Refresh Friday

“If we do but seriously believe the truth of the gospel, and the truth of the life to come, the best things of this world will seem of small moment; and the worst things this world can inflict will seem but of small moment; and the worst things this world can inflict will appear too light to provoke us to impatience or discontent. He that hath everlasting glory in prospect, will have a mind full of contentment in the darkest condition here.

Our home, our country, is heaven, where there are no sorrows, nor fears, nor troubles: this world is the place of our travel and pilgrimage, and, at the best, our inn.”

— Sir Matthew Hale, (1609-1675)

Building 429 – “Where I Belong”

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Believer, I pray that today you know in your heart this world is not your home. Fix your eyes upon God who each day you move closer to being with for eternity!

Psalm 37: A Wise Walk in a Wicked World (Pt. 2)

Psalm 37 is a study in contrasts between the righteous and the wicked. It encourages us to trust in God, devote our lives to Him, and know that He is sovereign. All things will ultimately be resolved by Him, if not immediately then in the final judgment. It’s a content-filled psalm and I’ll be unpacking it in several parts. Enjoy the journey.

Find the whole series in Psalm 37 here.

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⁷ 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!

⁸ Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
⁹ For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

¹⁰ In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
    though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the land
    and delight themselves in abundant peace.

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This section of the Psalm instructs us on right responses for the evil we see.

Be Still

In thinking about what it really means to be still, I closed my eyes and thought how being still or resting in God is like taking a deep breath, letting it out, and giving whatever we are anxious about to Him. It’s like being in your dad’s arms; you’re safe. It’s peaceful. There’s a strong feeling of being protected. Provided for.

Run, Walk, Stop – The Life of a Believer

I’ve been a runner on and off throughout my life. Mostly due to the heavy fatigue from window cleaning, the last three years it has been “off.”

So when I wanted to restart, I knew it was going to be slow. Much slower than I wanted. The Runner’s World plan I found said to start by walking for a month, then start a run-walk combination until eventually you were running more than walking. Sounds simple, right?

Those of you who are runners know that when you haven’t run in a while, restarting can be tough. You can be running fine one minute and have shin splints or muscle aches the next. That means you have to be ready to adjust. You have a few choices:

• Slow your running pace.
• Walk.
• Stop and stretch until you can go again.

It’s so similar really to our life with the Lord!

Refresh Friday

Think about this: “Outwardly, Christ endured one of the most troubled lives ever lived. Storms and turmoil, turmoil and storms — wave after wave broke over Him until His worn body was laid in the tomb.

Yet His inner life was as smooth as a sea of glass, and a great calm was always there. Anyone could have gone to Him at any time and found rest.

Rest is not some holy feeling that comes upon us in church.

It is a state of calm rising from a heart deeply and firmly established in God.”

– Henry Drummond, Scottish preacher and writer (1851-97)

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As the whirlwind of your week wraps up today, I pray you find rest in Him no matter what storms your life holds.

Photo credit: Leonid Afremov