Dec 19 2021

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

When many of us were younger, we liked thinking that our dad was stronger than other people's dads. Our dad's strength made us feel confident and secure.

As God's children, we know that the strength of our Heavenly Father is offered to us and is all we ever need. But, His power in our lives begins as soon as we realize we are weak.

God doesn't expect us to face life's challenges relying on our own strength—because He knows we can't. In the Old Testament, we read the story of a shepherd boy whom God chose to take down a powerful giant. Goliath was one of the Philistines, a group of people who actively opposed God and everyone who followed Him. No one was willing to go up against Goliath, an evil giant of a man, except for David.

David was most likely a young teenager. He was so small that the king's armor wouldn't fit him. He faced Goliath in complete vulnerability. Anyone would have looked at that as an impossible situation, but David was not fighting alone. He operated in the strength of Almighty God and defeated the evil giant.

Metaphorically speaking, we face giants every day that would be impossible to slay—except we aren't fighting alone either. The same God who helped David defeat Goliath is with us in every battle we face.

The world will marvel at the strength that is displayed in our lives when we rely on God's power. We can have confidence and assurance that God is always fighting along with us and for us.

God, I am so glad that I can call you my Father. You offer me everything that I will ever need. I realize that I am weak and I need you. By relying on your strength, I can find the strength to fight every battle. Help me to keep my eyes on you and not on what's happening around me. You are faithful, so I know I can always depend on you. You will never let me down, and you will never leave me to fight alone. Help others to witness your strength in me and let it bring glory to you alone. In Jesus' name, amen.

Dec 18 2021

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. :

In a busy world, it can be challenging to remember the last time we experienced rest. People wear a busy schedule as a badge of honor because often we find our value in what we do.

In this afternoon's verse from the book of Matthew, we read the opposite. Jesus says to come to Him when we are tired and burdened, and we will find rest. The type of rest God offers to us is not only for our body but also our spirit.

Our relationship with God and our spiritual health often suffer the most when we are busiest. Unfortunately, whatever is putting the most pressure on our schedule typically gets the most attention. God will not compete for our time. Instead, He waits for us to come to Him to find what we need, and He always knows what that is.

If we choose to allow God to help us in our busy lives, we will find a more peaceful way of living. We may even weed out the activities in our schedule that keep us from finding a healthy balance. We should resist the tendency to feel guilty when we choose to take care of ourselves.

Our first priority should always be God. When we put Him first, he will then help us prioritize our lives. He can provide rest for our soul and a clear focus on what is essential in our lives.

Everyone has different levels of what we can handle. It is much better to ask God to control our lives than to come to Him after we are burned out and exhausted. Our rest begins when we simply turn to God.

Heavenly Father, there are times when I am tired, even exhausted. My flesh can only handle so much before I feel like I can't handle it anymore. Thank you for providing rest before I even realize I need it. Thank you for calming my spirit when I feel overwhelmed. Help me to prioritize everything I do around my relationship with you. Let me not feel guilty when I choose a slower and more peaceful pace of life. Remove anything from my schedule that is keeping me from living a peaceful life. In Jesus' name, amen.
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