Isaiah 61:8, NIV
For I, the LORD, love justice. The third sneaky burden is an interesting one because it can be a good thing but also a deeply oppressive thing. It’s the burden of injustice. Let me explain. There have been times in the last few months when I have been incandescent with rage at injustice I have witnessed; I have burned with anger at it. And although the biblical response is absolutely to stand for justice, and speak for those who don’t have a voice, I know if I want to tackle injustice I need to be powered by faith, not fury. Jesus understands injustice, he experienced it first-hand. It makes sense to make him the first person we turn to when we’re carrying a burden to see justice done. Doing that positions us to put our trust in God’s promises to act and also to hear what he would have us do as his partners in the gospel. This doesn't mean we stop caring, it just means we can receive the power we need to care well. Let's pray You word, Father, says righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. I ask that you would give justice and peace to all who have been cruelly and unfairly treated and who suffer because of the wrong attitudes and actions of others. Keep me from taking matters into my own hands and guide me to act as you would have me act. In Jesus' matchless name. Amen.
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John 21:7, ESV
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. One of my favourite moments in the gospels is when the resurrected Jesus cooks breakfast for Peter on the beach. Peter had failed Jesus so utterly and yet Jesus not only forgives him but reinstates him. (If you ever think i need forgiveness and reinstating please feed me breakfast on a beach!) Satan really enjoys reminding us of our failures. Big or small, he has a record of them all. We need to know what to do when he starts with the condemnation and it’s Peter who tells us that. You see, as soon as Peter sees Jesus on the beach, he stops what he’s doing, dives off his boat into the sea, and swims to the Lord on the shore. In the middle of the worst time of his entire life, Peter knows with Jesus failure is never final. So he deliberately puts himself in a place where he can come face-to-face with Jesus and be pardoned and purposed. We need to do the same. When you fail, take it straight to Jesus. Let him restore and repurpose you. Let's pray Jesus, I am so aware of my shortcomings and failings that sometimes I hold back from you in the hope you won't notice them. But you see my heart, and you know the times I let you and myself down. I am amazed that you love me regardless! I give you all my failures today, Lord. Thank you that as I do that you utterly restore me. Amen. Matthew 6:33, ESV
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. At the beginning of the first lockdown - not surprisingly - many people testified to a deterioration in life satisfaction and happiness. Some 19 million adults in Great Britain reported high levels of anxiety because of Covid. And, although some of those people will have adapted, many won’t have. Because they don’t have the tools to do it. But if we’re in Christ, we do. Jesus directly addresses worry and anxiety in an earlier passage in Matthew 6 and essentially says, “Don’t do it! Don’t worry!” And Jesus doesn’t give us that instruction and then just leave us to get on with it. Jesus tells us how we can stop ourselves from worrying. And he says it’s by running after God. We stop ourselves worrying by pursuing God’s kingdom and his righteousness. And, if we do that, Jesus tells us there’s a reward: all the things we need for life are given to us. Which includes our peace of mind. In the NIV translation of Psalm 68:19 it says, “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour who daily bears our burdens”. In the King James the same verse says, “Who daily loads us with benefits”. Both are valid translations. We need to actively pursue the Father each and every day because - as we do that - he not only bears our burdens but loads us with benefits in their place. Let's pray Jesus, thank you that I can cast every burden onto you because you care for me. Today, I give you my concerns and anxiety and receive the benefits you have for me in their place. Thank you for releasing me from the weight of worry. Amen. Matthew 11:28-30, TPT
Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear. Jesus understands there will be times when we really need to stop, take a breath, and refocus. And not only does he offer us restoration in those times but also help with the weighty things we carry. Other translations talk here about Jesus taking his share of the yoke - coming alongside us and bearing some of the weight. So what are the heavy burdens Jesus is talking about? Burdens take many forms. The big burdens: lack, trauma, a global pandemic… can contribute to our feeling deeply weary and overwhelmed. But there are subtler burdens, sneaky ones that creep up on us! We don’t always know we’re carrying them, but they still deplete us of our passion for life. This week we're going to look at four sneaky burdens we can give over to the love and care of the Father. Why not take a moment to ask the Spirit to reveal what some of yours might be? Then ask Jesus to carry the burden instead of you. Let's pray Jesus, you came that I might have life and have it in abundance. I give the burdens the Holy Spirit has revealed to you right now and thank you that I don't have to carry them. Don't let me take them back, Lord! Amen. More beautiful worship lyrics to meditate on today. Click here to listen.
