“May I rest here a moment”, asked the tree?
“Certainly”, replied the rock.
The tree placed it’s hand-root upon the rock. Fifty years later it was still there.
Have you given yourself a time to rest in the LORD?
He is the rock of our salvation.
Psalm 62:6
He said to them, “Come with me privately to an isolated place and rest a while.”
Mark 6:31a NIV
Jesus our rock tells us to rest. Enter His rest. Be restored. Are we doing those things? They are all to our benefit.
Recently I came across something that said I need a mind that is peaceful, still, serene and quiet. That led me to the idea that all those things are promised in Scripture. I would imagine you could use a mind like that also? Here are some passages and images that might help you get to that state of mind.
You will keep in perfect peace
Isaiah 26:3 NIV
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you.
Another version reads “Whose mind is staid on you.” Staid as in fixed. Read that again and just sit with it a moment. Those of us who are familiar with the Bible tend to run right past the verses we think we know. Can you live this verse?
The mind that is still.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
Psalm 46:10a
It is easy to read or say “be still” but can you do it? Still yourself. Quiet yourself. Even sit still for an extended period of time? Dan Harris, former ABC news anchor, now heads up 10% Happier, an app based on his best selling book. He says even one or two minutes of stillness can make a huge difference. Take a pause right now to try that.
The mind that is serene. That brought me to two different passages. If you read Psalm 23 you begin to realize how serene life with the Shepherd can be. Though there may be dangers and enemies, He is able to keep His sheep. Philippians 4 with emphasis upon verse 8 came out on top though! It gives us very clear instruction about our mind and what to do with it!
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:4-8 NIV
We CAN take captive our thoughts to Christ Jesus. No, it is not simple, but oh so very worthwhile! Think about such things!
And finally we are urged to have a mind that is quiet. It is exhausting to have a busy, busy mind. Here is help for that situation. But you must DO it.
But I have calmed and quieted myself,
Psalm 131:2 NIV
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.
Andrew Johnson has a guided meditation on the Insight Timer app entitled “Favourite Place of Relaxation.” I have used it often and usually leads me to a new place with Christ.
This time spent in guided meditation began with a gauzy gray scene, no distinct things to see; then fragrance of a banquet, then full color image of the Lord presiding and directing me to the table.
I remembered the verse “He welcomes me into His banqueting table, His banner over me is love.”
He bid me gather His finest foods, roasted meats, potatoes and onions, grapes, refreshing fruits. All for sharing with His people. All for my nourishment and growth in Spirit. I gathered them into the basket I was carrying.
He loves me. He tells me to return often. To take as much as I can carry. To be at peace knowing how much I am loved. As are you. Rest in that all encompassing love today. Feast with the Lord.
Song of Solomon 2:4
He has brought me to His banquet hall, And His banner over me is love.
The Insight Timer app is free. Click on the link if you want to try this mediation for yourself.
https://insighttimer.com/andrewjohnson/guided-meditations/favourite-place-of-relaxation
May the Lord bless you as you draw ever closer to Him in your daily life.
We don’t have to pretend to be fine when we are not. We don’t need to push through and be strong. Gratitude is a soft landing place that requires us to be honest, open, and willing to look at everything we’re facing and not turn away.
Alex Elle
I find that quote really powerful. The tremendous freedom in it! Gratitude “REQUIRES us to be honest, open, and willing to look at everything we’re facing and not turn away.”
A dear friend of many years suffered a fall a couple months ago. She shattered several bones. The pain was tremendous. She was hospitalized, then nursing care, then yet another nursing home/rehab situation. It must have been very hard to look at everything she was facing and not turn away. I know she was relying upon the Lord in this grueling recovery situation. The pain still has not gone, but she is coping. I did not learn about her situation until recently. I would have liked to pray for her especially during the worst of it. I know she prayed for me during the worst part of my life years ago. After that fall, the image of a soft landing place could be comforting.
A neighbor recently had a bout of falling. Her son thought it was from her back pain and perhaps too many meds. She was taken by life squad to the hospital. In reality it was Addison’s disease with severe dehydration. She was in intensive care for several days. We lifted her in prayer plus her son and husband. She is hom02e now and doing well. I wonder if she knows that gratitude soft landing place?
