Tag: Matthew 11:28

What Do People See When They Look at You?

On October 14, 2024

Psalm 51:10, 12-13, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (10) Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (12) Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. (13)

What do the lost see when they look at you? Do they see someone who actually lives what he believes? Or do they see a hypocrite? Our daily prayer should start with the verses in this beautiful psalm! The Christian praying these words sincerely cannot help but start off the day on the right track. The believer with a clean heart has already had his time with the Lord and has confessed his sin and repented. (Psalm 119:9) Only in so doing can we experience the true joy of our salvation daily because there is nothing separating us from our God. This does not mean that we lose our salvation each time we sin. It means that our fellowship is once again restored.

A good illustration is when one of my own children lies to me. My child will be punished and our fellowship won’t be the same until it is made right. Until my child confesses to me that he has lied and it is evident that he is truly repentant, the fellowship between us is broken. My heart is broken while our fellowship is broken. It’s not the same between us – he can’t look me in square in the eye and we can’t seem to enjoy that closeness we once had. However, once he repents and asks forgiveness, I can then hug him and that sweet fellowship is once again restored. What a joy it is to be able to fellowship as we once did. He no longer ashamed to look me in the eye and he is confident because he has been forgiven and loved. My son knows that there’s no longer anything that separates us. At any point during this broken fellowship, did my son cease to be my son? Of course not! He was still my son, my flesh and bone – we just did not have the same relationship we had prior to his lying to me. Our fellowship was not the same until he experienced true repentance and asked forgiveness. After he did, he knew that his mother would be waiting to forgive him with opened arms, ready to restore that relationship and provide rest. (Matthew 11:28)

I’ve heard preached that our accounts with God should be kept short – meaning, don’t let a day go by without confessing your sins and being truly repentant. This restores your fellowship with the Lord and all is well. Only then can we be effective soul winners according to Psalm 51:13 and win others to Christ. The lost can spot a hypocrite a mile away. If we try to lead someone to the Lord and our lives are filled with unconfessed sin, our efforts will be in the flesh and not in the Spirit. Just as our children, we must turn to our Heavenly Father and confess our sin to Him. Only then can we be free to witness to others without hypocrisy and without hindrance.

It’s so important that we have a clean heart before the Lord so that we do not hinder His Spirit’s work in the lives of the unsaved. I know that there will be some whom God has placed in my path and that I have not been able to effectively witness to them because I have not been right with Him! I dread the day that I stand before the Lord and He shows me those who are lost for all eternity because I did not take this seriously. Oh Lord, forgive me! Create in me a clean heart, oh Lord, so I may be a better witness for You!!!

O For A Heart to Praise My God
Charles Wesley

O for a heart to praise my God,
A heart from sin set free,
A heart that always feels Thy blood
So freely shed for me.

A heart resigned, submissive, meek,
My great Redeemer’s throne,
Where only Christ is heard to speak,
Where Jesus reigns alone.

A humble, lowly, contrite, heart,
Believing, true and clean,
Which neither life nor death can part
From Christ who dwells within.

A heart in every thought renewed
And full of love divine,
Perfect and right and pure and good,
A copy, Lord, of Thine.

Thy tender heart is still the same,
And melts at human woe:
Jesus, for thee distressed I am,
I want Thy love to know.

My heart, Thou know’st, can never rest
Till Thou create my peace;
Till of mine Eden repossest,
From self, and sin, I cease.

Fruit of Thy gracious lips, on me
Bestow that peace unknown,
The hidden manna, and the tree
Of life, and the white stone.

Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart;
Come quickly from above;
Write Thy new name upon my heart,
Thy new, best name of Love.

Why Worry?

By Kate Plourde

On September 4, 2024

In Devotionals

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. (Psa 127:2)

As we see the day of Christ’s return fast approaching, there is much in the news that would cause a person to worry. But it is worthless, fruitless, empty and unsatisfying when one stays up late and gets up early to worry. I never gained a moment’s pleasure or peace from worrying. The Lord emphasizes in today’s verse how futile it is to worry. In fact, the Lord promises His beloved children rest! (Matthew 11:28-30)

God does not promise this wonderful rest to the unsaved. How do I know that? The verse says that His beloved receive sleep. Remember, the moment we are born again, we become the children of God.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (Rom 8:16)

We are His beloved! A search to the word “beloved” in the New Testament will show that the Scriptures were always referring to the brethren in Christ. The child of God does not have to worry because we have a loving Father who desires that we find rest in Him! That is why today’s verse says it is vain to worry!

