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Respite For the Weary
Have you ever wondered what God's favorite colors are? Greens and Blues? Reds and yellows? Maybe its all the colors of the rainbow? Or maybe its every single color, with every shade and hue. After all, he created each one with his perfect imagination!
From the beginning of Christmas Morning, I was asking God himself to pick his choice colors for the pages of this children's book. I personally see in black-and-white words, so my creativity in the world of art is close to nothing. I knew this story needed God's divine touch in order for it to come to life.
As I was praying this specific request, I also "happened to be" in the book of Exodus in my daily Bible reading plan. And it is in these pages that I found three (if not four) of his "favorite" colors! Over and over again, God chose these colors:
You shall make the tabernacle with the tent curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns... Exodus 26:1
And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen...Exodus 26:31
You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen... Exodus 26:36
Contextually, God is instructing Moses how to decorate the tent of meeting--a place where his presence would reside among his chosen people while they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Figuratively, my heart's desire is for God's beautiful truth to reside on every page of Christmas Morning.
So there you have it! Blue and purple and scarlet became my color scheme, hand picked by the Divine Decorator himself! And to add to it, the fine twined linen is the white line that is intentionally drawn throughout most all the pages of Christmas Morning. (I wrote about the meaning of this white line in my previous post: https://www.respitefortheweary.com/post/the-making-of-christmas-morning-backstory-and-the-white-line. .
Here is one more fun and awesome fact-- another word was repeated in these same chapters of Exodus:
They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Exodus 25:10
You shall make a table of acacia wood. Exodus 25:23
You shall make upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. Exodus 26:15
Now, can I remind you that my illustrator's name is Acacia? I don't believe in coincidences. I do believe in God's intimate and intentional instruction toward his dependent and faith-filled children. Acacia, who also happens to be my daughter-in-law, is the person who God has appointed to bring Christmas Morning to life through his sweet and holy touch. I am amazed at how he is working through her!
God is in this book. His glory is what I want to come out of every page, every word, and every stroke of color.
I could go on and on, but instead, I will stop here and say, "Stay tuned."
There is more to come in the making of Christmas Morning...
We love, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
For much of my young adult life I can compare my journey of faith to someone who is running on a treadmill; however, the treadmill itself is not turned on. This one factor, of course, creates a completely unnecessary struggle. To compare this thought to my spiritual life years ago, it was as if I was operating from a value that was (is) indeed true, but it was out of order. I would say, step by legalistic step: "I love God, I love God, I love God...", and trudge obediently through God's commandments in order to to earn something that was actually already mine. It wasn't until I fully understood that God loved me first, that the treadmill of my faith flipped on. The moment this happened, I began running in freedom, saying to myself, "God loves me! God loves me! God loves me!"....And then from this reality, the next flowing words to the world, "God love you! God loves you! God loves you!"It's hard for me to say it better than God, so as you read these verses, allow the Lord to speak to your heart with His pursuing love. HE is the Initiator of your relationship!Here is His love letter:"He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me." Psalm 18:16-19 The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.'" Jeremiah 31:3 "I have called you by name; you are Mine!" Isaiah 43:1 Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you...". John 15:16 And Jesus prayed... I ask "that they may all be one, even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that You sent Me." John 17:20-21 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take eat; this is My body.” Matthew 26:26 God knew what it would take for us to be in a holy relationship with Him--the sacrifice of His perfect Son--His life for ours. It was God's idea; He initiated it, and then followed through with it. Jesus came for us! It was His steadfast love that drove Him forward for your sake and mine.Today, as we are in the midst of Holy Week as well as a pandemic, take time to thank the Lord for His pursuit. Believe, even in the midst of this chaotic time, that what He has to offer you is indestructible.Allow Him to "turn your treadmill on" as He whispers these holy and personal words to your heart, "I love you! I love you! I love you...first!"Now, run to the world.God, You are the Initiator, Thank you! I am humbled by Your pursuit. I have done nothing to deserve it, yet You still came. Continue to chase me when I wander; catch me, hold me. Please keep me secure as You have promised. Again, thank You for the Origin of love that started in heaven then passed through hell to get to me. Amen.
