rest in Him... 2 Corinthians 12:9...

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,

for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore,

I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,

so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

Weak... tired... unable to finish...

that's how I'm feeling today...

His Word to me says...

I can rest in my weakness...

I can rest in His strength...

I can rest in His grace... and... power...

Hoping you embrace your weakness... find rest in it... all the while... finding rest in His power... grace... and strength...

Amen...

The Journey Readings: Week 145... and our most common error...

Philippians... another of Paul's letters to the church... packed with instruction... insights... warnings... we would do well to return to it over... and... over... in order to prevent error...

In this short letter... I believe Paul points out our most common error... when it comes to living the Christian life... trusting in our own natural strengths and understanding...

Paul clearly warns...

...glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh...

Philippians 3:3 ESV

When it comes to putting confidence in the flesh... Paul had quite the resume...

A good family... 

proper education and credentials... 

a rule-follower...

Paul had it all down-pat... 

until Jesus crossed his path on the road to Damascus...

According to his own understanding... Paul was doing the work of God by persecuting the church... putting an end to those trying to destroy his religious affiliation... but Jesus showed up... and revealed his blindness... to the truth... (see Acts 9)

Paul learned... none of his strengths in the flesh were of any use when it came to righteousness...

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth

of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered

the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may

gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own

that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ,

the righteousness from God that depends on faith...

Philippians 3:8-9 ESV

Paul learned... to be content in any circumstance... good or bad... abundance or want... not through his own willpower or humility... but through the strength of his Savior... Jesus...

...I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.

In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret

of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:11-13 ESV

We too need to learn... to count anything in our flesh as rubbish... 

our family...

our education...

our intellect...

our understanding...

our professional affiliations...

our religion...

our financial portfolios...

these are not strengths...

they are barriers to knowing and serving Jesus...

Do not continue in the most common error of man...

I can do it...

In humility... recognize your need for Him... in ALL circumstances...

I can't... but You can...

This week's readings...

Monday               Luke 2:22-52
Tuesday               Luke 3

Wednesday           Luke 4

Thursday              Luke 5

Friday                   Luke 6

wait on Him... Isaiah 33:2...

O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you.

Be our arm every morning, our salvation in time of trouble.

Isaiah 33:2 ESV

Those who wait on the Lord...

know they need His grace...

His support...

His salvation...

With this self-knowledge of need...

comes an expectation grace...

The psalmist cries...

O Lord... be gracious to us...

we wait for You...

The psalmist reveals his knowledge of the Lord's grace...

His heart for the poor and needy...

Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high,

who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.

Psalm 113:5-8 ESV

The Lord is gracious to those who know their poverty... their need... apart from Him...

For those with such knowledge of the Lord...

a cry of confidence is heard...

O Lord... be gracious... I wait for You...

in need of Your strength each morning...

in need of Your salvation each trouble-filled day...

Do you know you are poor and needy apart from Him...?

How confident are you of His grace in your life...?

wait on Him... Isaiah 40:28-31...

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might

he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary,

and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait on the Lord

shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV

The Lord... the One on whom we wait... He is everlasting...!

The One who created NEVER tires... NEVER misunderstands...

Not only can we trust in Him... lean on Him... when we have no strength...

He renews our strength... shares His strength with those who are weary...

when we wait on Him... hope in Him... expect Him to act...

Me... I needed Him today...

news of the broken hard drive on the laptop...

nearly made me faint...

the writing... the studies... the ministries...

But I chose to wait on Him...

remembered it was all His any way... to do with what He will...

sang a song of praise...

and waited... expectantly... for Him...

Strength was renewed...

the pity party didn't last too long...

So if you need strength... for whatever you face today...

wait on Him...

and you will rise up...

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lean on Him... Psalm 28:7...

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;

my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

Psalm 28:7 ESV

Strength... material or physical... personal or social or political...

When we lean on Him as our strength...

discover His strength... for every area of our life...

allow Him to shield us from whatever seems bigger than us...

our hearts grow in trust... because we find He is our help...

Our hearts exult... rejoice... triumph...

Our mouths fill with songs of thanks...

Let Him be your strength...

lean hard into Him...

trust in Him with all your heart...

be helped...

rejoice...

give thanks...

Amen...

at the end of a long day...

At the end of a long day...
I'm ready to rest...

But the temptation to rest in something besides Him creeps in...

Remembering to rest in Him alone...
the only true refuge... who refreshes and strengthens...

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.

Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Psalm 61:1-2 NIV

psalm 103... and Easter perspective... part four...

Another day... another look at Psalm 103... from the vantage point of Easter...

Praise the Lord, O my soul;

and forget not all his benefits...

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:5

More of His benefits...

seen from this side of the cross...

He satisfies our desires with good things...

God created us to be in relationship with Him...

In the words of the Westminster Shorter Catechism...

Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

---Westminster General Assembly, 1647

After the Fall... man's relationship with God was severed...

That which fulfilled him... lost...

Jesus... through His sacrifice on the cross...
His death... and resurrection...
made the Way... for us to come again...
into relationship with Him...

By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way

through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.

Hebrews 10:20 NLT

Our hearts' desire can only be satisfied in Him...
and through Him... by way of the Spirit...
we can know again... the satisfaction... of His presence...
walk in the fulfillment... of what we were created for...

Not only did Jesus make the way for good things...
He also makes the way for our youth to be renewed like an eagle's...

He made the way for us to receive His power... strength... energy...

I can't tell you how many in my life... say over and over...
I'm so tired...
and these are not old people... they are youths...!

I used to be there once myself...
maybe you are now...
constantly tired... run down... no energy...

