October 15, 2023
What a beautiful world God has created. The fall colors are so vibrant and amazing for mid-October. What a joy it is to see His artwork in nature. I just try to soak it all in. It’s hard to not have a grateful heart when you see all His magnificent glory displayed in nature!
I think we are all a work in progress when it comes to our relationship with our glorious Father. Daily I learn more. Sometimes I am learning what I need to let go of. I’m daily worshipping Him but there are still seasons in my life that I let distractions in. This week I spent many hours reflecting on some heart issues, actually from childhood, that were hindering my heart from fully receiving His love for me. It’s always a refreshing time for me to see areas that are holding me back so I can release them and take another step forward into His heart. Today I am sharing just a few descriptions of my Father, Savior and Comforter and a verse that we all need in these times. I could share until the end of time and never reveal all there is. These are things we have heard and even know but always something to keep before our eyes and “hear” in our hearts every day.
God is the fulfillment of every promise.
He is constant.
He is the Sustainer.
Profound power.
His Presence contains our breakthrough.
In Him most unexpected blessings happen.
Every word from Him is flawless.
He is a shield to those that take Refuge in Him.
Encompasses all we need.
All His working within me will bear fruit.
I am safe in His arms.
He is the only answer to our most significant and seemingly impossible situations.
“Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you'll discover that I'm gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me.” Matthew 11:28-30 TPT
As I read this verse this morning a couple things jumped out to me. They were:
Learn My ways. – That is learning to know Him as a loving Father. Then He says:
I’m gentle, humble and easy to please. Sometimes it’s so easy to fall into the trap of trying to please Him. It’s usually not even conscientiously but just a part of our natural nature.
The word gentle really touched my heart. Ed says the meaning of gentle is – “not holding someone feet to the fire”. That’s so powerful when you think about it. Another natural tendency we have in the flesh with people around us. I looked it up and it means – “subjecting someone to punishment for failing to meet their duties. To pressure or demand that someone lives up to their responsibilities, commitment or agreements.”
In the natural we want to do this with people in our lives. Part of Ed’s marriage ceremony message is 1 Corinthians 13 on love. Love is gentle which means love does not hold your spouse’s feet to the fire. That is huge.
In this verse the Lord is saying, “I am gentle and will not subject you to punishment for failing to meet your duties or pressure and demand that you live up to your responsibilities, commitment or agreements.”
Myself, coming out of a religious background of performance and works, I can unknowingly get into a place where I think I have to do certain things to please Him and that He is watching every move and expects me to live up to these responsibilities and commitments to please Him. Many of us get here without realizing it.
But He says “Learn my ways and you'll discover that I'm gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me.”
What are His ways? He is gentle, not subjecting us to punishment for failing to meet the duties or pressuring us to live up to expectations because He is humble and easy to please.
That was a powerful word for me. Then He says, “You will find refreshment and rest in me.”
That is what everyone is looking for His refreshment and rest in Him. Here is the verse before it.
“You have entrusted me with all that you are and all that you have. No one fully and intimately knows the Son except the Father. And no one fully and intimately knows the Father except the Son. But the Son is able to unveil the Father to anyone he chooses.
“Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.”
Situations in life can cause us to be weary. Our world situation right now. The state of our country. Broken families, financial situations, heart aches, sickness, disease. We each have something that tries to burden us so daily we need to come to Him. He promises us when we do, He will refresh us, be an oasis – a fertile, green area in a desert that has a refreshing water. He is our Shepherd that “makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul;”.
He says, “SIMPLY, join your life with Mine and learn of Me.” It’s simple to be with Him. Why? Because He is gentle, humble and easy to please. No holding your feet to the fire but inviting you to come to Him. He is your oasis and He will refresh you and give you rest. That’s where I have been this week and invite you to be in that place too. It’s the only place to be at this time in history. Without coming to Him you will find no peace in these times of trouble. He is asking you to come to Him, learn His ways and He promises to refresh, be your oasis, be gentle, humble and easy to please. This all brings His refreshment and rest.
