Soul Filled Rest

Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to Me [Jesus] all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.”

I need His rest, and I imagine so do you!

The world we live in – is so fast paced. Even for those who have another trial, outside of chronic illness, we can struggle to cope with this fast paced life. It’s easy to feel pressured to immediately reply to that email or text. Or to do that for so-and-so right at this very second. We forget that, we too, we need rest.

The other day, I just sat at the word “come”. As I come and surrender everything, I need to lay at His feet and rest. What does such rest look like? I grapple with this a lot. Does it mean no TV while resting? Absolutely not (and I have to remind myself that it’s okay to watch TV).

It’s about making Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Giving Him access to the parts of me, that I might not share as well as other parts of me.

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I am trying to learn what exactly “come to Me [Jesus]”, looks like for me. On a daily basis. When maybe it’s more than a little bit hard to sit with my Bible and my laptop is being used by someone else. I am just trying to learn how to come. I know I make big mistakes, but it is about continually making an effort to come and sit at His feet.

I hope this may encourage you, especially if you are struggling. And remember I am only a comment away, so if you guys need support… reach out whether its for prayer or to have a like-minded believer to talk with… I am here for you all.

Living Sacrifice

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1).

In some religions, the follower is asked to die in the name of their god. This is how they live out what they believe. They are asked to sacrifice themselves (or someone else). To which, there is no words – only heartache.

It is different for those who have trusted in Jesus as our Savior and Lord. When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, our new life begins. We are forever His! Christianity brings us into relationship with our God and Creator, through His Son Jesus Christ!

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We are asked to become a living sacrifice, in view of God’s mercies who through His Son Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose again on the third day to give us new life. The debt we owed has been paid in full!

While some may ask their members to sacrifice themselves “for the cause,” we are urged to do something very differently. We are urged to come and follow Jesus Christ, not religion. It is a relationship with the Most High God!

It Is Done!

God’s Son Jesus Christ has accomplished the work we could never complete. He is the One who has saved us. It is not about what we could do in the name of religion, but what has been done for us! “In view of God’s mercies, offer your bodies as living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God…”

Highest Aim

Do you want to honestly please God? This is the KEY to doing so.

Give yourselves to God, through His Son Jesus Christ! Answer Jesus’ call to “come follow Me” and allow Him to make our burdens light (Matthew 11:28-30).”

Choose to live a holy life based on the Bible and keep following our Savior and King – even when temptation does come. It is where we find eternal life, freedom, and peace. When we choose to glorify God, we are seeking to please and obey Him (even when we do it imperfectly)

Holy (Set Apart) Living

Meeting with Jesus each day is an important of following Jesus. By doing so, I am placing myself in the right spiritual environment to worship Him and continually follow Him through the Bible, prayer, and fellowship with others who are following Jesus too.

Each day, we can choose to follow Him. His mercies are made new each morning. And He offers us His companionship, forgiveness, and amazing love.

There is no substitution for our relationship with Jesus Christ!

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It is choosing to trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior and King of our lives. And, this is how we will please Him.

This is the worship we can seek.

Devotion: Did I Cause That?

Whenever something goes wrong and suffering comes, do you ever wonder what you are doing wrong? Or, am I the only one that falls into this trap?

Last few days I find myself asking, “What am I doing wrong, Lord?”

Then if I am blessed enough, the Holy Spirit will stop me in my tracks. I think, it is an easy trap to fall into. But just because we find ourselves in a bad situation, it doesn’t mean we have somehow failed.

I wonder what would happen if I could stop and ask: “What does God want to teach me through this?” Rather than “How is this evidence that I have somehow failed?”

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For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10, English Standard Version

Based on the Bible’s truth, I can state clearly that this is faulty thinking. And I, as a follower of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, need to speak His truths into my life. I need to replace the lies, with His divine truth.

Today, I watched Priscilla Shirer and her sister Chrystal Evans Hurst talk about identity. As they were talking, they brought up the power of reading Ephesians 1-2 and listening to who God says we are.

When we allow God to define who we are, we will have an unshakable identity.

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An identity that will never depend on someone else or our abilities. Our identity will firmly rest on who God is and what He has done for us through His Son Jesus Christ!

In Christ Jesus, we are so loved. We cannot make honest mistakes [keyword focusing on honestly, not deliberate sins], and walk around as though we will be punished or the world will fall apart for our lack of perfection. We are human beings. Human beings who are passionately loved by their Creator, God, and Savior!

