Renewal

“Come to Me” Unpacking Jesus’ Paradoxical Invitation

Faith, Knowing God, the Bible God's Word, wonder of creation / By teri / January 24, 2023 January 3, 2023 / Jesus said "come to me", relax, Renewal, rest and work, unhurried, unworried

To Rest or Work?

I love invitations. Last year, I issued many invitations to several events: a girlfriend getaway with my three oldest friends, my book launch party, and Bill’s and my 40^th wedding anniversary party. The people who showed up to celebrate with me made these events spectacular. Receiving invitations is equally delightful. I received invitations to several weddings and baby and bridal showers. I bet you enjoy invitations too. We feel included—wanted—when someone invites us to be at an event or even to just go for coffee.

The Lord issues many invitations in Scripture, but one of the most popular we find in the book of Matthew. “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). Who hasn’t felt worn out, burdened, or overworked?! If you’ve never felt that way, please, write a book. I want to read your secret. But until that book gets published, let’s learn how to receive this sweet invitation from the Lord.

First, how do we come to Him? By faith (Hebrews 11:6). And not a simple belief in God in general, the demons believe in God and tremble (James 2:19). No rest for them! Look at the last part of Hebrews 11:6, “for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Do you believe Jesus is God, and He rewards those who seek Him? If not, you need to seek Jesus for salvation. Believe He is the one and only way to God the Father. He says to us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). This includes you. If you’ve never trusted Jesus to forgive your sin and give you new life, you can never come to Him for rest or anything else. I pray you will stop right now and ask Jesus to save you.

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For those of us who have a relationship with Jesus, how do we enjoy His presence?

As followers of Jesus, we’re encouraged to read our Bibles, pray, attend church, and do Bible study. And while all of that is good advice, it’s easy to reduce our role as a disciple to a to-do list. We check the boxes but often don’t feel connected. Boredom sets in for some. Others become rigid in their practice and legalistic about what a Christian must do. It can also induce guilt if we don’t get our devotions done. Jesus doesn’t want to be put on our to-do list or reduced to disciplines. He calls us into a relationship as His disciple, His friend, and, best of all, His sisters. Devotion to Christ isn’t a 30-minute quiet Bible reading and prayer time. Devotion to God is a new, restful, abundant way of living.

Think about relating to your siblings. Do you share memories with them? Do you have fun and enjoy meals together? Do you disagree with them at times? Did you ever fight? Jesus wants these same interactions with us. He invites us to come to Him as a person. It’s okay to wrestle with God. Jacob did! If religious exercises have burnt you out, His invitation is for you. We cannot reduce friendship to a chore and expect it to be satisfying. That’s what the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ time had done and what they expected others to do, earn their way to be with God. But Jesus is inviting us to come to be with Him.

The Lord creates us all differently, with unique spiritual love languages. In his book Sacred Pathways: Developing your Soul’s Path to God, Gary Thomas identifies nine different ways people love God and draw near to him (these are all ways Jesus related to His Father). Here’s a summary:

1. Naturalist: John 6:3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, Mat. 6 Look at the birds of the air, and the flowers of the field. He wants us to pay attention to how He uses nature to illustrate His truth. Do you like going outside to be with God? Do you see your Creator most clearly in creation?

2. Sensate: Consider how God lead Solomon to build the temple. Think about the beautiful sights, sounds, and incense fragrance. We heard Jesus remind us to look. The Bible tells us to taste and see the Lord’s goodness. Jesus at the last supper said this wine is the new covenant; this bread is my body. When you taste good food, do you taste the goodness of God? Do you draw near God when you see beautiful things or hear beautiful music?

3. Traditionalist: Luke 2:41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. Do stained glass, the ritual of communion, and witnessing a baptism transport you into God’s presence?

4. Ascetic: Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed. Do solitude and simplicity provide the best space for you to relate to God?

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5. Activist: Jesus overturned the tables in the temple, “It is written my house shall be a house of prayer, and you have turned it into a den of thieves!” Do you sense God’s delight as you stand in a protest for the right to life or against racism? Do God’s justice, and a desire for justice energize you?

6. Caregiver: John the Baptist sent his followers to ask if Jesus was the Messiah. Listen to Jesus’ answer in Mat. 11: 4 – 5, “Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” And don’t forget the feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000. Do you love cooking and cleaning, and serving people in need? Jesus did too!

