Finding rest and refreshment!

Boy, I was tired this morning, so I went a lay down for a bit more sleep. As I lay there, I thought of these verses:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]

“Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.

“For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good–not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.” (Matt 11:28-30, Amp)

What a relief to know that walking in the Spirit, walking with Jesus, is not a hard and stressful thing. I am so encouraged by those words. I must meditate on them some more…. and then write some more!!

I pray that you are encouraged by this too!

NOTE: I just entered another page called “5. An Amazing Discovery”, about some special things that the Lord has shown me this week. Read it if you’re game!!

Seeking God!

My meditation today:

“I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have any being. May my meditation be sweet to Him; as for me, I will rejoice in the Lord.” (Psalm 104:33-34, Amp)

“Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek and require the Lord [as their indispensable necessity]. Seek, inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek and require His face and His presence [continually] evermore.” (Psalm 105:3-4, Amp)

I’ll write more later……..  after I’ve thought on it some…..

Balancing act!

Do you ever struggle like this, too?? Between one extreme and the other?…. between being too busy and too lazy?…. between doing the things you like to do and the things you have to do … between being too focused and being unfocused? … between being too disciplined and being too undisciplined … between taking life too seriously and being too frivolous…. etc.

It’s all like a balancing act!…. and how do we get the right balance???

That’s part of the fruit of the Spirit… temperance or self-control! Having things in the right balance… and it’s something we grow into… the working of God’s Spirit in us. As we focus on Him He makes us more self-controlled. When God’s Spirit is in control, we can control ourselves, because it is His Spirit doing it.

“The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

And after thinking about all this, it reminded me of that verse in Isaiah. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is STAYED on You, because he trusts in You.”

That word “stayed” means “to lean or lay upon, rest upon, lean against”. Hey, wouldn’t that keep us balanced?? It’s easier to be balanced when we are supported.

Hey, my Jesus is my solid Rock and foundation, and His word is the framework for my life. I will stay secure and balanced when I’m resting on Him!!

“On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand!!”

Perfect peace!

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isa 26:3, ESV)

Perfect peace?? It seems so unimaginable in this world full of turmoil! But God has promised we can have it!

The Hebrew word is shalom, which is the Hebrew greeting… just like we say, “Hello!”, “Hi” or in Oz, “G’day!” It means completeness, wholeness, peace, health, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. It comes from the root verb shalam, meaning “to be complete, perfect, and full.”

Now who of us wouldn’t want all that?? Sounds too good to be true!! But, hey, that’s what the Bible says we have if we keep focus on HIM!! Jesus, the Prince of Peace!!

So, why don’t we experience all that?? Where’s the missing link? It has to be with us!

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27, ESV)

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:4-7, ESV)

“And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:7, Amp)

THAT is perfect peace!!

The Creative Imagination!

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isa 26:3, ESV)

We are all familiar with this verse, but as I was reading it one time I discovered something interesting in my footnote. This is what it says:

“The word translated mind is not the usual Hebrew word, but rather is a word meaning ‘creative imagination’. Isaiah’s thought is that he whose creative imagination, the seat of plans and ideas, is firmly founded on the eternal Lord, will enjoy shalom (perfect peace) in all its implications.”

That’s how God made us in His image, giving us a creative mind like His, but He has designed it to glorify HIS name! But, as I checked other references, I discovered how the human’s creative mind has done the complete opposite.

The Hebrew word is “yetser” and the first references are in Genesis.

“The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.” (Gen 6:5-6, ESV)

“And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.” (Gen 8:21, ESV)

And, as I share yesterday, another verse in Isaiah:

“You turn things upside down!
Shall the potter be regarded as the clay,that the thing made should say of its maker,
‘He did not make me’;
or the thing formed say of him who formed it, ‘He has no understanding’? (Isaiah 29:16, ESV)

Man’s creative imagination had become completely depraved, and we find that instead of glorifying God’s name, he wanted to make a name for himself. We see this in Genesis 11:

“1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 67 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.” And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. (Gen 11:1-9, ESV)

So the mind that is not stayed on Him, is brought to utter confusion. Without God as our focus, our imaginations are all bent on pride and glorifying ourselves. We can see this so often in music, even in church. The “worship” time becomes a battle of egos, and God is left out of the equation. And, hitting closer to home, it is evident also in the visual art world.

We need to continually ask ourselves, “Who am I trying to make a name for, me or God?” Oh, there are so many dangers that come with creativity, and like fire or water, if not controlled it can destroy us.

“But the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom 8:6, NIV)

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isa 26:3, ESV)

Here’s some extra references of the Hebrew word: Deut 31:19-22; 1 Chr 28:9; 29:17-18; Psalm 103:14.

He knows our frame!

Hey, I love Psalm 103, and there is so much there to meditate on. Verses 6 and 7 speak of God righteous and justice to the oppressed. Verses 8 to 12 say a lot about His mercy and grace. However, this morning my thoughts were on verses 13 to 14….

“As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe].
“For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14, Amp.)

WOW!! He knows our frame!!…. yet He does not condemn us!! He is still gracious to us, despite the fact that we goof up!!… that is, of course, if WE reverence and worship Him.

