Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – December 8, 2015
Guest Writer: Meet my friend Shana Schutte. We are blessed to have her as our guest writer.
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18
There have been seasons in my life, as perhaps there have been in yours, when I have tried to carry the weight of life alone. During one of these seasons, the Lord began to minister to me about trusting Him rather than living like a spiritual orphan, resting in His love rather than striving. One afternoon, with pen and notebook in hand, the following thoughts came to mind. They are written as if God is speaking. If you wrestle with striving, you have a difficult time believing the Lord will provide for you, so you live like a spiritual orphan. I hope these words are an encouragement. If you are one of Wisdom Hunters’ male readers, I am pretty sure these words still apply even though they are written in more of a feminine voice.
The daughter who has forgotten that she is fathered, that she has an Abba who loves her, will try to do life independently of Me because she isn’t sure I am with her; she isn’t convinced I will take care of her. So she strives and works and strives and works like an orphan who must take care of herself. She acts like she has no Father while she confesses that she knows Me. Indeed, she is Mine, but she isn’t allowing Me to parent her the way a good father does. Instead, she tries to carry the weight of her life and her responsibilities all on her own. She has forgotten that true rest is found in belief and faith.
And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:18-19).
The person who does not trust cannot rest even if they want to, because they are always driven out of their unbelief, to self-protection and striving. “I will do it myself!” But the dependent child brings everything to her Daddy. She brings her worries. She brings her responsibilities. She brings her fears, financial needs, and friendships. She brings her love life and loneliness. She brings her marriage, her money, and her mate. She brings Me her life.
She lays down all of the pieces of her existence at My feet, day after day. She brings whatever burdens she is carrying and she unloads them all on Me. She knows she is loved, and she can rest because there is rest in love.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Prayer: Lord, I praise You that You are such a faithful, loving Father. I praise You that I don’t have to carry my burdens all alone. What a wonderful God you are! Help me to remember that you want me to bring all of my concerns to You.
Application: Find a quiet place today and make a list of your concerns. Then, pray over each one and thank the Lord that you are not a spiritual orphan.
Related Readings: Psalm 68:5; Isaiah 64:8; Psalm 91:1-16
Post/Tweet this today: You don’t have to carry your burdens alone. #WisdomHunters #YouAreNotASpiritualOrphan
Worship Resource: 5 minute video-Alan Jackson: Are You Washed in the Blood
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Good devotion. I would appreciate a similar devotion from a man’s perspective.