My daughter Emmy just started her first job as a registered nurse this past October. Little did she know that several months later, her floor would be designated as one of the two COVID floors in her hospital; however, God knew it. I am confident He is with her each time she enters a patient's room.Because Emmy lives with Mac and me, she is somewhat quarantined to the upstairs for now. (We practice social distancing at the stairwell often). We decided that I would bring her things to eat and drink so that she would not have to enter the kitchen. Because of this routine, I wash, rinse, and dry my hands multiple times throughout the day.I bet your hand-washing has increased in the last few weeks as well.With this health-conscious activity that is already going on in your home, I invite you to accept this simple yet powerful challenge: while washing your hands for the recommended 20 seconds...pray.Let's utilize this time standing still at the sink for the greater good. As your hands are underneath running water, you have the ability to say words to an all powerful God that will go beyond the walls of your home. It's your way, and my way, of contributing to both the care of our spiritual hearts and also the defeat of this physical virus. While others are on the frontline, we can be their strong support through prayer.Because God is lovingly concerned about our deepest issue, which is the condition of our heart, let's start our twenty-second-praying there. He says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick" (Jeremiah 17:9). So let's pray these three things:
Choose to pray as your stand still for twenty seconds at the sink. Do this seven times in a row, and it will become a habit, right? I'm doing it now, and it is a game changer for me. I feel like I'm actually contributing something in this battle!Believe these short meaningful prayers will have profound implications for you, for those you love, and for the world. Become a prayer warrior because the people on the frontline need you, and so do the patients. Commit; persevere; fight the good fight. Remember, you are talking to Almighty God several times a day... He's listening ....He's responding .... believe you are making a difference...because you are.
I want to share a post I wrote for an on-line ministry called Soul Sisters. If you think you would like this type of a daily devotional and a community of women of faith, I invite you to join us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/752566431555141/?ref=shareWednesday, March 18God of WondersOh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders. 1 Chronicles 16:8-9Heartbeat of God, page 155In our header verse God gives us some instructions to follow concerning His wonderful works:we are to give thanks,we are to call upon His name,we are to make known His deeds,we are to sing praises, andwe are to speak of all His wonders.Today, let's simply obey His word. Instead of allowing our minds to enter into and dwell on this current world-wide panic, let's stop and refocus our gaze on the Lord. What are things in His creation (or in your own personal life) that you consider a wonderful work of God? The list is limitless for both of us. Here are a few topics to get your mind going:a wonder in His vast creationa wonder in a miraculous healinga wonder in a "chance" meetinga wonder in a person's unique giftinga wonder in a new believer.After lots of thinking, I have picked the wonder of God's...sunrise.Since the beginning of creation, the sun has "risen in the east and set in the west." The radiance and consistency of God's sun declares His beautiful faithfulness on the behalf of His people.The thing is, when we stop and consider the wonders in His world, it will all too often leads us to think about the wonders in His word. For example, the rising of the sun helps me to remember the rising of the Son! Jesus broke through the darkest of dark and He consistently brings light to my sometimes very weary soul each new day--now that is a wonder all on it's own!Today, let's refix our gaze. Let's turn from diseased-ridden thoughts to God of Wonder praise. Pick something to speak or sing about and make it known to us on Soul Sisters or to a friend face to face. What in God's world amazes you? Or, has He performed a "wonder" in your life that you can share with thanksgiving? Who knows, our voluntary praise to the God-who-is-in-control may just be a contributing factor in snuffing out the evil in this world.So friends, allow the Son to rise today... through you.For further reading: Lamentations 3:22-24; Psalm 33:6-9; Job 37:14; Psalm 1:3; Philippians 2:15; Matthew 7:24-27; Psalm 111:2-4God, You are the God of Wonders. You are wonderful in Your works and You are wonderful in Your word! Show us how these two things intermingle so that Your creation speaks truths to our hearts. Awaken our sleepy eyes to the things around us that are truly amazing. Stir our forgetful minds to remember marvelous things You have done for us in our personal lives. As a result, may we each praise You with a new song in our soul. Great are You Lord! Amen.