7. Enthusiast: Luke 19:37-40 reveals Jesus defending the celebration of His deity. In the law God gave to Moses, the Lord created feasts that included loud music, great food, and celebratory worship. Do you love to party with God at Christian concerts and worship services? Do you enjoy celebrating Him by dancing or singing?

8. Contemplatives: Listen to Christ’s prayer in John 17“As You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Can you hear His contemplation of the mystery of the trinity? Do you love just pondering the character of God? His love? His majesty? His power?

9. Intellectual: In Luke 2:46, we find Jesus sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Jesus, the Living Word of God, studied with the rabbis. Do inductive Bible Study and a good exposition of the Bile simulate you to worship?

This list is not exhaustive. God is infinite, and as a result, we experience His presence in many ways. Rest in how He created you to enjoy being with Him. Maybe you prefer singing Scripture to reading it or meditating deeply on a tiny phrase rather than reading large portions. Variety is vital in every good relationship, and our relationship with God is no different. Meet with Him in various ways at different times. But do come to Him!

What does He invite us to? Rest! Yes, but what kind of rest? For years I’d come to this promise and stop at the end of Matthew 11:28 and beg the Lord to let me sleep or nap or stop spinning plates. Then I wondered why He didn’t seem to be listening to me. I’d ask, not receive, and wonder if God was a promise keeper. But I discovered the problem wasn’t God. He didn’t give a faulty invitation. The problem was me. As James puts it (James 4:3), I was asking amiss. I coveted my concept of rest, but that’s not what Jesus offers.

Jesus offers us a paradox, a holy mystery of abundant living. Listen, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29 – 30). He wants us to rest while we work. To learn to be gentle as we work, not stressed out and impatient (which I so often was and at times still am). Harshness results from hurry. I once heard a Bible scholar say the one word he believes best describes Jesus is unhurried. Are you unhurried?

Unhurried is unworried. When we’re anxious, we’re not resting. Jesus never worried about time. Jairus’s daughter was dying or dead, but instead of rushing off to Jiarus’ house, Jesus stopped to assure a critically ill woman that her faith made her well, not the hem of His robe. She came to Him weary, spent, and completely depleted, but she reached out to touch Him and found rest and restoration. She met the person who took the time to know her personally. Wow! And then Jesus strolled to Jiarus’ to raise his daughter from the dead. No matter how long God seems to take, He is never too late. Can you settle your heart on that reality and learn to work at His pace, not yours? That’s what He’s inviting us to, His “unforced rhythm of grace” (as it’s paraphrased in the Message Bible).

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I’m learning to come to Jesus in more ways and more often than just once a day. I’m learning to listen for His still, small voice and feel the rhythm of Him walking beside me as His easy yoke embraces me to work with Him. I’m being His child and walking with Him. As I do, I’m finding the rest I craved for so long. I’m being His child and walking with Him.

I know this blog is long, but I trust that if you read it unhurried, you will discover and receive the fantastic offer Jesus sets before us every moment of every day!

A song by Sandra McCracken: Come To Me

Revive Us Again: A Prayer for 2023

Faith, prayer, Spiritual warfare / By teri / January 3, 2023 January 3, 2023 / New Year, Prayer, Renewal, revival

Jesus alone is our hope!

We cringe at the darkness descending in our culture. We pray for revival in the world to reverse the evil we see but do we understand revival begins with us, dear sisters?

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Will you join me in humility, prayer, and repentance in 2023?

Abba, we cry out to You.

You are holy and call us to be holy.

May we be women on our faces, dependant on You alone.

May we

Adore You intentionally,

Confess our sins promptly,

Thank You continually, and

Supplicate specifically.

May You graciously revive our hearts so that we will be lights that shine bright in this present darkness.

Amen

Three Benefits of Spiritual Retreats

Faith, Knowing God / By teri / September 21, 2021 July 29, 2021 / fellowship, refocus, Renewal, Resting, retreats

Come apart before you come apart.

A battle rages around us. We forget at times because we don’t hear the explosion of munitions. Yet, the Bible tells us to put on armor, fight a good fight. Paul reminds us that we wrestle not with flesh and blood—but with evil forces of wickedness. This war exhausts even the most skilled soldiers. We all need r and r. We need to heed the voice of our Commander and retreat at times.