Do you ever have days like that??… real goofy days, and you feel like a real heel?? Isn’t it so encouraging to know that God knows all that, and He covers our mess-ups?

Just like a loving parent who pities his/her kids… who doesn’t expect the kids to be perfect, because they are still kids and still learning!! Hey, this tells me that it is OKAY to make mistakes…. we are NOT perfect, and we’re not expected to be!! We are growing and learning…. and moving ON TO perfection, but we’re not there yet!! God is doing the work in us.

But there are those who foolishly don’t respect and honour God who are like this:

“[Oh, your perversity!] You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be considered of no more account than the clay? Shall the thing that is made say of its maker, He did not make me; or the thing that is formed say of him who formed it, He has no understanding?” (Isaiah 29:16, Amp.)

We must remember who is the Potter and who is the clay. May we not be so foolish as to turn things upside down!!

“HE KNOWS OUR FRAME!!!” He is the Master Designer and we were on His mind even BEFORE He formed us. He had the plan and purpose all mapped out.

See Jeremiah 29:11 and Ephesians 2:10.

Organisation v Frustration!!

ORGANIZED??? Boy, I would sure love to be.

I think that’s what frustrates me…. I like things organised, but don’t seem to manage it as I like. One of my pet things to have organised is cupboards and drawers. The rest of the place may be chaotic, but things have to be in the right place in the cupboards. Strange, eh??

Anyhow, Kell was cleaning up some of my mess today, and boy it makes me nervous…. things don’t get put in the right place. I think I must have caught some of that off my dad!! He tends to be a fussy thing and has to have things done right!

Oh, well!! We all have a quirky ways!!

BUT, I know I can be organized… and that’s the way I’d like it… and with God’s help I can do it!! It makes for a smooth running ship!! And that’s what our household is now working on!! We just have to run more efficiently, then we can be more productive!

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Well, yesterday was a “getting the house in order” day… in more ways than one… including me… including the kids… including the house… including work!! Things really needed to change in this place… and so did I. Making the best use of our time will help us be more productive, hence this will help our finances considerably. Praise the Lord, He will help order to reign… instead of chaos!!

It was a tough day… but a good day!! God’s done His bit…. I needed some sorting out!! And hey, He disciplines those he loves! Hey, that means God must love me a lot!

Today??? Order reigns…and chaos is out the door!!

Oh! That reminds me of my new year prayer:

“Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Psalm 90:17, NKJ)

“Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3, Amp)

Boy, I think I need to be reminded of those verses everyday!!

Benefit #5 - Satisfaction!

“…Who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

To be satisfied means to be full or filled, to have enough. This reminds me of 1 Timothy 6:6, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”

God graciously sends us good, pleasant and desirable things. All this is wonderful, but God also curbs our appetite for these things.

It’s like going on a successful diet. One of the biggest hurdles to overcome in loosing weight is appetite. In this sense, we can have too much of an appetite for the wrong things like chocolates and sweets and all the yummy but fattening stuff. And we all know that an appetite like that is not conducive to loosing weight. Our appetite needs to be curbed and curbed in the right direction to the good and healthy foods. Then after a while, you notice that you no longer have the cravings for the junk, and you are really beginning to even like the healthy stuff. The result is a healthy and thinner and even younger you!!

So if that is the case in a natural sense, God does the same for us spiritually. In Proverbs it says, “If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it” God helps us to be satified with what is good, and He curbs our appetites for seeking after pleasures and good times. He helps us to be content and satisfied with what we have. He gives us a desire for the things that are truly good and of Him. The junk food the world offers us no longer satisfies.

As a result, we have a fresh, renewed spiritual vitality…. and we can SOAR like eagles! God takes us to those higher levels in Him.

Benefit #4 - Steadfast love and tender mercies!

“…Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy…”

WOW! What a wonderful union!! God’s steadfast love and His tender mercies!! I checked the original meaning of these two words, and it reminded me of the marriage of two loving parents.

God’s steadfast love is like the love of a father, and the tender mercies like that of a mother! An unbroken union! This love is like a circle, which encompasses or encircles us, and it has no breaks, no beginning or end. Oh, what a comforting thought!! I am surrounded by God’s love, and there is no escaping it.

This is like what Jeremiah said when he wrote in Lamentations:

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (3:22-23, ESV)

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits!!”

Benefit #3 - Bought back from the pit!

Number 3 is Redemption…. “Who redeems your life from destruction…”After checking out the original text, this is how I interpret this:

I was doomed for the pit of destruction which the enemy set before me. Because of sin, which is the nature of all men, Satan had full legal right over my life. As Adam had rejected God’s way and was thrown out of the garden and separated from God, my life and your life were the same, and Satan had free reign.

But, through the Cross, Jesus paid the price to buy me back and be brought me back into fellowship with the Father. He paid the debt!! I now belong to God!

And how much am I worth to God?? He paid the ultimate price for me, the blood of His only Son!! That’s how much I am worth! That’s how precious I am to Him! WOW! What an awesome thought!!

He paid a debt He did not owe,
I owed a debt I could not pay,
I needed someone to wash my sins away.
And now I sing a brand new song,
Amazing grace the whole day long,
Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9, ESV)

And as Job said:

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth.” (Job 19:25, ESV)