I want to extend a welcome invitation to each of you to a retreat that I will be speaking at the first weekend in April. It is called Restore Moms Retreat and it is open to any mom of any age. (That means grandmothers are invited too!).Here are more details from Lisa Samford, the founder of Restore Moms:"Restore is a Christian moms retreat, founded on Matthew 11:28, 'Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.' The goal of the 3 day retreat is to help moms find restoration through Jesus and community with other moms."All inclusive: Meals, lodging, worship, guest speakers, play and relaxation for only $250.
Main Speaker: Chris Baxter
Event Dates: Friday, April 3 (4pm) through Sunday, April 5 (noon)
Event Location: Camp Garner Creek/ 700 Sam Hollow Rd/ Dickson TN 37055
Register today: RestoreMomsRetreat.com
Questions: RestoreMomsRetreat@outlook.com
I hope to see some of you in April!
I came across a great passage on prayer through my current devotional book called Forty Days of Prayer by Kit Cummings. Here are the verses and some of my thoughts:
The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
"Alas, Sovereign Lord," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am too young."
But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am too young,' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you.," declares the Lord.
The the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:4-10In the above passage, God and Jeremiah are dialoging with each other. Before I write about anything else in this post, let us remember that prayer is not merely a one way conversation in which we are the only ones talking; rather, He too has something to say to us. He speaks to us every day through His word and His spirit. So, let's use the words above as His dialogue not only to Jeremiah, but also to our very own hearts today. What is the Lord saying through His living and active words? Here are a few things I "hear" that are for you and for me. God says:
We are today's Jeremiah. (We are also today's David, today's Samuel, today's Moses, today's Ruth, today's Esther...for such a time as this!) Allow God's interaction with these people of old to be the inspiration for His appointed purposes in you TODAY. What He said to them in the past, is now for our hearts in the present. Let's continue to bring all our prayers to Him, big and small, but also, let's hang around long enough to hear His words back to us. What is He asking you to do today for His name sake? Write a note to a friend? Make a meal for a neighbor? Visit a widow?
Reread the list above and walk forward in obedience with great faith. And let me remind you, God is just as pleased with a note of encouragement to one person as He is with someone speaking to the masses. Both are important callings, but He never "keeps count" of what's "more worthy" the way we humans tend to do. He sees the heart and smiles at our devotion to Him. (Think of the widow's mite found in Luke 21:1-4).
Let's all be today's Jeremiah. Dialogue with God, receive His incredible promises, and then do something for Him...today.
I have a friend who expressed how she wished that her family could somehow all be "on the same page" with each other. Oh how I want that for my family as well! I'm sure you may feel this longing about your loved ones, or your co-workers, or even the people you serve with in ministry.
One way to bring about strong unity is through consistent prayer for one another. I have written short Scripture-based prayers for this very purpose. Here are 2 of 365 examples:
Counselor. I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you (Psalm 32:8). Dear Lord, You know the best path for each of us. Keep our eyes fixed on You. Give us willing hearts to trust and obey Your guidance as we step forward in faith each new day.
Peace. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you; do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid (John 14:27). Dear Lord, Your peace is truly the only real rest for our souls. Everything else is a temporary anesthetic. By your Spirit, breathe into us a divine calmness, not to sedate us to inactivity, but to inspire us to share Your incomprehensible peace with the world.
If you would like to receive these prayers in your email, then please subscribe to "Daily Prayers" on my website: http://www.RespitefortheWeary.com. Ask your family members, co-workers, or ministry partners to subscribe as well so that you and "your people" can claim the same name of God and bible verse over each other on a daily basis.
God's name and Word are powerful. Claim it together and receive His blessing.
There's no better place to be than on His Same Page.
After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them saying, "Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it." Acts 13:15
Dear Lord,
If we have any word of encouragement to give to our brothers and sisters, help us to say it. Open our mouths with the hope that is found in you. May we be your vessels, poured out, bringing your life-giving words to many. Amen.