Jesus and His disciples had little if any leisure time during His time of ministry. The crowds were relentless. People were anxious to be near Jesus, to listen to His revolutionary teaching that set them free and released them from bondage, fear, and legalism. They heard He had the power to heal them physically and spiritually, so they came in droves with their illness and pain, with those suffering from demonic harassment and chains, for a chance to see Him, touch Him, be healed.
Being fully God and fully man, Jesus felt the physical and mental exhaustion of always being “on” and the deep fatigue of being surrounded by the hurting, needy, and lost. So, Jesus rested. He was diligent in removing Himself and His disciples for periods of refreshment, and spiritual and physical re-filling, so they could return encouraged and strengthened for the next task. He gave Himself and His disciples permission to rest, eat, and get away from the urgency of humanity knocking at the door of their hearts.
Our days may not be filled with healing the sick and enemy-harassed, or with traveling dusty roads that parch the mouth, or teaching on hillsides in the hot sun, but He knows what our days are filled with—chaotic relationships, disappointments, dreams that seem far from being realized, illnesses, past regrets that haunt our peace and the daily annoyances and offenses that threaten to become bigger than they need to be.
Jesus understands the physical and mental exhaustion of taking care of everyone else and the things we take on that are not ours to carry. Is He calling you to go with Him for a spell, to refresh and soothe your mind, spirit, and body? He is giving you permission to rest. So, rest.
In this scripture, the Lord is declaring what He delights in – kindness, justice, and righteousness. I want to be about what He delights in. I want to love those that He loves, see those that He sees, exercise kindness, stand for justice, and do my best to be like Him. He knows we are not perfect and can’t do this on our own.
May we be people who follow after Him, go where He leads us, be clothed in kindness, and treat others the way HE would treat them, the way He treats us.
I started a Bible study by Beth Moore called Walking with God. It is so good -eye opening, refreshing, and an invitation to go deeper.
This quote from her study stood out and has been popping up in my mind often.
Curiosity. I love this word. The image I see is like a treasure hunt of seeking, excitement, discovery, wanting real answers, and not being afraid to ask God to reveal hidden things and meanings in scripture that I don’t understand. He isn’t afraid of our questions and uncertainty. I believe He loves to walk with us, speak to us, give us His wisdom, discernment, and plain old joy that lightens our hearts and draws us close to Him. He is love.
There is comfort and so much hope in this verse. Before the Earth existed, God was there. He is with you as you read this verse, and He is already in your tomorrow. His eyes are on you.
You are not lost in a crowd of millions and your voice doesn’t get drowned out by someone louder or histrionic.
You are seen and deeply treasured. Maybe sit with that for just a minute? Let it soak into your spirit. Peace be with you.
This reminder is hope-filled and refreshing! It is ok to have big questions for God!
Doubts, difficulty trusting God and His plans, and struggling in areas of understanding Him doesn’t equal a lack of faith or sin. God can handle it. He understands us.
Like Kaitlyn states, it’s not only ok, but God expects our questions and loves us through them.
If you have questions, doubts, or fears just talk to Him. He’s the best listener.
You can follow Kaitlyn and check out her book, A Dream Fulfilled Life: A Memoir in Essays on Amazon.
I have just started reading this devotional by a fellow author and am liking it immensely!
I wonder how often we find ourselves in this trap of making our relationship with Jesus a to-do list?
*Read the Bible for a certain amount of time in the morning only – check.
*Pray for 30 minutes following a script of what to say, when, and how – check
*Listen to worship music ONLY in the car – check
and our lists go on…
I love the author’s reminder that Jesus doesn’t expect checklists, routines, or disciplines that take away from us just BEING with Him. Isn’t His presence far better and more deeply healing than our disciplines, routines, and lists? He knows us, sees our hearts, and delights when we choose just to be with Him.
It’s ok to take a hike, enjoy the silence of creation, and find Him right there with us. It’s ok to sip our coffee and allow Him to sift and sort our thoughts, fears, and schedules.
Maybe this week, we can just be with Jesus without lists, schedules, and expectations, and see what He has to say to us and how He heals us. You are deeply loved. Peace be with you.
The wool threads display the richest colors as they flow across the loom, some vibrant and brilliant, which immediately draw the eye and capture attention, while other shades and hues are subdued, calming, and deep, visible only to those who truly see. The Master Weaver has been at His work forever, and He will not stop until it is completed. His breath creates and calls into existence that which was not into what is. His thoughts and His songs, His glance, and His robes are all part of the Divine dance that weave and blend to make a way where there wasn’t one. Supernatural, unstoppable, beautiful.
We each have a unique tapestry. No tapestry is the same, yet our individual threads intersect, overlap, advance, and retreat as the tapestry is woven, and the Creator’s plans come into being. What He sends forth will not return void. It will accomplish the exact and perfect purpose for which it was sent. Perfection. Mysterious. Holy.
I imagine an open space that is peaceful and joyful, where the Master does His creating. It is a place filled with pure, flowing water, incense, and beauty. It is called Holy Ground. This sacred spot is where the weaving happens. It is precious and well-guarded. There is joy, tender love, hurt, and tears. Laughter and grief intermingle and twine about each other in a dance that is gorgeous, fierce, completely untamed, terrifying, and yet carefully orchestrated. Who can contain and control what Heaven has spoken and breathed into life?
The individual tapestries stand alone, yet they do not. Each one is carefully and precisely ordered to intersect, surprise, and flow into the others. Each tapestry is necessary for the others to come to fruition. Certain tapestries will be woven together for a lifetime, others for a few moments, years, days, or seasons. Some may barely skim the borders of another, yet there is a Divine purpose for the skimming and the overlapping, the touching, and intersecting.
The Creator knows, and that is enough. He sees it for how it is, how it was, and He will see it long after we are called home. Perhaps we will see His master plan with unveiled eyes, once blurred from striving to understand, force, or remove these divine intersections. What is woven together can’t be undone by the tapestry. Struggling is futile and distracts from the beauty unfolding minute by minute in front of us. No, we can’t foresee, tame, and reverse that which was breathed by Holy breath into existence. This is where hope and faith must come into play.
There are lessons that must be learned, hurts healed, and other tapestries that need the colors, hues, and patterns the Weaver chose to color your life tapestry. These will not always blend in perfect harmony. This mixture will, at times, appear chaotic and unsafe, as if they should not have been allowed to brush against each other. The Master Craftsman knows how it all unfolds because He saw it from the beginning. Alpha and Omega.
What appears as chaos, pain, and discord at the moment is part of the dance. He knows the steps because He created them. We can’t pretend to understand the whys and purposes behind His plan, but one day I hope we will. When the final thread in our tapestry is woven, and the Weaver shepherds us into the place called Holy Ground, we will see how it all blends into something lovely, ordered, and precise, and we will stand in awe of it; smiling through tears of understanding as the height, breadth, and depth of His perfect love covers us. We will watch in fascination as the remaining tapestries are sung and danced over, breathed upon, and woven together until He leans back from His loom, declares it is finished, and brings His masterpieces home to be forever displayed in the Most Holy Place, for all of eternity.
Extravagant Hope 