How’s Your Heart Today, My Friend?

I wish I could chat with each of you over a cup of coffee or tea and hear your answer to this question: “How’s your heart today?”

Are you feeling like you’ve been through the wringer? Like you’ve been doing battle too long? Like your faith has been stretched as far as it can go, and now it’s being stretched further? Believe me when I say, “I empathize.”

Thankfully the pandemic restrictions are lifting, but pressures of other sorts continue. Not the least of these is the prospect of sorting, packing, and moving our office in the same month I’d reserved to write my next devotional under deadline. I wish I could say we have a new location secured, but alas, there’s nothing on the horizon yet. Only God knows how this is going to work so I can meet my obligation.

Jesus offers soul-rest

As I prayed about my concerns this morning, the Holy Spirit brought these words to mind:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)

I reminded myself that nothing comes into the lives of God’s children without His permission. He is either sovereign over all or not at all. His intent toward us is always good and never meant to harm or destroy. We find rest for our souls when we rest in Jesus.

I also reminded myself that God deserves thanksgiving and praise not only when circumstances are easy or stress-free. He deserves our worship at all times, but it’s in the hard places—when we sacrifice our questions and our wills on the altar of surrender—that our worship honors Him most. In that place, worship moves our focus from our circumstances to Him. In that place, worship changes us.

Keys to a restful heart

Our Creator knows our tendency to worry and crave control, so He gives us everything we need to experience freedom. Christ’s invitation, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,” is one of the keys He has handed to us.

Developing a thankful attitude for God’s promises, for all He’s done in the past, and for all He will do in the future, is another.

A third is praising God for who He is. He isn’t some ego-centric god needing our affirmation. He’s the living and true God who’s faithful and good all the time. Because He is who He is, we  bring Him our prayer concerns but we preface them with thanks and praise.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.” (Psalm 100:4-5 NLT)