Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Mei Lan Thallman (Grace Covenant Church), was originally posted on August 14, 2014.
Devotional Thoughts for Today
“Finding Rest in Him”
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Worn out from a busy ministry and a family responsibility that comes with caring for two young children, I was really looking forward to this summer break. Signs of physical, emotional and spiritual fatigue started to hit me hard. My mind racing with worries, responsibilities and anxieties, I would wake up from my sleep even more exhausted. In my desperation, I cried out to God for help! “Daddy God, please help me. I cannot go on like this anymore.” He lovingly responded to my desperate plea by inviting me to come to Him and drink deeply from his truth (living water for my dry and weary soul) from Matthew 11:28-30.
As I came to Him, I had to humble myself to face my own neediness and emptiness. And I had to shift my focus from myself and my circumstances, to God and Him alone; a shift from striving to survive in my own strength, to receiving His love, grace and power. In coming to Him, God’s rest began to permeate and penetrate my whole being because I was in His presence, in His love, and in His control.
When I started to consider what it meant to take up His yoke and learn from Him, this is what I discovered: Before I can take His yoke, I must be willing to surrender myself and allow Him to be the Lord of my whole life. That means I am no longer in control, for I surrender to His control, His leading, and His use of my life 24/7. I must also entrust all that is dear in my heart to His yoke, His lordship, which includes my loved ones, my ministry, my burdens, my anxieties and my responsibilities. The amazing thing is that laying it all down enables me to find rest and freedom in His unconditional love, and He gives all sufficient grace to accomplish everything that He has called me to do. I can find rest for my soul because I know whose I am. He is a dependable and trustworthy Father who will see me through, and when needed, He will lovingly make me lie down and rest.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You that I can come to you any time to receive, refocus, and realign myself under Your yoke (Your lordship) over my life. Teach me how to enter into Your rest and stay there by believing, trusting and relying on You. When I start to go astray, as I often do, please lead me back by the power of Your Holy Spirit.
Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 11
Lunch Break Study
Read Psalm 91:1-16: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.
Questions to Consider
- In Psalm 91:1-2, resting in the shadow of the Almighty is promised to whom?
- What practical steps can you take daily to dwell (hangout) with God?
- What are the benefits of dwelling with God according to Psalm 91:9-16?
Notes
- This was initially promised to Moses (See Ps. 91). This type of psalm that depicts God’s comfort and protection foreshadowed the ultimate comfort and protection found in Christ, meaning this is a promise for us as well.
- There is no substitute for an unhurried time with God, and it is a must. Jesus himself practiced this constantly. Mark 1:33 states (NIV), “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
- The benefits are: God’s protection and rescue, answered prayers, and longevity.
Evening Reflection
What differences have you noticed in your life as you consciously work on going to Jesus throughout the day, and allowing His presence to carry you, sustain you, and empower you?