As I draw closer to the Holy One, unhealed things rise to the surface. Lately I have been sorting through some feelings and stumbling blocks that tend to trip me up. I have suffered emotional scarring from several situations with women over my 70+ years. Part of me says, “get over it,” and part of me says “the wounds are still there.” This wounding keeps me from engaging with other women freely. There is always a huge part of me held in reserve. Most of it began in my childhood from my family of origin. Hard to believe those wounds are present so any years later! The LORD knows all my scars and has recently helped me heal another layer. He could not help me if I turned away and refused to face the wounds.
All of this has led me to a place of deeper gratitude. Nothing in our life can be taken for granted. Also, everything can eventually become a source of praise.
“We don’t have to pretend we are fine when we are not. We don’t need to push through and be strong.” I had to ask the LORD for help.
Search me, God, and know my heart;
Psalm 139:23-24 NIV
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Help me turn every discomfort to You. Show me the cause and help me give it to You for healing. Whether I am in pain emotionally, physically, or spiritually You know and are able to give me wisdom in each situation. If I must return to a topic 1,000 times I realize You never tire of healing and helping, guiding and growing me into the image of Jesus. I also know You are no respecter of persons; You desire to heal every person. Help us each to yield to You. Amen.
When was the last time someone told you to “Go outside and play”? So often we take topics like faith so seriously that I think God is telling us to go outside and play with Him. Perhaps this is something you need? Even if your access to the outdoors is restricted by health, you can still have a playtime.
Ponder for a few moments the Scripture John 3:8. Here is the NIV version
Jesus said, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Reading Sensible Shoes and Two Steps Forward by Sharon G. Brown, I found great images about play and flowers. I will retell it in my own words as I do have permission to copy large portions of the books.
Hannah (a busy Christian servant) saw herself as a child running in and out of the throne room bringing flowers to Jesus. Then later she saw herself running in and out of the throne room taking flowers from around Jesus to others. Both times He stopped her, scooped her up and wanted to just spend time with her. He also told her in the second scene that the flowers were for HER! Later in Two Steps Forward she saw a pinwheel and realized it looked like the flowers she had seen earlier.
I have a large pinwheel and several small ones in our yard. A pinwheel can sit still all day or spin frantically in a heavy breeze. It helps me ‘see’ the wind and reminds me of the Spirit of God.
In Two Steps Forward Brown wrote
“There’s nothing useful and productive about pinwheels. They serve no practical purpose. They just wait for the wind without striving. An image of receptivity. And fun. Whimsical delight and wasting time. What a growing edge for me! And to have a pinwheel combined with the image of a flower is perfect. Thank you, Lord. The flowers are for me. The Lover’s gift to the beloved.”
Hannah in Two Steps Forward by Brown
In my Transfiguration Associates fellowship group I shared these ideas and passed out pinwheels for each person. I wish I could hand one to each reader right now! I bought ours at The Dollar Store which is now $1.25! I encouraged each person to go play, (but not to put them out the window as they were driving home.) You see, that is one of my first pinwheel memories, a summer day in the car having the X-mph wind blow my pinwheel.
I encourage you to play with God this week. If you do not have a pinwheel perhaps you could make one? https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Pinwheel
Can you relax with God and rest in His love enough to just have fun? He has so many aspects to His personality that you will never know all of them. How about learning more about this one? Remember that when you have a fun time with an earthly friend you have a deeper bond. Just imagine how having fun with God will deepen that relationship! Go play!
God is the fountain of life. The only fountain of life. His glorious life is meant to flow through us every day – healing us, filling us with creativity, courage, joy, playfulness, and resilience. It comes through attachment, bonded love, the soul’s union with God.
John Eldredge “Resilient”
The wind is His, but He lets us see it and use it. The wind is one symbol of the Holy Spirit! Go play! The pinwheel brought all sorts of things to mind such as the song “Breathe on Me Breath Of God.” Sit with God and the wind, play and discover where He will lead you. Just don’t put your pinwheel out the car window while driving!!
Listening to a podcast where J. Philip Newell was interviewed, he mentioned that when he teaches and/or writes he is not informing us of anything radically new on the earth. He is simply reminding us of things we already know. I pray you have found this true from reading my blog, (though it is a lofty thing to compare myself in anyway to Newell). If my words ring true from Scripture and the journey of following Jesus, then I would think there should be some familiarity to you. If you are a brand new believer or someone just exploring the faith, then perhaps not.
