Category: Treasures for the Heart

Psalm 23:1-2
​The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.

The word “rest” is mentioned 265 times in the Bible. The Hebrew word for rest is “nuach” – which means to rest, to be quiet. God knows that we need to take time out for rest and restoration especially from the influences of a fallen world.

In the midst of our busy lives, whether working a job, taking care of kids, studying for finals, or burdened with a heavy load, God wants us to take time to rest in His care. We are human and it’s necessary to take time to rest not only physically and emotionally, but also spiritually.

If we refuse to take the necessary time for rest, it will only lead to a discontented, distrusting, unsatisfied life. Resting in the Lord will bring refreshing peace and give us strength to face the next task ahead.

Let’s learn to depend on the Shepherd’s provision, guidance, and protection. In doing so, we will renew our strength (Isaiah 40:31), be encouraged (Joshua 1:9), increase our faith (Romans 10:17), remind ourselves that we are loved (John 3:16), energize our hope (Psalm 31:24), and glorify Him (Zephaniah 3:17; John 10:7-10).

Written April 19, 2018

Matthew 1:20 – But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Thankful that in the face of adversity Joseph chose to believe the Lord and faced the battle with courage and strength, knowing that God had a divine plan for it all.  We may not understand the sorrow or turmoil we face here on earth, but God can turn our sorrows and pain into eternal joy if we allow Him to work in and through our lives.

Luke 5:4-10
Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 
And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 
And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 
When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.  For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

When it seems like you’ve toiled long and hard and are getting nowhere, Jesus is all the answer you need. Cast your cares upon Him.  He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

3.10.2018

Luke 10:30-37
And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

It’s sad that this man fell among thieves.  Even sadder is that a priest and a Levite passed by on the other side without offering to give this hurting man some aid.  Regardless of their rank or creed they lacked compassion.  Their hearts were indifferent and apathetic. They chose to do nothing!

Proverbs 11:12 indicates that these men were void of wisdom because they despised their neighbor.  God commands us in Scripture to “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:39; Luke 10:27).  We are to love others without partiality.

When the Samaritan saw the condition of this man, he immediately showed compassion by tending to his wounds and taking care of him.  He chose to see an opportunity to share Christ rather than the obstacles in the way.  He didn’t wait to see if his kindness was going to be repaid he showed kindness anyways.

True compassion will cost something.  May we always be mindful of Christ’s great sacrifice at Calvary.  Our love for Christ should spur us to share His love with others.

Jude 1:22 ~ And of some have compassion, making a difference.

Luke 1:38
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:46-50
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

Thankful that Mary was flexible to the unexpected change in her life that was about to transpire. Mary’s faith allowed her to not only accept the calling on her life, but it also allowed her to be joyful in the journey. What an example of being completely surrendered to the Lord!

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Even when we are in the middle of a storm God can gives us peace. We all have struggles in our lives that cause us to worry or fear. The best way to combat that is to pray with thanksgiving unto the Lord (Philippians 4:6-7). 

Go ahead – tell the Lord what burdens your heart and mind. God cares about you. 

Real peace comes when we trust that God knows what’s best and has everything under control. When you start to worry, stop and pray.

Tears Are A Language God Understands
(Composed by Gordon Jensen, 1971)

Often you wonder why tears come into your eyes
And burdens seem to be much more than you can bear
But God is standing near, He sees your falling tears
And tears are a language God understands.

God sees the tears of a brokenhearted soul
He sees your tears and hears them when they fall
God weeps along with man and He takes him by the hand
Tears are a language God understands.

When grief has left you low it causes tears to flow
When things have not turned out the way that you had planned
But God won’t forget you His promises are true
And tears are a language God understands.

God sees the tears of a brokenhearted soul
He sees your tears and hears them when they fall
God weeps along with man and He takes him by the hand
Tears are a language that my God He understands.

God weeps along with man and He takes him by the hand
Tears are a language God understands.

Matthew 11:28-30
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Thankful for a Saviour who patiently waits for us to lean on Him. When we feel overwhelmed causing tears to flow from our eyes, all we need to do is to call out to Him (Psalm 61:2-3). He is there all the time waiting to renew our strength (Isaiah 40:31) as we rest upon His precious promises (2 Peter 1:4).

Good morning! Wanted to share an encouragement moment with you. Dezirae & I are doing a Virtuous Woman Bible study for her Bible Class this year. Today’s lesson was about “Keeping eternity in mind when making decisions.”*

James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

“Challenge: Determine for myself and my family where I need to draw the line. How much can I handle and still do my best? Realizing that this line will move as my circumstances in life changes, I will seek to do what would MOST please the Lord at this stage of my life.”*

I’ve already had to practice this this week with upcoming commitments. Though I wanted to do them and not let anyone down I chose to pray about it and ask God for wisdom. A few of the commitments I had to back out of because though they weren’t wrong they would’ve done me more harm than good at this stage in my life.

This was encouraging to me. ☺

Let’s remember when making decisions to keep eternity in mind.

*Excerpts from The Virtuous Woman Bible Study Course at www.kjvhearthelps.com

Psalm 34:8
O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Taking time to thank God for His daily blessings (heavenly hugs) not only nourishes the soul, but also gives Him glory.

What blessings do we receive daily?

1. The ability to wake up one more time.
2. Hugs from ones we love.
3. A call or unexpected visit from a friend.
4. Spending time with family.
5. The ability to read His Word each day.
6. Enjoying His beautiful creation around us.
7. Answered prayers.

Don’t forget to take time to “smell the roses” and see what great and mighty things (Jeremiah 33:3) the Lord does for us on a daily basis. The Lord truly is good to those that trust in Him.