Exodus 33:14 (NIV) The LORD replied, My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. COMMENTARY PEARLS Lately I have been having some sleeping issues. I keep waking up during the wee morning hours, long before I need to get up for work. My mind starts racing. I worry. I problem-solve. I toss and turn. And finally, exhausted, I get up. The other morning, I woke up at four oclock, hearing the garbage truck rumbling down our street. Realizing we had forgotten to take out the recycling, I climbed out of bed, pulling on the first pair of shoes I could find. I headed out the door and grabbed the giant recycling can. Tiptoeing down our path to the street, I misjudged my footing, and rolled my ankle. Badly. One second, I was taking out the garbage the next I was lying in our wood chips and lavender, gazing up at the stars. I thought, I should have stayed in bed. I should have. Rest can be an elusive thing. The stress of family dynamics can keep us up at night. Financial difficulties and pressures at work can rob us of our peace. But when we let our worries overtake us, it rarely ends well. We end up exhausted sometimes laid out in the lavender bush. We need rest in order to function and to heal. In those anxious moments, when we cant seem to find peace of mind or rest in body, we can turn to Jesus. When we give Him our worries, we can find rest. Jesus is with us. He cares for us body, mind, and spirit. He makes us lie down in green pastures. He leads us beside still waters. He restores our souls. by Susanna Foth Aughtmon Faith Step: Take a moment to close your eyes, knowing Jesus is there with you. Share your worries with Him. Know that He will take care of them and restore your soul. [Mornings With Jesus 2020 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] I soak in the sun as two seagulls squawk at each other, fighting over bread on the sand. I lift my head from the blanket, a motherly instinct. But these two are not mine. There is no squabble between two brothers to referee. My two sons are back in New York City as I visit my parents in Florida, a rare time away from my parenting duties. I lie back down, squinting at the sun, then close my eyes. I listen to the waves crashing gently on the shore, and feel the heat of the sun and the cool breeze of the wind on my skin. My hands press down into the sand, feeling its powdery texture on my fingertips. In some faraway land, I am a woman busied by responsibilities, someone preoccupied with worry and a to-do list that never seems to end. I am here, there, and everywhere with children in tow, traveling in cars, buses, and trains. I'm the one who makes meals and beds and sometimes peace when her children squawk like seagulls fighting over bread on the sand. But here I am none of those things. By the sea, I'm reminded that I just am. Lord, I am so many things to so many people. Thank You for those moments when I can simply just be. Karen Valentin [Walking in Grace 2021 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] COMMENTARY The yoke is placed upon the oxen to aid them in drawing the load, to lighten the burden. So with the yoke of Christ. When our will is swallowed up in the will of God, and we use His gifts to bless others, we shall find life's burden light. He who walks in the way of God's commandments is walking in company with Christ, and in His love the heart is at rest. When Moses prayed, "Show me now Thy way, that I may know Thee," the Lord answered him, "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." And through the prophets the message was given, "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." Ex. 33:13, 14; Jer. 6:16. And He says, "O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea." Isa. 48:18. Those who take Christ at His word, and surrender their souls to His keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace and quietude. Nothing of the world can make them sad when Jesus makes them glad by His presence. In perfect acquiescence there is perfect rest. The Lord says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee." Isa. 26:3. Our lives may seem a tangle; but as we commit ourselves to the wise Master Worker, He will bring out the pattern of life and character that will be to His own glory. And that character which expresses the glory - character - of Christ will be received into the Paradise of God. A renovated race shall walk with Him in white, for they are worthy. As through Jesus we enter into rest, heaven begins here. We respond to His invitation, Come, learn of Me, and in thus coming we begin the life eternal. Heaven is a ceaseless approaching to God through Christ. The longer we are in the heaven of bliss, the more and still more of glory will be opened to us; and the more we know of God, the more intense will be our happiness. As we walk with Jesus in this life, we may be filled with His love, satisfied with His presence. All that human nature can bear, we may receive here. But what is this compared with the hereafter? There "are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Rev. 7:15-17. {DA 331} PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Come to Me with your defenses down, ready to be blessed and filled with My Presence. Relax, and feel the relief of being totally open and authentic with Me. You have nothing to hide and nothing to disclose, because I know everything about you already. You can have no other relationship like this one. Take time to savor its richness, basking in My golden Light. One of the worst consequences of the Fall is the elaborate barriers people erect between themselves and others. Facades abound in the world, even in My Body, the church. Sometimes, church is the last place where people feel free to be themselves. They cover up with Sunday clothes and Sunday smiles. They feel relief when they leave because of the strain of false fellowship. The best antidote to this artificial atmosphere is practicing My Presence at church. Let your primary focus be communing with Me, worshiping Me, glorifying Me. Then you will be able to smile at others with My Joy and love them with My Love. (1Jo. 1:5-7; Exo. 33:14; Phi. 4:8) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young] Walk peacefully with Me through this day. You are wondering how you will cope with all that is expected of you. You must traverse this day like any other: one step at a time. Instead of mentally rehearsing how you will do this or that, keep your mind on My Presence and on taking the next step. The more demanding your day, the more help you can expect from Me. This is a training opportunity, since I designed you for deep dependence on your Shepherd-King. Challenging times wake you up and amplify your awareness of needing My help. When you don't know what to do, wait while I open the way before you. Trust that I know what I'm doing, and be ready to follow My lead. I will give strength to you, and I will bless you with Peace. (Exo. 33:14; Deu. 33:25; Heb, 13:20, 21; Psa. 29:11) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young] LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY Exodus 33:14 - God's Presence And Rest. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220308-1107.html Psalm 23:2 - Green Pastures and Still Waters from the Lord. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210129-1030.html Colossians 3:15 - Let the Peace of God Rule in Your Hearts. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230130-0851.html Philippians 4:6-8 - Cure For Anxiety And Worry. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220624-0817.html 1 Peter 5:7 - Shifting the Burden. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220715-0813.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/