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Listen while you read: "Beautiful Isle Of Somewhere"1 (Lyrics) |
I'll never forget the summer I helped a local farmer pick watermelons. The workday at my regular place of employment ended at 3:20 p.m., so I had plenty of daylight to burn before dark. This particular summer, I chose to spend those hours making extra money in the watermelon field. The late afternoon humidity, combined with soaring temperatures, was almost unbearable. Added to this were the weeds, some as tall as me, that prevented me from feeling even the slightest breeze sneaking through the baked field. Pick up, hurl onto the truck; pick up, hurl onto the truck: my actions were repeated for four hours every day. By the time I arrived home for a shower and bed, I could barely move. I was weary and burdened.
Unfortunately, there have also been times when my weariness and burdens flowed in the spiritual realm.
Matthew 11:28,30 – Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." (NLT)
Andy Griffith once remarked that while rules were good, they sometimes get in the way. Jesus accused the religious leaders of burdening the people with a bathtub of rules that didn't cleanse them nor make their lives enjoyable. Rules are important, but obeying them isn't what gains me acceptance with God and gets me into heaven. A relationship with Christ does this. Having rules imposed from outside sources gives me no inner motivation to obey. However, when Christ enters my life, He gives me an inner desire to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, nor do they make me weary. Obeying the One Who gave His all for me is enjoyable because I've had a change of heart and mind. As God's child, I'm forgiven and accepted. I don't have to work to get Christ inside of me — He's already there. I only have to permit Him to work through me.
Are you weary of obeying legalistic rules that weary and burden you? Learn to rest in Christ.
Prayer: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for freely giving us what won't weary or burden us and what we could never earn by our best of efforts. Amen.
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daughter: "Update May 12, 2025: Please keep praying for my daughter. She needs the Lord in her life*** April..." 
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Good message Martin,
I needed to hear that today.
Dear Martin,
Thank you for a refreshing and great devotion today.
Good reminder Martin. Praise God, our burdens are lifted when we cast all our cares upon Jesus!
Blessings.
Dear Martin:
Thanks so much for your lovely words of truth. When I became a Christian, and even now, I have a wonderful sense of freedom that is only explained in Christ.
God bless you.
Ephesians 2:8-9 and Galatians 2:20 come to mind. If we do not have the “Want to want to allow Jesus…” we are in trouble because sooner or later the devil – or our ego – is going to have us reach out to something that Jesus is not a part of, or wants.
Hence why we so often see those of us who are under pressure making bad decisions because they come from selfish desires that are not rooted and submitted to God in their heart of hearts. Hence why I am not an international speaker or hero of some sort!
Zachariah 4:8 has been a life saver for me, to stop me stressing of my desired outcomes.
It’s a bit like AA, we just have to take it a day at a time and be thankful that today we have got it right, or at least submitted it into Jesus’ higher will and judgement. Whilst falling off the wagon is painful, because it offends our egos, Jesus’ love is greater and able to redeem even the most profound mistakes. Yes, we live with the consequence of our actions, but God loves to snatch us out of the fire, again. How burnt do we have to get before we can trust God to get it right in us?
Martin, What a well-written description of our unburdened rest in Him – if we allow Him to do His work in us.
Thank you for sharing these meaningful thoughts with us, your readers.
God bless.
Dear Mr. Wiles.
Yes, Christ is in you because in faith you have opened the opened the door when he knocked.
Thanks for a message of the good news:
Rules are important, but obeying them isn’t what gains me acceptance with God and gets me into heaven. A relationship with Christ does this. Having rules imposed from outside sources gives me no inner motivation to obey. However, when Christ enters my life, He gives me an inner desire to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, nor do they make me weary. Obeying the One Who gave His all for me is enjoyable because I’ve had a change of heart and mind. As God’s child, I’m forgiven and accepted. I don’t have to work to get Christ inside of me