Tag: strength

Are You Soul Tired?

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“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;”

‭Psalm‬ ‭37:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Hebrew word used for “be still” in this verse doesn’t mean for your body not to move, it means to be silent.

It means to silent your mind, quiet the overthinking and obsessive worrying.

Stop talking about it.

Stop thinking about it.

Stop dwelling on it.

Calm your mind.

Clear your thoughts.

Create space in the silence.

Rest.

Enter into a quiet space and fill your soul in the love of God.

He is there waiting to meet you and you don’t need words, you need Him.

The longer you stay there, the stronger this “stillness muscle” grows, the more you will capture the grace of God to apply and live in today.

It is how to restore your tired soul.

Recover Your Life

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Life often demands that you keep going even when you are tired.

When you are burdened with grief, you still have to go to work.

When you are battling anxiety, someone still has to do the dishes.

When you are restless to go but must stay right where you are.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Jesus invites us to walk with Him, work with Him, and watch how He lives in the fullness of God’s love every day while bearing a great burden.

Your world may be dripping with unmet expectations, foundation-shaking experiences, and unbearable obligations.

Or it may be boring and frustrating with endless monotony.

Whatever is happening around you, Jesus wants to walk with you through it.

Lean on His strength and let Him love you right where you are.

However you get away with Jesus – time in the Word, time in prayer, time in worship, time in silence- lose yourself in His love and recover your life.

The Refuge of Risk

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“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.”   Nahum 1:7 NIV

Every time you step out in faith in Jesus, it is a risk.

Being faithful to Jesus may look like being a failure to the world.

He may ask you to leave what you know, sacrifice whatever is needed, and embrace a temporary difficulty for the hope of a future promise.

Know that even though the risk seems great, a life lived in faith in the Son of God means that every cross He asks you to bear leads to a resurrection to a new kind of life you have never lived before.

This is the prayer I am whispering over you today, “Jesus, take care of my friends as they step out in faith. Thank you that they are trusting you as they face risk. Reward them with courage and vision and do what only You can do – the impossible in them and through them. In Your Name, Amen”

Invest in Rest

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

Matthew 11:28 NIV

This is Jesus’ invitation to you to stop striving and rest.

The Greek word for “rest” in Matthew 11:28 means:

1) to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength

2) to give rest, refresh, to give one’s self rest, take rest

3) to keep quiet, of calm and patient expectation

It is His invitation for you to take a minute or an hour to simply stop.

Stop producing, stop creating and simply breathe.

Close your eyes to look at what is going on inside of you.

Remember that your value to God is not what you do but who you are.

You are His beloved child.

He loves you when you are “doing good.”

He loves you when you are struggling.

He loves you when you are failing.

He loves you. 

It is not a one-time invitation, it is a a daily invitation to come to Jesus and be reminded who you are.

Are you tired?

Come to Jesus, His arms are open.

The Best Time To Pray

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“From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.”    Jonah 2:1 NIV

When is the best time to pray?

– when you are running from God.

– when you have been disobedient and rebellious.

– when you have done your own thing, your way and find yourself in the center of a devastating storm.

– when you realize that God is BIGGER than your fear and STRONGER than the storm.

– when you are in the very center of something that is far bigger than you and you have no power to get out of it.

– when you are ready to let go of your preconceived ideas of what God is calling you to and willing to serve wherever you are, with whatever God has given you, right now. 

When is the best time to pray?

NOW… whatever your “now” looks like.

Press On

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“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”PHILIPPIANS 3:12 NIV

Today, I want to challenge you to let go of:

– trying to earn God’s love (He already loves you).

– your fear of failure (you have nothing to prove).

– perfectionism (you have nothing to fear).

– habits that sabotage your growth (you don’t need them anymore).

– trying to control everything (you can’t anyway and it’s exhausting to try).

And I want to encourage you to take hold of:

– God’s grace.

– your faith in Jesus.

– the vision Jesus has for your life.

– the hope of love’s transformation.

– trusting Jesus with it all.

Jesus will not give up on you or let go of you.

He loves you so much that He will continually press you to press on to become who He has created you to be.

“I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:12 ‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Let go of what is holding you back and go after with all your heart all that God has for you.

Stress Won’t Help

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I don’t know what you’re facing today but I want to tell you that stressing is not the solution to it.

Striving is not the solution either.

Trusting God is.


Surrender is the solution.

Surrender yourself to God.
Surrender your situation to God.
Surrender your fears to God.

This isn’t about giving up but it is very much about giving over of yourself into God’s hands.

Not because you understand how God can work a miracle but by believing He can work a miracle.

Surrender is about trusting Him to be who He is – your loving Father. 

God assured us in Hebrews 13:5-6 MSG, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you, we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?”

Your Father is here, ready to help.

Stress won’t help you but God will.

You can trust Him with what seems impossible.

What do you need help with today?

Burden Bearer

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“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”PSALM‬ ‭68‬:‭19‬ NIV

Every day also brings old memories that linger, mistakes still bearing consequences, fears that refuse to die, emotional baggage that demands space and attention.

Every day brings new choices to make, new challenges to face, new fears to conquer, new burdens to bear.

God will bear your burdens every day. 

Old, new, heavy or light.

Everyday.

You may not know what burdens will be thrust upon you today but God does. 

He stands with open arms and strong shoulders to bear them for you.

What burden do you need God to bear today?

The Journey To A Sacred Place

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“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.” PSALM 84:5 NIV

A pilgrimage is the journey to a sacred place.

A pilgrimage for a Jesus follower is not about going somewhere that God has been before, it is inviting Him into where you are:

Your home.

Your job.

Your relationships.

Every place you invite God into becomes sacred.

When you walk with Jesus, He will give you what you need for every step: His abundant love, cross-forged forgiveness, sustaining strength, perfect peace, deep joy, and unrelenting hope right where you are.

Transformation lives on the way with Jesus.

It is a journey that will test your strength, challenge your tenacity and grow your faith. 

What do you need to invite Him into where you are today?

He is Peace

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“May God look you full in the face and make you prosper.”

Numbers 6:26 MSG

The word for “prosper” here in the original Hebrew is “shalom.” 

It has become one of my favorite words. 

At its core, “Shalom” means the type of wholeness that comes after being broken.

I think that the most difficult moment to look God full in the face is when you are broken. 

When you have failed or fallen or lay wounded at another’s hand.

That is exactly when you need Him the most.

That is when you need to see the face of God and how He sees you.

That is when you need to see His love, mercy and grace as He gazes at you.

You need to know that when He looks you full in the face, He is looking at someone He loves, believes in and will put back together through the power of His love.

May God look you full in the face and make you prosper.

Shalom

He is the peace you are looking for.