Retreating refreshes us. When we check out of our daily routine, the freedom from those demands allows us breathing room. We gain an opportunity to relax, rest, and feed our souls. Most Christian retreats offer speakers who share the Word of God intending to encourage those in attendance. A retreat provides busy moms time and space to process what she’s heard. On most Sundays, those young mamas either train children to be quiet or rush to relieve the nursery staff from caring for their child and then dash home to feed their hungry brood. Young moms aren’t the only ones who benefit from this opportunity. Let’s be honest how often do we take time to consider what our Pastor preaches? I fear many believers rush through daily Bible reading and never let the message sink in. Intentionally coming apart for Spiritual formation allows all of us the time to process truth.

Another invigorating factor for women with families is coming home to a husband and children who appreciate you more. One of my favorite memories occurred after returning from a women’s retreat. “My husband must have seen me pull up in the drive because he stepped out to greet me. With an exhausted look on his face, he said, “I tried to get the kids to pick up. It’s like nailing jello to the wall!”

“Thanks, Honey. I appreciate the effort. Welcome to my world.” I replied with a contented smile.

Retreating connects us. Even if you take a personal retreat or a silent prayer retreat, retreats build relationships. God created us for—and calls us into community. He also calls us to a relationship with Him—and His people. A group retreat accommodates the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships and meet people we may not get to meet otherwise.

One of my most special mentors I only knew because of an annual retreat. That was also the only time I could spend time with her. God used her to teach me the power of praying Scripture, along with several other lessons I’ll never forget. Fellowship, laughter, tears, praying [tg1] , and sharing with others—retreating makes these possible in a way that a Sunday service cannot.

Retreating helps us refocus. One main reason armies retreat is to minimize losses by creating a better strategy. Retreats supply vital reflection time. What am I not doing well? How can I do better? Critical decisions that shaped my life and ministry resulted from attending different retreats through the years.

Rallying the troops also happens in retreats. We don’t fight Spiritual battles alone, and we may be hurting. Retreating provides a safer environment for tending the wounded. It rallies us together to be mindful of the needs present.

Many churches offer both men’s and women’s retreats. Some denominations and fellowships of churches provide various types of retreats, including Christian worker’s retreats. Several family ministries host couple’s retreats to help couples strengthen their marriages.

I attend both a women’s retreat and a Christian workers’ retreat on an annual basis. I also take personal retreats throughout the year as I sense my need to refresh, connect (with God), and refocus. If your church and denomination don’t offer retreats, I bet another local church near you does.
And He (Jesus) said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Mark 6:31

Don’t suffer from battle fatigue, Sister. Retreat!

[tg1]

Need Encouragement? God Gave Us Cheerleaders

celebrations, Community, Faith / By teri / April 6, 2021 August 18, 2021 / flowers, heaven, Renewal, resurrection, spring, storms

New Life!

Dark thunderclouds roll over the hill beyond my house. Soon the rain will burst, and lightning crash. The threat of severe weather brings with it a promise of new life. The shower waters my yard. Soon Irises will blossom, joining the daffodils and tulips that popped up last month. This season reminds us of resurrection power. Listen to the voice of Jesus thunder as He calls Lazarus from the grave.

“I am the resurrection,” he told those gathered at that funeral.

Another cloud gathers in the highest Heaven. It too thunders—but it’s full of light, not darkness.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” Hebrews 12:1

The drops of refreshment that form that cloud will never touch this old earth again. Their testimonies surround us with cheers as they wait for our reunion in the new Heavens and earth.

“I’m here—and you will be too,” cries my dear friend, Judy. She loved me to Jesus forty years ago.

“He is indeed the resurrection,” shouts my pastor, Loyd.

“It’s beautiful beyond words,” Chloris, another mentor of mine, proclaims. Herb, her husband, chimes in, “You can do it! Keep running with Jesus.”

The cheers of resurrected saints who finished the race fill the air. Saints who no longer look through a glass dimly—they behold the Father face to face. These dear brothers and sisters who died in Christ now live in a perfect, loving home. It’s okay to miss them and weep over their absence. But don’t let grief rob you of their encouragement.

A dear friend of mine lost her husband to cancer several years ago. She recently posted a tribute to him on Facebook with a picture of his favorite peony, a bush they had planted together in their yard. For those who don’t know much about plants, peonies grow from tubers, like irises. But instead of a single perennial bloom, peonies grow into a large shrub that looks a lot like a rose bush from a distance. Unlike a rose bush, peonies die back to nothing in the fall. The place they bloomed lies abandoned through the winter.