I took his quotes from talk #1 which begins after about 5+minutes of introduction and announcements from Rob Bell.. Here is the link https://www.earthandsoul.org/podcasts
In the interview J. Philip Newell mentioned that he had a new grandchild. When she looked him straight in the eye he was reminded of the idea that Dickens captured:
“It is no small thing, when they, who are so fresh from God, love us. ”
-Charles Dickens
Have you had a similar experience? That piercing gaze of a newborn or very young child? One so fresh from God. Many years ago my husband bought me a bookmark with that sentiment on it. At the time I had raised our children and was working as a nanny to other children. When those babies would gaze into my eyes I was deeply blessed.
There is a story that speaks about a man who went into a church everyday and sat. Finally the priest asked him was he was doing as the priest never heard the man pray. The man answered, “I look at Him. And He looks at me.”
Have you spent time just looking at the Lord and allowing Him to look at you? Could you pause more often during any day or night and turn your eyes upon the Holy One, allowing yourself to be seen, inside and out? Do you love God enough to gaze and rest and be made new with this holy looking?
I think trying it will provide your best answer.
I had a friend named Char. I met her through crochet lessons I was offering. She had lung cancer, but was determined to squeeze every single drop of life out of the time that remained for her. As she came nearer to the end of her life she asked me about prayer. She wanted to know if she was ‘doing it right.’ She said as she went about her day she spoke with Jesus about everything. I was floored. I told her that was absolutely correct as I understood Christianity. We involve God in our every thought and action and even our resting. I have been studying Brother Lawrence for years and trying to practice His presence always. Speaking to Jesus, listening for instruction and direction. Doesn’t get any better than that!
I pray you will enter into ‘continuous communion with God’. Nothing on earth will reward you like that practice!
During my 6 day retreat I came across a book entitled The Naked Now, Learning to See as the Mystics See by Rohr.
He wrote:
There is absolutely nothing you can do to earn or get the Holy Spirit; there is nothing at all you can do to attain the divine indwelling. Don’t try to “believe” in the Holy Spirit as one doctrine among others. Instead, practice drawing from this deep well within you, and then you will naturally believe. Put the horse first, and it will draw the cart.”
Richard Rohr
Do you remember the New testament story when the sorcerer wanted to buy the Holy Spirit? Read Acts 8:9-25. Verse 13 says this man of Samaria believed about Jesus and was baptized. Disciples were sent to teach and anoint with laying on of hands for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. That is when trouble really began for this man. He wanted to buy the power. Peter rebuked him saying:
Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.
Acts 8:20-22 NIV
Draw from the deep well of living water within you. You do not have to go to a conference or revival to get the Holy Spirit! The Spirit is given freely by the Father due to the Risen Christ. Believe and receive it. Then practice drawing from that holy well.
You might ask, “How will I know it is from God?” In almost every text I pick up from my book shelf the statement is made that if you want to be certain your relationship is with the Living God you will be required to enter silence, solitude. There are also a few tried and true ways outlined in steps.
The enemy of God wants to mislead you, but the Father is insistent that He loves those who are His. He will protect us, guide us, lead us and deliver us safely. Jude sums it up well!
Jude 17-25 NIVBut, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Give yourself to practice drinking from this deep well, the holy drink from the Holy Spirit. Be amazed at how God can work in and through you.
That has been my word or phrase for the year 2023. I have been pursuing what that actually means. This year I have tried to learn more about this concept. I blogged about it last January. https://wordpress.com/post/treasures-in-plain-sight.org/11031
I do not usually read the Bible interpretation called The Message. I came across this and had to find who wrote it. Yep, it is from The Message!
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Romans 12:1-2 Message
That is it in a nutshell! Guess I need to get out the nut cracker and unpack that?
With God’s help – take your usual life – and place it before God as an offering. Meaning all of your life is given to Him and lived for Him and to Him. An audience of One! I must never think I can do this on my own. I need help and should ask for that help regularly.
Embrace what God does for you. This means I am not taking credit for His work. Remember the gratitude list? All the things in a single day that God does for you and in you. Embrace it all. That can be hard when He does not do the things I want like remove chronic pain and illness. Embracing is ‘the best thing I can do for Him.’ Have you ever asked God how you can please and delight Him? Here is one way!
