World News

Corrie ten Boom once said,

“If you look at the world you’ll be distressed.

If you look within, you’ll be distressed.

If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.”

 

That appears true in my life. World news certainly depresses me. I find little joy in hearing what is going on. If I look within, I often get depressed. I can do nothing myself-I have no power and often at a loss to know what to do or how to do it. My thoughts lead me astray. However, if I look at God, I have peace and rest within my soul. 

     Scriptures about God give me rest and peace for I know He is my power. He rules! Below are just a few I look to for rest in God. These should be made World News.

 

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” 

 

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

 

Psalm 4:8 “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone Lord make me dwell in safety.” 

 

Psalm 46:10 “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.” 

 

This is my quote:

Only God can change World News.

Only God can rid the depressed.

Only God can give peace and rest.

 

     

Refuel

     To rest or not to rest? To work or not to work? 

     I, personally,  can always find an excuse to work on Sunday, but I am told to rest and refresh. 

     In Exodus God told Moses in verse 14, "You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you."  Then in verse 17 we find, "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He stopped working and was refreshed."  

     Today I chose the word Refuel in order to discuss ways to refresh on the Sabbath:    

  R ejoice in the Lord
  E joy family
  F ree time to relax
  U nderscore enjoyment
  E nter into praise
  L aze and Love others

You are invited to view my Web Version and click on "Reflections on Psalm 23" on the left in order to go directly to Amazon Books.  This little booklet is temporarily on special. Better than a store-bought card!

Refueling

      Refueling is not my favorite chore these days with the price of gas as it is.  My pocketbook feels the pain at the pump. It is costly and does nothing to give me a relaxing peace about the day.
      However, there is a type of refueling which is free.  It feeds the soul and restores the body.  We all need it. In fact, when God created the earth, He worked for six days and then on the Sabbath, He rested.  This is the day He established for His people to refuel.
     On the other hand, I find I need to refuel every day.  When I start first thing with God,  my day goes so much better.  It is good to "fill the tank" but when time does not permit, a simple prayer will help, a praise song goes a long way, that is, if I could sing.  I love a casual walk around the yard while talking with God. Nothing brings me closer to God than nature.  Quiet time alone with God and a good steaming  cup of coffee bring a smile to my face and a peace inside. I am reminded, as I type this, of a quote I would do good to remember, "A little coffee and a whole lot of Jesus!" 

     

 

Life Happens in Small Things

     So far this morning I have enjoyed my early quiet time with God.  And, in the moments, I found a meaningful verse in Psalms 127 of  The Message version.  "It's useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone.  Don't you know He enjoys giving rest to those He loves?"  In our busy schedules, we often forget to simply take life as it comes and enjoy the moments of the day.
     It is interesting that just after completing my Bible reading, I picked up the book, When I Relax I Feel Guilty, written by Tim Hansel.   I could not help but underline the following sentences:
     "Learning to let life happen rediscovers the importance of small things.  It relishes childlike joys of the everyday wonders of being alive...If you cannot do great things for God, do small things in a great way...Can you find joy in a paper cup of time or a thimbleful of love? ...Each day is a gift...Each breathe is a gift...Sing because you have a song....The mark of a believer is not only love, but joy, wonder, appreciation, surprise, creativity, peace, tenacity, hope, simplicity, and even play."
     Wow! Here were 2 pages chopped full of restfulness.  It is the kind of rest God wants us to enjoy.
We don't have to rise early or go to bed late to find it; we just need to find a few carefree moments of the day to open our eyes and see and open our ears to hear.  By doing so, we can discover, in the words of Tim Hansel, "more of ourselves, of life, and of God."   We can truly seize the day!
     Beginning the chapter of Let Life Happen, Tim further provides the quote by Walt Whitman, "To me, every hour of light and dark is a miracle, every inch of space is a miracle."
     I truly give God the credit for every hour of light and darkness and every inch of space.  I praise God that I don't have to rise early or go to bed late to find the miracles of life, and I thank Him for giving me rest and a song in my heart.