What a beautiful world God has created. The fall colors are so vibrant and amazing for mid-October. What a joy it is to see His artwork in nature. I just try to soak it all in. It’s hard to not have a grateful heart when you see all His magnificent glory displayed in nature!
I think we are all a work in progress when it comes to our relationship with our glorious Father. Daily I learn more. Sometimes I am learning what I need to let go of. I’m daily worshipping Him but there are still seasons in my life that I let distractions in. This week I spent many hours reflecting on some heart issues, actually from childhood, that were hindering my heart from fully receiving His love for me. It’s always a refreshing time for me to see areas that are holding me back so I can release them and take another step forward into His heart. Today I am sharing just a few descriptions of my Father, Savior and Comforter and a verse that we all need in these times. I could share until the end of time and never reveal all there is. These are things we have heard and even know but always something to keep before our eyes and “hear” in our hearts every day.
God is the fulfillment of every promise.
He is constant.
He is the Sustainer.
Profound power.
His Presence contains our breakthrough.
In Him most unexpected blessings happen.
Every word from Him is flawless.
He is a shield to those that take Refuge in Him.
Encompasses all we need.
All His working within me will bear fruit.
I am safe in His arms.
He is the only answer to our most significant and seemingly impossible situations.
“Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you'll discover that I'm gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me.” Matthew 11:28-30 TPT
As I read this verse this morning a couple things jumped out to me. They were:
Learn My ways. – That is learning to know Him as a loving Father. Then He says:
I’m gentle, humble and easy to please. Sometimes it’s so easy to fall into the trap of trying to please Him. It’s usually not even conscientiously but just a part of our natural nature.
The word gentle really touched my heart. Ed says the meaning of gentle is – “not holding someone feet to the fire”. That’s so powerful when you think about it. Another natural tendency we have in the flesh with people around us. I looked it up and it means – “subjecting someone to punishment for failing to meet their duties. To pressure or demand that someone lives up to their responsibilities, commitment or agreements.”
In the natural we want to do this with people in our lives. Part of Ed’s marriage ceremony message is 1 Corinthians 13 on love. Love is gentle which means love does not hold your spouse’s feet to the fire. That is huge.
In this verse the Lord is saying, “I am gentle and will not subject you to punishment for failing to meet your duties or pressure and demand that you live up to your responsibilities, commitment or agreements.”
Myself, coming out of a religious background of performance and works, I can unknowingly get into a place where I think I have to do certain things to please Him and that He is watching every move and expects me to live up to these responsibilities and commitments to please Him. Many of us get here without realizing it.
But He says “Learn my ways and you'll discover that I'm gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me.”
What are His ways? He is gentle, not subjecting us to punishment for failing to meet the duties or pressuring us to live up to expectations because He is humble and easy to please.
That was a powerful word for me. Then He says, “You will find refreshment and rest in me.”
That is what everyone is looking for His refreshment and rest in Him. Here is the verse before it.
“You have entrusted me with all that you are and all that you have. No one fully and intimately knows the Son except the Father. And no one fully and intimately knows the Father except the Son. But the Son is able to unveil the Father to anyone he chooses.
“Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.”
Situations in life can cause us to be weary. Our world situation right now. The state of our country. Broken families, financial situations, heart aches, sickness, disease. We each have something that tries to burden us so daily we need to come to Him. He promises us when we do, He will refresh us, be an oasis – a fertile, green area in a desert that has a refreshing water. He is our Shepherd that “makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul;”.
He says, “SIMPLY, join your life with Mine and learn of Me.” It’s simple to be with Him. Why? Because He is gentle, humble and easy to please. No holding your feet to the fire but inviting you to come to Him. He is your oasis and He will refresh you and give you rest. That’s where I have been this week and invite you to be in that place too. It’s the only place to be at this time in history. Without coming to Him you will find no peace in these times of trouble. He is asking you to come to Him, learn His ways and He promises to refresh, be your oasis, be gentle, humble and easy to please. This all brings His refreshment and rest.