Do not expect to fit in with the culture around us. As we grow closer and deeper in the Holy One we will NOT fit in with the culture!
FIX YOUR ATTENTION ON GOD. Not easily done, but with practice it does get easier and the more one does it the more one misses it when wandering begins. The Holy One is where I want my attention to remain. It is a kind of super glue for those of us living in the world but not of the world! Fix our attention on the Holy One.
Recognize and respond. I see what You want, Lord and {not I will get to that later} I am on it! The more we love someone the more quickly we will delight to please that one. I recognize what is required of me and I am quick to do it. Not running out before the right time, but willing to fulfill what is being asked in a very timely manner.
The promise is that God will develop well-formed maturity in us. Oh yes, Lord, let it be so! That we will not longer be spiritual babes, infants in Christ.
And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations?
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NRSVA
That is just full of promises and this I am to do and let glory be given to God and just wow.
Are you willing to give it a try? If we stumble and think that is failure we are wrong. If we stumble and do not accomplish the challenge it just means there is room to grow and like the Benedictines we need to say, “Always we begin again.”
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 NKJV
Do we go boldly? Or do we second guess God’s Word and stall, believing false ideas about ourselves. No, we will never be deserving of mercy and grace. That should not stop us though. We are invited to come to the Father.
Even in the Old Testament we are told to come.
Come, all you who are thirsty,
Isaiah 55:1 NIV
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
So I ask you, are you needing mercy and grace? Is there ever a day you do not need mercy and/or grace? Are you waiting or running to the source of all forgiveness and love?
Go boldly. Recently the Kroger grocery parking lot was packed. I commented to Bob as we drove past, “The shoppers must think they are giving stuff away!” Well, it turns out they were giving stuff away! My neighbor brought me dog items she could not use and an air freshener she did not want. I imagine there were shoppers who called other family members and told them to come on up to Kroger to get free things.
Are we telling our friends and family that they can come boldly to the throne of grace and find mercy and grace in time of need? Do we believe the Word about the benefits of knowing and loving God? Are we acting boldly on behalf of God? Is there fear about the repercussions from society? Consider Acts 4. Peter and John had been jailed for speaking in Jesus’ name. The temple leaders could not decide how to punish them so they released them, telling the two apostles not to speak in Jesus’ name again.
“But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.” So Peter and John went back to their own people and began to pray about the situation.
Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.
Acts 4:29-30 NIV
If we are not acting boldly on behalf of God, perhaps we can take a lesson from Acts 4 and begin asking God to “enable us to speak the Word with great boldness.” Consider this. Try it. Find out what God will do!
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV
There is some controversy within the church about the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote directly to this topic bringing equality to the Lord and the Spirit. Remember the Trinity is like 3-in-1 oil. I love the Spirit of the Lord is freedom wherever the Holy One is.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1 NIV
Is there a yoke of some sort trying to enslave you? Stand firm and embrace the freedom that Christ has give you!
‘All things are lawful’, but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful’, but not all things build up.
1 Corinthians 10:23 NRSV
I had to post the above for myself a number of years ago when a certain type of candy threatened to enslave me. It helped me remember the freedom Christ has given me. Do you fear freedom? Is there something that might get you?
Freedom in Christ is slightly different than American freedom from British rule celebrated July 4th. Lucky does not concern herself with what type of freedom, she is just terrified of all sorts of thunder, lightning and fireworks.
Her fear is really primal, animal fear. She was a rescue dog and makes no sense when it comes to these sounds. We have never tied her outdoors during a storm. Never threatened her with sleeping outside during late June or July.
If we take her out to ‘do her business’ and there is the slightest thunder (even in the distance) she is terrified. She will pull our arms off trying to get in any garage, even if it is not ours! Last evening there was someone on another street lighting ‘black cats’ the little tiny fire crackers. She was done.
I thought I might get her to tinkle a bit, but then someone else set off a bigger boom! and that was that. Within half an hour all the fireworks were exploding and we knew it was a lost cause. We had her sleep in her kennel rather than clean up a potential mess in the morning.
Do you celebrate the freedom Christ has won for you? Is your celebration only political and basically limited to one day per year? Does any of this give you pause that perhaps you could celebrate BOTH sorts of freedom and celebrate those freedoms more often?
Maybe gratitude is a better method than explosions? Choose your style!
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 