But what I've found to be true...
is over the more than two decades I've been pursuing Him...
obeying Him... allowing Him to work and heal...
the less often I feel tired...

In my 50+ years... I find myself amazed...
at the energy I do have at this point in my life...

And when I feel myself failing...
I cry out to Him... for the strength He promises...
to do all He calls me to do...

This right here... today... could not have been done...without the truth of His Word...

I am able to do all things through Him

who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13 HCSB

I truly believe... have experienced...

increasing satisfaction with life...

increasing energy and strength...

by pouring out my life for Him...

I pray you will trust and experience the same...

Father God... thank You for the Way You prepared...

to restore relationship... to fulfill... and energize... Your people...

Amen... 

the joy of the Lord...

...the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10 ESV

The joy of the Lord... it is our strength...

And what brings the Lord joy...?

The context of this verse in Nehemiah is repentance...

After returning from exile...

the people heard the law...

its reading... and teaching...

saw their failure to obey...

and wept...

They were grievous over sin...

their spirits... and hearts... repentant...

This is when Nehemiah said...

"... And do not be grieved,

for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Nehemiah 8:10 ESV

This has been my understanding...

sin exposed... bringing godly sorrow... repentance...

blesses the Lord with joy... 

His joy gives the penitent... strength...

strength to turn around... obey... 

But I now see another aspect of bringing the Lord joy...

just plain obedience...

Obedience... in pursuits... calls... He puts on our hearts...

Obedience... when it doesn't make sense to us...

Obedience... not centered on repentance... but His invitation... 

Obedience... when it's not anything you particularly want to do... but feel His pressing... to do...

I've experienced this in the last year and a half...

pursuing an opportunity...

joining a friend in business...

and in the process feeling moments of inexplicable joy...

Not fleshly happiness...

but a deep... seated in the heart... joy...

feeling like something other than me...

Over the last few weeks... I've felt a calling to something new... not anything I feel particularly interested in doing... but the idea... it just won't go away...

I've shared the idea with my husband...

and with a friend...

it's not an idea for major ministry...

or even great sacrifice...

just an odd thought... that won't go away...

Neither thought it as crazy as I do...

Neither said... Well that's just dumb...

So... in simple obedience...

I took first steps to follow through on the call...

and already... I feel it...

joy...

Odd... inexplicable... joy...

that does not manifest from my flesh...

but... clearly... from His Spirit...

And with His joy...

the strength... dare I say... excitement...

to do... what He's calling me to...

A new facet...

glimmering in His Word...

In simple obedience...

His joy... my strength...

highlights of joy...

Approaching an afternoon... in the middle of a full week... one of those where I really don't know how everything will get done...

Highlights of joy... surprise... and strengthen...

The first came in entering the room where I teach the fourth graders Bible on Wednesday afternoons... a mission that can be daunting... and sometimes I wonder... Why am I doing this...?

He encouraged me today... with one of those unexpected... unprompted... unreasonable... bursts of joy in my heart... spirit...

Just approaching the whiteboard to erase... and prepare... filled my heart with joy...

I smiled... and said to Him... Yes... I love Your Word... and I get to share it with others today...!

"... the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Nehemiah 8:10 ESV

The second joyful burst came in response to news from a dear sister in Christ... an opportunity... blessing... to rejoice with one who rejoices... it came with a high-pitched squeal bursting from my lungs...

The kicker to this opportunity to rejoice with her... is she is one with whom I've also mourned...

Rejoice with those who rejoice;

mourn with those who mourn.

Romans 12:5

The third... from a son... sharing his misadventures at the store... silly-joy... slapstick-esque... pants splitting reaching for items on a lower shelf...  he tells the story with humor... a light in his eye...

And the outfit he came home in accentuated the joy...

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart...

Proverbs 15;30

Finding highlights of joy...
in Him...
in church family...
at home...

Highlights of joy...
lightening the load...
of a very full week...

Praise Him for joy... and laughter...

A joyful heart is good medicine...

Proverbs 17:22 ESV

when facing a full day...

When facing a full day... do it with joy...

This is the day that the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 ESV

Trusting His help...

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:2 ESV

Relying on His strength...

The Lord is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

Psalm 118:14 ESV

Thank You... Lord... for this day...

Your help... Your strength...

all reasons to rejoice...!

His joy... my strength...

And do not be grieved,

for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10 ESV

I wonder... What does His joy look like...?

"... yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory

was not arrayed like one of these. ..."

Matthew 6:29 ESV

I see the Lord's joy... in clothing the flowers... 

And this morning... 

seeing birds... take wing... each with different strokes... 

hearing their songs... varied trills and chirps...

What joy... the Lord must have... as He holds all these wonders together each day...

And again I say... the joy of the Lord... is my strength...

keeping quiet...

Feeling the need to keep quiet...

This is what the Sovereign Lord... says:...

...in quietness and trust is your strength...

Isaiah 30:15

eternal... comfort...

Today in prayer... praising Him as eternal...

The eternal God is your dwelling place,

and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Deuteronomy 33:27 ESV

Finding comfort... in a God who will not wear out... in the midst of my need...

Security found... in the truth...I will not outlive... His ability to rescue...

The humbling of yesterday still fresh...
living on the edge of forgetful... and out of control...
awed... by the eternal... everlasting... nature of God...
Who is never caught off guard...
never in over His head... or out of His league...
never surprised... never frazzled...
never at the end of His rope...

When I can't... He can...

I love this God... who has it all together...
perfectly... at all times...
whose strength... never... fails...

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

Isaiah 40:26