Noah Webster defines the word vain as:

Empty; worthless; having no substance, value or importance.Fruitless; ineffectual. All attempts, all efforts were vain.

Empty; unsatisfying. The pleasures of life are vain.

False; deceitful; not genuine; spurious. James 1.

Since I became a mother, so many Scriptures seemed clearer to me. What would I think if my children stayed up nights worrying? I would be devastated if I discovered they were worrying! But most importantly, I would wonder why my child feels he cannot turn those worries over to his parents. I can just imagine how our Heavenly Father feels when we take upon our own shoulders the cares of this world which have not even happened yet. Our Father in Heaven loves us so much and wants so much to provide for us and comfort us. Why do we insist on taking this worry upon ourselves? I have heard that 85% of what we worry about doesn’t even come to past; the other 15% weren’t worth worrying over. The time and effort spent in worrying could easily have been spent in the word and finding comfort there. The Lord has so many golden nuggets in His word that will calm our spirit and fretful heart. We just have to search them out.

Matt. 11:28-30, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (28 ) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (29) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (30)

What better verses can there be that prove God’s character and desire to give us peace? After reading these verses, I decided to do a phrase search for “give rest” and have listed some below. I need not say anything more; let God’s word speak to your hearts!

And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. (Exo 33:14) God’s presence goes with us (His Holy Spirit) and provides rest.

Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. (1 Chr 22:9) We find much rest from the book of Proverbs if we heed its warnings.

That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. (Psa 94:13) The chastened man receives rest from the days of affliction.

Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul. (Pro 29:17) We receive rest when we have corrected our children – they will delight us.

And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,(Isa 14:3) Again, the Lord provides more rest from sorrow and fear.

Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon. (Jer 50:34) Our Redeemer provides rest.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Mat 11:28 ) Jesus, our Redeemer, provides the rest we need.

Dear God…
May I always be looking to You
Until I find comfort in Your care
And rest from my burdens of worry
At Your feet will I lay them there

Peace Through Troubled Times – Fretting

By Kate Plourde

On November 6, 2023

In Devotionals, Peace Through Troubled Times

Psalm 37:1-8 A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. [2] For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. [3] Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. [4] Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. [5] Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. [6] And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. [7] Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. [8] Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

Is it any wonder why people are more fearful these days? They look around and see chaos where there once was calmness. One only look at major cities and see the homeless population. Crime is up, jobs are down, and prices are escalating! All this doom and gloom can be overwhelming to some. So what exactly does one do when the cares of this world seem to take over one’s life? The Bible has all the answers, especially to believers!

The remedy for fear is clearly depicted in today’s Bible passage. There’s a clear outline and I laid it out for you in today’s graphic. The word “fret” starts off our “don’t do’s,” but what exactly does that word mean? I thought it meant not to worry, but not according to Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary.

To be agitated; to be in violent commotion; as the rancor that frets in the malignant breast.

To be vexed; to be chafed or irritated; to be angry; to utter peevish expressions. “He frets, he fumes, he stares, he stamps the ground.

Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary

This definition is not what I expected at all. So God tells His child not to get agitated or have violent disturbances over seeing the sinner prosper. I can think of several circumstances of this type of agitation in my own circle of friends and acquaintances. How does God respond to this? In the very next verse, He tells us that their end will come and they will be cut down. No matter how bad life gets as a result of the evildoers, their time will come. People who give into their fears usually develop anxiety and mental illness. So is it any wonder that from 2007 to 2017, there was a 13% increase in mental health conditions? If you let it go far enough, it can literally disable you!

