Rest

Greetings!!!

Spring is bursting forth in its glorious array! The landscape is dressed in brilliant colors of red and pink, orange and yellow, purple and pink, white and green. Oh! There are so many shades of green! There is one thing that stuck me as I looked about this year. There are many trees that have not yet shed winter. Look around. Do you see trees that look dead? They are not dead, but are resting. Rest is important not only physically, but also mentally and spiritually.

I looked up rest in the little concordance in the back of my Bible and found thirty references. I will only list a few here. It is interesting.

Exodus 31:15 'For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death.'

Exodus 33:14 And He said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest."

Psalm 116:7 "Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you."

Jeremiah 6:16 This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where  the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

Is it time for you to take time to rest? Resting so contrary to our culture. Resting is perceived as lazy and unproductive, but rest is a good thing. It is a God-given gift, but you must choose to make the time for rest. Are you feeling like you just cannot not keep on? Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS." Is your life looking less than its best? Take time to rest and get quiet before the Lord. He is waiting for you to come.

The LORD bless you with His rest.

I love you,

Ruth

In the Fray

Greetings!!!

Have you ever watched a track and field meet? What is your favorite event? Because our daughter is a thrower, we spend a lot of time watching the throwing events. Recently, I have had the unique experience of watching the throws from the field with the implements coming toward me. It is imperative to never turn your back to the throwing area. Yesterday, I had a college freshman working with me in the field. She had difficulty anticipating the way the discus would curve in flight. One time she was so filled with fear she cried out, "I can't get away from it!" as a discus fell very close to her side.

This incident made me think of the way our enemy, the devil, is constantly sending a barrage of missiles at the children of God, and the importance of the full armor of God found in Ephesians 6: 10-18.

"Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints."

In the same way that officials are never to assume they are safe in throwing area in track and field, children of God are never to assume they are safe from the devil. You must be ever vigilant in your walk with the Lord. If you are in the middle of the fray right now, do not panic. Do not fear. Stand firm and watch the LORD of Hosts win the battle. Isaiah 52:12 says, "But you will not leave in haste or go in flight, for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard."

The LORD bless you with realizing your only safety is in Him.

I love you,

Ruth

What Is Your Darkness?

Greetings!!!

As a child of God, have you had times of darkness and heaviness that you did not understand? In those times have you wondered if you had done something wrong or if there was some sin that you committed that the Lord just did not reveal to you yet. As you groped through the darkness, did you wonder if you would ever again see the light... would you ever again experience joy. 

As I sat in church Sunday morning thinking about the darkness that sometimes shrouds God's children, Psalm 91 washed over me like an enormous wave.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High 

Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, 

My God, in whom I trust!"

For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper, 

And from the deadly pestilence. 

He will cover you with His pinions, 

And under His wings you may seek refuge; 

His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. 

You will not be afraid of the terror by night,

Or of the arrow that flies by day;

Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.

A thousand may fall at your side,

And ten thousand at your right hand; 

But it shall not approach you.

You will only look on with your eyes,

And see the recompense of the wicked.

For you have made the LORD, my refuge, 

Even the Most High, your dwelling place.

No evil will befall you,

Nor will any plague come near your tent.

For He will give His angels charge concerning you,

To guard you in all your ways.

They will bear you up in their hand,

Lest you strike your foot against a stone. 

You will tread upon the lion and cobra, 

The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

"Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.

He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him, and honor him.

With a long life I will satisfy him,

And let him behold My salvation."

Is it possible that the darkness and heaviness that engulfs you today is that God has His hand upon you and is  holding you in the shadow of His wings? Could it be that the mental abuse being heaped upon you by the devil is so great because that is all that can reach you under God's mighty hand? Could it be that no specific sin is brought to your mind because God will not entertain any accusation against you? What is the source of your darkness? Is it spiritual heaviness and darkness because of a stronghold of the devil in your life that you need to confess and repent of, or is it that you are under the shadow of the Almighty? 

The LORD bless you with choosing to dwell in the shelter of the Most High, and abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I love you,

Ruth