Then come spring—peonies rise from their winter grave in resurrection glory—what a perfect reminder of my friend’s husband. She rests her heart in knowing he still cheers her on; he’s waiting for her to finish her race well.

^“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

When the heaviness of this life oppresses your soul, look up. Listen. Those who’ve gone before stand at the finish line, calling us on to join them in Heavenly places. Let the new sparkle of leaves and bursting blossoms remind you of the reality of our hope. Open your spiritual ears to the cheers of those who beat you to the finish line; let resurrection power energize your pursuit of the prize.

Father, we praise you for springs reminder. We praise you for raising Jesus from the dead and promising us resurrection power. Thank you for our many mentors and friends who beat us to Heaven. Please, open our ears to their encouragement and our eyes to the glory to come. ~Amen

Waiting . . . 3 Sustaining Practices for the In-Between Times

Faith, Trials / By teri / March 23, 2021 July 29, 2021 / Renewal, Resting, Trials, waiting

Oh Lord, how long?

We struggle with anticipation: enduring school because we want a diploma, longing to get married, staying in a lousy job until a better one comes, expecting a career to take off, anticipating children and grandchildren. These times test our patience and perseverance.

What do you long for God to do? I bet you’ve grown weary with masks and staying at home. Amid my wait for the coronavirus to go away, I did a little history research on the Spanish Flu of 1918. I felt like I was reading today’s headlines; a hundred years ago, the arguments over masks or no masks raged. Here’s the encouragement from history: the pandemic ended. All trials do, but that doesn’t make testing easier. I once believed waiting never gets easy—that it’s the most challenging part of the Christian life—until I discovered three principles that encourage me to abide well.

Rest

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.”

Psalm 37:7-8 esv

The Lord encourages us not only to anticipate Him but to rest in Him. Even when we see no evidence that God is at work—He is. When we see others enjoying whatever we’re longing for, we get frustrated, even envious. This natural, albeit sinful, tendency hurts us. God wants us to experience peace—not anxiety. God gives good things to His children at the perfect time. If we don’t have it yet, it’s because God knows we aren’t ready. Until we believe God is enough, nothing else will satisfy us.

Renew

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31esv

How often do we exhaust ourselves striving for what we desire? Sometimes we even let lesser things satisfy our longing—like the Christian woman who longs for a husband, compromises, and marries an unbeliever. Eagles aren’t hummingbirds; they do not flurry in haste to hover over simple sugar. Their strength depends on the protein of the meat. Eagles hunt from high in the sky. They must soar; to do that, Eagles seek a power greater than their own—the wind. Eagles let the greater power of air currents carry them higher than they could rise on their strength.

We need to renew our minds to the reality that we have limits. We must learn to rely on the Holy Spirit to be the wind beneath our wings. We need humility to embrace our limitations and trust God’s unlimited power to accomplish His will. Often our willingness to compromise leads us into sin. We forfeit the abundance God intends for us to enjoy later. God calls us to good works. He devises lofty dreams and fills hearts with good desires. He calls us to tasks we cannot do on our own, not for our glory, but because He is glorious. In our waiting, let’s renew our strength. Don’t settle for satan’s sweet lies. Feed on Biblical meat. Keep His word. Renew your resolve to mount up and search for God’s best.

Watch

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: . . .He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 esv

Ticking clocks remind us of deadlines that seem impossible; we fret about the lack of progress. Struggling to unlock the front door robs us of seeing God sliding the patio door open behind us. We want our way more than we want God’s direction. Driven by the desire to make something happen, we miss God’s provision and make a mess of things. However, if we faithfully watch for His hand and follow His plan, things unfold with eternal beauty.

According to Scripture, God, who created time, calls us to look beyond our days and remember the bigger picture; His timing is perfect. He remains outside of time unaltered by its passing. In the wait, get your eyes off the clock and watch the eternal present. What good can I do today to prepare for the Day—the Day of His coming? The practice of being present keeps our eyes off the whens and what-ifs of life. Watching what God does today equips us to walk with Him tomorrow. If we remember He’s coming again, then He will find us watching and abiding when the ultimate expectation arrives.

“Behold, I am coming soon,

bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.”

Revelation 22:12 esv

Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come!