Beware: This is a LONG post! It was just too good not to post. Thank you J.B. for passing this devotional onto me. It is definately worth sharing.
"Many of you today are just trying to make it through until the end of the month! You are burdened by the cares of this world. You have mountains in your life that are so large, you know it is only a matter of time before they crush you. You woke up this morning with a glimmer of hope, clinging to that last ounce of faith that today, maybe today, you might get that breakthrough you are looking for. You are tired, weary, and without enough energy to go on much longer. At this moment, as much as anything, you are hoping and praying for a bit of comfort in the midst of the trials and a little rest from carrying the burdens that are weighing you down.
My friend, put your burdens down, quit thinking about the circumstances you are facing for a few minutes and let God, the One who loves you, give you His peace and comfort today!
As you know, nobody can think clearly or make wise decisions when they are weary. Many times, we compound the problems in our life by making hasty, non-prayerful decisions in the heat of the moment without thinking. Today, go to God, ask Him to comfort you, give you His peace, and His rest. Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." I sense in my spirit today that many of you simply need to go to the Lord today and find that rest He has promised to you.
Listen my friend, the problems you have didn't happen overnight, and unless God decides to work a miracle, they won't go away overnight. But know that God will help you to get victory over your problems in His perfect timing.
This is hard for me to write because I am a very motivated, action-oriented person who likes to work until the problems are solved and then rest. But that isn't always practical. Many times God tests us through different problems and He rarely works things out on our time schedule. One of the hardest lessons for me to learn was that there are days and times when I just need to stop, relax, and let God comfort me for a while and carry my burdens.
What this really boils down to, my friend, is an issue of faith. We are so worried and work so hard in our own strength that we drive ourselves crazy due to a lack of faith. Faith is simply believing God can and will do exactly what He says in His Word. The reason it is hard for me to take that time of rest and enjoy the Lord's comfort is because of a lack of faith. I just don't trust God enough to work things out so I stay busy trying to do it myself. I am not saying we shouldn't work hard, be concerned about the issues in our life, or try to work things out, but at some point we have to take a stand of faith and trust God.
I love you and am praying for you. Never lose sight that no matter what, God is still on the throne and still in control. One of the interesting parts of the scripture reference I gave you today is that God comforts you so that you, in turn, can comfort others. Never forget that as you are about His business, God will be about your business. Often, we find that our needs have been met while we are busy caring for the needs of others. It is a powerful spiritual truth to never forget.
My prayer for you today is to take time to find God's peace and comfort despite the problems you are facing. Go to school or work and do the things you do in a normal day but rest from the worry and concerns of your problems and circumstances. Let God give you rest today from your burdens. Let Him comfort you in the midst of your trials. Let Him simply love you today. In addition, exercise that measure of faith He has given each one of us and start to trust Him more. Tomorrow, you will wake up fresh, rested, and with a renewed confidence in God. He promised to never leave you nor forsake you. You need to take Him at His word!.
May you find Christ's peace, Christ's rest, and Christ's comfort today even in the midst of the problems and challenges that you are facing."
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller
(From
www.liveprayer.com and passed along by my dear friend!)
