Rest

Devotional – If I Have to, She Should Too

~ Tonya ~ Leave a comment

But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” – Luke 10:40

Jesus’ response of “Martha, Martha” is incredibly well-known and oft quoted, but I’m always fascinated by Martha’s initial complaint. Her demand that Jesus require Mary to pull her weight. How many people in the Bible feel justified to boss around the Son of God? To lay a guilt trip at the feet of the Lord and think it’s going to work? I mean really. Continue reading →

Devotional – Wrong All The Time

~ Tonya ~ Leave a comment

Matthew 11:18-19 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

Back to the same lessons. God keeps bringing me scriptures to drive home this point. So, I’m sorry if I seem redundant to you – I’m only passing along what I feel the Lord keeps showing me. It’s just your bad luck to follow a blog written by an (apparently) slow learner.  Continue reading →

Devotional – Delighted to Know You

~ Tonya ~ Leave a comment

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

I love people. Some of the most fulfilled moments in my life are when I really connect with another human being. That’s probably why it hurts me so much when I feel disliked, judged, misunderstood or outright lied about. Pretty much, I want to be liked by everyone. When it is wholly apparent that someone seems to loathe me, especially when it seems to be for reasons I can neither control nor change, it’s possibly the deepest wound I can bear. It hurts me beyond measure when someone’s aversion to me affects those I love. I really don’t know how to handle it.

You can probably tell, I’m struggling with a personal relationship right now. But you know what? God is faithful. I am not an early bird, but this morning, I awoke at 5 o’clock and couldn’t get back to sleep. I had a rough afternoon yesterday, discovering a duplicity that shocked me, and wrestled with my own emotions for hours before sleep finally came. The battle continued as soon as my eyes opened this morning. I tried to work it off at the gym, but still felt unsettled when I got home. I should have known to go to God first. This verse in Zephaniah (a book I don’t think I’ve ever read before) was like a soothing balm to my soul. As I re-read the verse, God’s love overwhelmed human hatred. I remembered that it really doesn’t matter what someone else thinks. It’s not important. I am precious to the Lord. He delights in me. What an amazing thought! Not just that He knows who I am, or that He occasionally checks in on how I’m doing. He delights in me. This same word (suws) is used in Isaiah 62 to describe a groom delighting in his bride. That’s how highly God thinks of me. Wow.

So really, how can I let the resentments and judgements of one little person affect me if I know I’m all good with God? Later in this passage (vs 19) God talks about dealing with those who oppress me – giving praise and honor where I’ve been put to shame. I am a fixer. It’s what I do. If something is wrong, I want to talk about it – out in the open and deal with it. But sometimes, that just adds fuel to a situation that’s being manipulated already. I need to rest in the knowledge that God has my back. I don’t need to prove my worth, argue my convictions or convince anyone to like me. I just need to respond in love, not allowing anger over the hurt to take hold, realizing that the only One who matters is already delighted to know me.

Oh Jesus, thank you so much for being with me this morning as I struggle with hurt. Thank you for calming my aching heart with your love and showing me (again) that the situations of life are never outside your command. Help me to hold on to your peace thru all conversations – to cling to your word’s promises and not allow the ugliness of revenge and resentment to seep into my relationships.

Devotional – Rest is More Than a Nap

~ Tonya ~ 1 Comment

Exodus 33:14 – And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

God gave me a perfect scripture this morning. It is amazing to me that just about every day since I began having a quiet time with the Lord, there has been something I’ve read that seems to be placed in the Bible just for me.

I have been feeling tired the past couple days. No, exhausted is closer. Yesterday afternoon, I was sitting in my daughter’s playroom while she was making me some imaginary food and then suddenly she was leaning over me saying “Mommy are you sleeping?”. I had fallen deeply into sleep sitting up on her very uncomfortable IKEA couch. Yeah. I’m not sure if I’m getting sick, or if the 5am wake-up is getting to me since the past couple days I’ve been late-to-bed. Whatever the reason – I want rest. Voilà! In my devotional this morning, I read a scripture about God’s presence being with me and providing me with the very rest I am aching for. I know I’ve said this before, but how DOES God do that?

More than just sleep, rest has much deeper meaning. It can mean to sit fixed or supported, to be free from anxiety or disturbance, or just to cease from action or motion, to refrain from exertion. God’s rest is a calming influence in my life. To know that He is with me, allows me to lean on His support and not have to use my own power. Resting in His care is relaxing, comforting and peaceful. Sleep is what I think I want, but rest is what I actually need. Life gets crazy and I tend to overbook my days. My proverbial candle is most definitely burning at both ends. God is reminding me today that His rest is an important component of my life, and I need to make time for it.