There has been a 13% rise in mental health conditions and substance use disorders in the last decade (to 2017). Mental health conditions now cause 1 in 5 years lived with disability.
World health organization

The next remedy is to “trust in the Lord”! Proverbs 3:5-6 is an excellent piece of advice from David’s own son, Solomon. There is nothing that happens that God has not already given the “go ahead.” He has allowed the circumstances in your life for a reason: (1) to grow you spiritually, or (2) to teach you a lesson. The conclusion to either one should be to trust Him.

We then come to a somewhat odd remedy and that is to delight oneself in the Lord. Noah Webster said: “Delight is a more permanent pleasure than joy, and not dependent on sudden excitement.” When one has the joy of the Lord in their hearts, one delights in Him. When we delight in Him, He will bless you with the desires of your heart. The desires He gives you will most certainly be according to His will for you.

Committing your way has more emphasis than trust. It means you have no doubt that God will handle whatever situation you have placed in His care. You have entrusted God because you know for a fact that He will provide the answer and fulfill your need according to His will. He is your Jehovah Jireh. (Genesis 22:14) Just as God provided a sacrifice to Abraham to replace Isaac, so will God provide you with what you will need for every situation when you commit your way to Him. Committing to God brings with it a sense of surety knowing without a doubt that God will handle it.

The next remedy is to “Rest in the LORD”! Oh Reader, have you rested in the Lord? Rest is to stop, to be quiet; free of any disturbances in your life. It’s a time of complete reconciliation with God. Jesus told us about this rest in Matthew 11:28. There is no rest for the unbeliever because he has a God-shaped hole in his heart that has been filled with the cares of this world. But to the believer, we can rest in the fact that God’s Word is never wrong! Amen?

Then we are given a gentle reminder not to fret. This ends the remedy. However, now begins the application. No remedy is able to perform its cure if it is never taken or applied. If you’re a believer, you have everything you need at your fingertips.

If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Hymns 2.0 – Amazing Grace

By Kate Plourde

On August 7, 2023

In Devotionals, Hymns 2.0

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind but now I see

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come
This grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home

When we’ve been here ten thousand years
Bright, shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun
John Newton (written in 1772)

The History Behind the Hymn

This is probably the most famous hymn ever. The 250th anniversary of its writing was celebrated just this past January 2023! Its most popular usage is for funerals and it is played using bagpipes. But funerals were not the author’s original intent. When John Newton was part of the slave trading ship, The Greyhound, a tempestuous storm arose. His fear was so great that he cried out to God for help. He actually made a bargain with God that if He would spare his life, he would live the rest of his life working for the Lord. Ironically, Newton had not been raised in a religious home by his father and stepmother. However, his mother taught him the Scriptures before she passed away when he was six years old. He forgot about her teachings but there was “enough there” that God was his first thought when fear gripped his soul. The ship came close to total destruction but by a miracle, it made landfall with Newton with it. As a result, a few years later, he penned the lyrics to this beloved hymn.

A Lesson for Me

Gen 16:13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

The same God who reached down to John Newton during that fitful storm, reached down to me at the lowest point of my life. It was a time of discouragement, loneliness and a despair that reached deep into my soul. With no other way out in my mind, the only choice I thought I had was to end my life. Although unlike John Newton, I did not cry to God for help but yet He saw me, just as He saw Hagar. If you recall, Hagar suffered at the hand of Sarai (Sarah) after Sarai’s plan backfired. Hagar ran away into the wilderness to escape her harsh treatment. Out in that wilderness, God saw Hagar and told her that in her grief she would have a child, Ishmael. Like Hagar, God saw me in my grief! I didn’t know it at the time but He was working in the background – setting His plan in motion for my salvation. He sent my best childhood friend to tell me about His amazing grace! Because of her, I can sing:

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind but now I see

Message for today

We are living in very disturbing times. It seems as though the world has gone mad! Are you in a place where you feel there is no other way to escape but to take drastic measures? You are not alone. God sees you just as He saw Hagar and me! He loves you and does not want you to despair!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world (insert your name), that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever (that’s you) believeth in him (insert your name) should not perish, but (insert your name) have everlasting life.

God will give you peace and rest when you come to Him.

Matt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Once you have known the peace that the Lord gives, you will never want to go back. You then can sing along with me:

When we’ve been here ten thousand years
Bright, shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun