loose the huge boulders of sin. In their place he planted seeds of grace and dug ponds of mercy. And he invites us to rest there.”

– Max Lucado, “Traveling Light”

Is your soul genuinely at rest today? His pasture is well-prepared…

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures…” – Psalm 23:1-2a NKJV

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Psalm 23-Satisfied

“…I shall not want.” – Psalm 23:1b NKJV

“Contentment should be the hallmark of the man or woman who has put his or her affairs in the hands of God. This especially applies in our affluent age. But the outstanding paradox is the intense fever of discontent among people who are ever speaking of security.”

– W. Phillip Keller, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”

“You have a God who hears, the power of love behind you, the Holy Spirit within you, and all of heaven ahead of you. If you have the Shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for every turn, a candle for every corner, and an anchor for every storm. You have everything you need.”

– Max Lucado, “Traveling Light”

Can you declare today that your heart is truly satisfied with God’s provisions? His care is complete…

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Psalm 23-My Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd…” – Psalm 23:1a NKJV

“When David, who was a warrior, minstrel, and ambassador for God, searched for an illustration of God, he remembered his days as a shepherd. He remembered how he lavished attention on the sheep day and night…and the way he cared for them reminded him of the way God cares for us. David rejoiced to say, ‘The Lord is my shepherd,’ and in so doing he proudly implied, ‘I am his sheep.’”

– Max Lucado, “Traveling Light”

“‘The Lord is my shepherd’…implies a profound yet practical working relationship between a human being and his Maker. It links a lump of clay to divine destiny-it means a mere mortal becomes the cherished object of divine diligence.”

– W. Phillip Keller, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”

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