Feeling Burdened?

I awakened to a horizon of hovering fog my last day here at Cottonwood Lake & thought how the visual captures the inner workings of emotions.

Fog is a funny thing…you can see it & even feel the effects of it on a dewy day, but much like the wind, you cannot grasp it.

I think the burdens we carry & the emotions that follow can sometimes feel the same. We can see them & even feel the tremendous weight of them, but a lot of times, we cannot quite fully grasp them.

When the the sun peeked over the horizon, the light was almost blinding. The fog didn’t immediately dissipate, & in fact, it began to grow a little thicker for a moment. As the sun began to warm my face, however, I thought again, “What a great visual!”

Psalm 55:22 promises when we give our burdens to the Lord, that He will take care of us. We may not see an immediate solution, but when we fix our gaze on Him, letting Him bear our burdens, the foggy things we face eventually begin to fade in the Presence of His brilliant light ✨

May you take The Word at His Word this morning, walking with full confidence that He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. The way ahead might feel a little foggy, but when we follow The Way, we need not worry about stumbling in His brilliant wake.

#OneYearBible

September 11th One Year Bible Readings

ISAIAH 8:1-9:21

2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-10

PSALM 55:1-23

PROVERBS 23:4-5

Oh, How He Loves Us!

Whenever people say, “God loves you”, I sometimes miss the mighty impact of the Truth because of all of the pressures & stresses of life.

Like I KNOW He loves me, but sometimes, it doesn’t feel like it.  

Today as I read Song of Songs, I felt awestruck  by the revelation a little phrase gave about the depth of His love for us.

The book is written by King Solomon about his beautiful bride, but some say it is an allegory of God’s love for us.💞

7:5 tells us that “The king is held captive… {by his bride}…”

What a specific visual, right?

Can’t you see the groom standing at the altar with great anticipation for his bride to begin walking down the aisle…and then when she does?! 

His heart beats WILDLY out of his chest as he is fully captivated by her beauty when her very presence finally draws near… 

I’ve always thought about being, “Captivated by our King”, but did not quite catch the reverse of that until this morning…

👉🏽that He’s held captive by His bride (you & me), longing with great anticipation for her to give her heart WHOLEheartedly, but loving her enough to let her choose.

Oh, how He loves us,

how He loves to love us,

& longs for us even,

to return His steady gaze of overwhelming love 💞

I am praying for anyone reading this today, that you might fully comprehend the Father’s love for you,

right now, 

in this moment,

with no, “clean up on aisle 9” needed!

Come to Him as you are.

Not only did Jesus make us white as snow, covering our sin with his death, He longs to be Lord over us SO THAT sin will no longer be lord over our lives. 

All it takes is a return to His gaze & a whisper…

“I love you too…. Jesus, come into my heart as my Savior. I want to become one with You as a bride with her groom. Be Lord over the secret recesses of my life, because we both know their not a secret to You 😉. Lead me Your Way for my way always leaves me wanting for more. May I be captivated by the only Lord & King Who is captivated by me…”

#OneYearBible #September7

September 7th One Year Bible Readings

SONG 5:1-8:14

2 CORINTHIANS 9:1-15

PSALM 51:1-19

PROVERBS 22:24-25

Best Piece of Advice | Think about Death Daily

The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is from an old pastor who exhorted his congregation to, “Think about death daily.”

When he first said it, I was like, where in the world is he going with this? But now, 26 years after hearing that message, I can so see the value of the wisdom he shared!

It may not have been the most winsome message he ever gave, but for me personally, it was by far the most impactful…

King Solomon, the wisest man on the planet, writes something similar in Ecclesiastes 7. He tells us that it’s far better to spend time at funerals than at parties, {for}

“After all, everyone dies - so the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter for sadness has a refining influence on us.”

Again, it feels like such a downer message, but the truth of it is undeniable.

I talked with a young writer friend recently who shared how his best work seems to surface when things are hard. I wholeheartedly agree!

I would call my past year & a half, “A Sifting Season of Sorrow” & yet I am confident of this: The way my trust in the Lord has skyrocketed & my reliance on myself has plummeted, COUOD NOT HAVE HAPPENED during a season of celebration!

Seasons of celebrations are oh-so-good, but they sometimes distract us from the unsettled things that lie deep in our hearts, hurt places that need the touch of a Healer 💞

Even though it’s not a warm & fuzzy feel-good message, Solomon is spot on when he writes,

“A wise person thinks a lot about death” for sorrow & sadness have a refining influence on us that no other circumstance could!

Father, we thank you for the refining seasons of sorrow that shed light on the hidden recesses of our hearts. Godly sorrow is good for there is no regret coupled with it…that type of sorrow is marked by a humble turn to face You, Father, as we are reminded of our great need of a Savior, here on earth and for eternity!

#OneYearBible

September 4th One Year Bible Readings

ECCLESIASTES 7:1-9:18

2 CORINTHIANS 7:8-16

PSALM 48:1-14

PROVERBS 22:17-19