Sabbath Psalms - Burdens and Cares

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and God will sustain you;

The Lord will never let the righteous be shaken. (NIV)

Everybody I know has a care, worry, anxiety, or burden that they carry each day. Being human, we experience a lot of stress trying to endure these critical times. Sometimes our cares are about family or friends who are ill, injured, or having issues. Other times, our burdens are for the world we live in, because of wars, famines, and natural disasters.

Today’s highlighted Bible verse reminds people of faith that God helps us to endure each day, each crisis, and each critical time. We are not left on our own or abandoned to the whims of capricious leaders or unexpected events. God’s purpose for the world cannot be thwarted; God’s justice in the world will prevail. As the old saying goes, “Kingdoms may rise and leaders may fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

Whatever you are currently experiencing or going through, please know that God is mindful of what’s happening and can still be relied upon in the midst of your troubles, worries, and problems. As the wise psalmist wrote long ago, “Cast your cares on God and the Lord will sustain you.”

Point to ponder: What burdens am I carrying right now? Am I willing to share them and fully hand them over to God?

Prayer: Lord God, You know everything about us – our weaknesses and worries, our concerns and circumstances, our anxieties and issues. Help us to place them, as well as ourselves, into Your loving hands. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Short devotion: Setting Me Aside - Psalm 34:4

 

Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. (NIV)

We live in anxious times and I suspect that many of us, including me, are just glad to get through each day. There’s so much uncertainty in the world and it’s affecting each one of us. We don’t know what lies ahead and, after three years of instability, we may wonder if things will ever change for the better. It’s been a tough time to endure and we’re weary, even in Churchworld.

When I came across today’s verse in my daily readings, it reminded me to seek God in order to cope with my fears. Far too often, when I’m faced with difficulties, I offer up a rocket flare of a prayer to God, asking for strength to sustain me, as well as a timely solution to my problem. It’s not an ideal way to build any solid relationship with God, for it causes me to treat Him as my personal spiritual paramedic and individual issue solver. In other words, I’m only using God for special emergencies.

Seeking God, on the other hand, takes time. It requires me to stop what I’m doing in order to have a deep conversation with God. I get so used to rushing my prayers that I forget Whom I’m actually addressing. However, when I intentionally set aside my busyness or anxiety, and patiently explain to God what I feel or fear, I humbly listen for His counsel, wisdom, and teaching. Because I focus on God and not me, my fears subside and my anxieties diminish.

I think this is why Jesus invites all of us to come to Him when we’re weary or burdened. It takes time, as well as personal intent, to respond to such an invitation. Christ means us to use it as a relationship-builder with Him, and not as a problem solver for us. He wants us to seek the Lord, be given His answer, and then be delivered from all our fears.

Point to ponder: What is currently making me most anxious? Am I willing to seek the Lord and take time to talk to Him about it?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know us so well and are fully aware of what is presently troubling us. You’re waiting for us to set aside time to let You know how we feel, so that You can embrace us in the midst of our fears, hearken to our issues, and offer Your counsel. Teach us to pray again and to trust You completely. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can see what’s happening at the church by viewing its website at www.erinpres.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest winter drawings called “Snow Moon.” You can view a larger version at this link: Snow Moon.

Devotion about prayer: Before the Altar - 2 Kings 19:14

2 Kings 19:14             Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. 

            Sometimes it’s not good to be king. Take Hezekiah, for instance. A faithful and wise ruler, who sought to please God and bring peace to his people. Throughout most of his reign things were going well, and then the Assyrian army shows up and besieges the city of Jerusalem, threatening to destroy everything and everyone in it. Ouch! So much for being faithful to God.

            Hezekiah knew that the Assyrians were powerful. He understood that they could overrun Jerusalem and overwhelm the people. He was also under no delusions about his own fate when the city was defeated – the Assyrians would put him in chains and cut out his eyes, making him a laughing stock to the haughty Assyrian leaders and humiliated before his own people.  In other words, for Hezekiah, it was not good to be king.

            But the old ruler knew of a power greater than the Assyrian army; he had faith in his Almighty God. The king believed in the LORD of hosts who could destroy Judah’s enemies and deliver the people of God. So Hezekiah took the ultimatum letter he had received from the Assyrian general and placed it on the altar in the temple. He sincerely and humbly appealed to God for the deliverance of the people. He expressed to God that the Assyrians had insulted the LORD and that they deserved to be punished. He placed the letter before God to let Him see what was written. He prayed from his breaking heart and the LORD for help. As king, he could have negotiated a peace which may have allowed him to escape, but his people would have been enslaved. Instead, Hezekiah took the matter directly to God and asked Him to intervene. This wasn't a gamble; this was a real act of faith which God honored.

            We all carry burdens in our hearts and worries in our minds. Perhaps we should write down our problems, issues, and fears, and then present what we've written to God. Sometimes the writing down of what we feel clarifies the problematic situations we are experiencing. By giving them wholly over to God and seeking His help, we may begin to turn those circumstances around in positive and effective ways. As long as we are willing to pray, God is always ready to listen.

Questions for personal reflection

What is currently worrying me the most? Am I willing to completely hand over this worry in prayer, or do I keep cradling it in my heart?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You once taught that people should not be anxious about tomorrow because there are enough problems to deal with today. You were teaching Your followers and us that the future is in God’s hands, so we should concentrate on what is presently happening. Help us to come to You today with our worries and concerns, issues and problems. Grant us the courage to leave them in Your care. Guide us throughout today. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest snowman drawings called “Best Buddies.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Buddies.

Church devotion: Making Better Decisions - Joshua 9:14

Joshua 9:14    The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD.

Most of the serious mistakes that I make usually occur because I do not ask God what He thinks about my choices before I make a decision. I foolishly follow my own course and, like Rear Admiral Grace Hopper once said, if it turns out to be a bad choice, I ask for forgiveness later. You would think that my life experience by now would have shown me the folly of leaving God out of my major decisions. Regrettably, it still happens. I still make impulsive choices and end up looking to God to forgive me and mend the situation.

Today’s story from the Book of Joshua Chapter 9 describes an incident where the Israelites were deceived by the Gibeonites and completely taken in by their cunning plan. Instead of going to God for guidance, the Israelites believed the Gibeonites’ story and swore an oath not to harm them. It was a mistake that would have dire consequences for centuries on both communities. If the Israelites had consulted God, He would have told them about the deception and there would have been no peace treaty sworn between the peoples. However, because the Israelites made the treaty sacred by swearing an oath in God’s Name, they had to keep the agreement. To do otherwise would have been to discredit their own word, as well as profaning and dishonoring God.

Perhaps you are going through some critical times and face some serious issues. Maybe you need to make an important decision that will affect the rest of your life. Whatever it may be, take this from today’s lesson: sincerely ask God about it first and seek His guidance. He will help you find the necessary and effective solution.

Questions for personal reflection

Is there something that is weighing heavily on my mind? Have I truly asked God for His thoughts and guidance about it? When will I make time to do so?

Prayer:            Lord God, You see all that goes on in our lives and watch the ways that we take. Help us to put You at the center of our choices and decisions, especially when the consequences will be life changing. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask a question about today’s message, please send an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s drawing is one of my popular Mackintosh type flower images. It’s called “Dragon-Eyed Dahlia.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7354/9337564045_c4476a5a54_b.jpg