In love He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:4b-6

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So, what can we learn from Ephesians 1-2?

In a brief statement:

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is everything I am not. He has covered me, so I don’t have to worry about not being enough!

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Maybe, you are feeling as though you aren’t quite enough today. Oh friends, if we could only replace this faulty thinking with the glorious truth that we are His! We are Christ’s. We are loved. We are accepted. We are forgiven. We have been completely redeemed. We are no longer broken and incapable of receiving our Creator’s love.

May we run and enjoy tonight’s chapters that remind us of our Forever Identity!

Disclaimer: You can now support Gracefully Overcoming through your Amazon purchases. At no cost to you (and effortlessly), Amazon will allow you to shop and Gracefully Overcoming get a bit of a benefit from your shopping. It can be any purchase you make. But, I am still enjoying this title by Charles Swindoll.

Stand Up, Unashamed!

This morning, I am reminded of my need to stand up for my faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. I am reminded that I will make choices that reflect my faith in Christ, and I hope it happens increasingly more.

I may stumble and fall, but I will continue to choose our Lord Jesus over the cares of this world!

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile (Romans 1:16).

I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them (Psalm 101:3).

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-4)

New Living Translation

Right now, I am evaluating my choices for entertainment and how they will undoubtedly affect me. Recently, I discovered my need to “lay down” one of the TV shows I have watched in the past. I don’t wish to reveal the name of the show, but surrendering this show was choosing to not compromise. When we watch worldly shows, it will affect us and our faith.

Lesson I Continue to Learn

Friends, we have to stand up for what we believe. I believe Jesus Christ and the Gospel. I believe Jesus Christ came and died on the cross for my sins, so that I could have a reconciled relationship with my Heavenly Father. I believe that as Jesus saves me, He gives me new life.

Each day, we are given the opportunity to fall deeper in love with our God! Isn’t that a far greater thing than anything else?

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Let’s choose to focus on our Lord Jesus Christ today. May our absolute resolve be to honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. While I know the choices are not always easy to make, choosing to live unashamed of Jesus Christ and righteousness is always the choice worth making!

How are we resolving to make the Gospel and relationship with Christ our highest priority?

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Image: Marc Schaefer.

What (or Who) are We Worshiping?

During my quiet time, a particular Scripture popped up on my computer screen. It wasn’t the Scripture I intended to study, but one requiring my attention and some thought. So, here we go: Let’s think about this passage and how (or what) we worship.

When Peter arrived, Cornelius greeted him. Then he knelt at Peter’s feet and started worshiping him. But Peter took hold of him and said, “Stand up! I am nothing more than a human.” When Peter arrived, Cornelius greeted him. Then he knelt at Peter’s feet and started worshiping him.

Acts 10:25-26, CEV

Cornelius is seen worshiping Peter and requires a rebuke of sorts. I wonder, how many of us require the same rebuke – myself included. I think, Cornelius became caught up in the moment. I mean, this is Peter – the same Peter who walked with our Lord Jesus.

Worshiping the Wrong Thing

In my opinion, it is easier to focus on worshiping, pleasing people, and giving our attention to the things we can see, touch, taste, and smell. I know, it is for me. I love being able to interact with things I can experience on a physical level. It isn’t things that are sinful, either, but Christ is not always valued over all. It is easy to get distracted or caught up in the moment. But, I think that is why this passage is of such importance.

We need to become very intentional and serious about what we worship, for our God is a jealous God!

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The Big Commandment

Scripture is clear, though. We are not to give our hearts in worship to anything else. We are taught to have “no other gods before Me” in accordance with the Ten Commandments in Exodus.

You must not have any other gods except me.

Exodus 20:3, ICB

Our God is so amazing!
He loves us beyond words.
He is jealous for you.
He wants to spend time with you, my friend.
He wants to hear how your day is going. Yes, He already knows. But, He wants you to talk with Him about it. He loves you fiercely, so fiercely that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for your sins, and rose again on the third day to give you new, amazing, abundant life!

After all God has done for us, He absolutely deserves to be the only One we worship!

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I wonder how our day-to-day encounters with our Most Holy God are though. Do we worship by faith or merely what is in our sight? (2 Corinthians 5:7) Many things compete for our attention and adoration. From the food we eat, to our cell phones, or our community, anything can become something we worship if we are not careful. May we evaluate our lives and choose to worship God alone!

To learn more about this command, I invite you to read Deuteronomy 6:13-19.

Image: James Barr