See Him there, the great I Am A crown of thorns upon His head The Father’s heart displayed for us Oh God, we thank You for the cross Lifted up on Calvary’s hill We cursed Your name and even still You bore our shame and paid the cost Oh God, we thank You for the cross Behold the Lamb The story of redemption written on His hands Jesus, You will reign forevermore The victory is Yours We sing Your praise Endless hallelujahs to Your holy name Jesus, You will reign forevermore The victory is Yours Offer up this sacrifice For every sin, our Savior died The Lord of Life can’t be contained Our God has risen from the grave Our God has risen from the grave When the age of death is done We’ll see Your face, bright as the sun We’ll bow before the King of Kings Oh God, forever we will sing WRITTEN BY KRISTIAN STANFILL, MELODIE MALONE, & PHIL WICKHAM 1 John 5:14, NIV
This is the confidence we have approaching God that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. When I was a little girl I was allowed to go to the Rec to walk the dog or meet up with friends. But to get to the Rec I had to cross a busy road and so I learned the Green Cross Code. And - at the time I learned it - it was Stop, Look, Listen, Think. And sometimes when it comes to approaching God I think it can help us to do those four things: Stop: take a moment. Is there something bothering you? Are you facing something you really need to take to God? Pausing in the middle of a busy day or minor crisis can be a good habit to get into. Look: look upwards. Picture Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for you. See yourself being welcomed into the throne room. Listen: imagine yourself sitting next to your heavenly Father, so close you can hear his heartbeat of love for You Think: it’s important to remind ourselves of the truth revealed in God’s word. You can ask God anything that aligns with his will and purposes and he will hear you. That's the promise of this verse. We can be confident when we approach God with our requests he hears us. Let's pray Father, help me to align my heart with yours. Help me to pray so your will is done. Most of all, thank you that the very next verse says "And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." I receive the answer to my prayers, even now. What an amazing Father you are! Amen. Psalm 5:3, KJV
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. It took 215 years from Abraham’s call to enter Canaan to Jacob's entering Egypt. His descendants, the Israelites, were enslaved for 430 years according to Exodus (although Paul suggests that period includes Moses’ life, too). Assuming Paul is right and ignoring the 40 years in wilderness that means Abraham’s descendants don’t put their feet on the land God has promised them for some 645 years. But when they do, the Lord gives Israel a land for which they did not labour, provision from vineyards and olive groves they did not plant, and safety and security in cities they did not build. I have a friend who repeatedly tells me God is much more concerned with the fulfilment of his promises than the time he takes to deliver on them. I hope my Heavenly Father doesn’t wait 645 years to deliver on mine (!) but while I wait I will continue to lay my requests before him and wait expectantly while he works on answering them. I know he will exceed every expectation. Let's pray You can't help yourself can you, Lord? You supply all my needs, you are lavish in your provision, and deliver on every commitment. You go beyond what I ask for, deserve, and expect. Thank you for your generosity. I know I can trust you to answer my prayers. Amen. Exodus 33:11, ESV
Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. In the middle of a passage talking about the intimate relationship between God and Moses we learn that Moses was never alone in the tent of meeting. Not just because God was there but because Joshua was there, too. And although Moses would leave with instructions from God for his people, Joshua stayed put. In fact, scripture says he “would not depart” from it. Which suggests there were times he was encouraged to leave but he refused. The presence of God was so compelling he never wanted to leave it which led to a sincere and deep devotion across his entire life. Joshua would never let God down because he knew him and loved him. And, there’s a challenge there for us, I think. Joshua tells us our priority should be the Presence. He becomes a visionary man, full of faith, patient, a great warrior and leader. But it’s not because he emulates Moses. He doesn’t study how Moses leads the Israelites or settles their disputes - that all happens out of the tent. And Joshua isn’t out of the tent. Joshua is in the tent. Later in Numbers 27:18 God describes Joshua as “a man in whom is the Spirit.” Joshua is filled with the Spirit in the presence of God in the tent of meeting and that is where he is equipped. And it’s where we are, too. Our equipping takes place in the presence of God. Let's pray Father, I am determined not to be drawn away from your presence. Help me make you my priority. Fill me today, Holy Spirit, and equip me for all you would have me do and be. Thank you, Jesus, that you made it possible for me to stand in the presence of the Most High God. Amen. Exodus 33:14, NIV
My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. I am told if you can’t explain something to a six-year-old then you don't understand it yourself. And I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to explain to a small child how God can be in the heavens above but also on the earth below, or how he can be everywhere and, also, right here. It may just be me, but I find the idea of God’s simultaneous transcendence and imminence hard to get my head around. I need to work through what that means in practise in order to understand how God works out his purposes in the world and in my life. Fortunately, Scripture throws us a lifeline because right from the beginning - as the creation story unfolds - it paints a picture of the glorious, majestic, and awesome God creating and sustaining all things but then - pretty quickly - takes us to the intimacy of the Garden of Eden. The place where God walks, where he chills out, and where he and his image-bearers are meant to build a relationship. Because what really matters to God is his presence made manifest in relationship. He wants us to learn to live out of his presence so everything we are and do is informed by our closeness to him. We can choose today to spend time in the presence of the Father, developing our relationship with him. When will you do it? Let's pray Lord, you word tells us to boldly enter the throne room and so I take you at your word and come just as I am. I choose to spend time with you. Meet me, Father. Help me to know your presence more fully today. I need you, my God and my friend. Amen. John 10: 14-18, ESV
I am the good shepherd. know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father. I find it incredibly sad that so many Christians don’t know their value to the Lord. They think the Father simply tolerates them. Somehow they have missed that they are his treasured possession, the apple of his eye, his beloved, his divinely loved ones. The Father says you are of inestimable value to him. The proof is that Jesus chose to endure the cross for you. He had the authority to decide not to lay down his life but chose to do it for you. That's not indicative of the indifference that leads to only "putting up with" someone. That is an indication of a pure and undivided heart utterly focused on you and your salvation! Whatever it takes, find a way to revel in the love of the Father today. Let's pray Thank you, Father, that you love me beyond measure. Thank you, Jesus, that you proved it through your death on the cross. Thank you, holy Spirit, that you are confirming the truth to me even now as I listen to the voice of Jesus telling me he is my shepherd and I am precious to him. Amen. |
Author"Life is short; eat dessert first." Loraine Davies Archives
March 2024
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