Tag: Humble

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Fruit of the Spirit, Uncategorized

Rest For Your Souls

Posted on by MaryEllen

Inspired by LGG’s study, The Fruit of the Spirit, w5d2

Roadmap for Our Journey: Matthew 11:25-30; SOAP: verses 28-30

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”

Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

In His infinite knowledge, God knew that those who chose to follow Jesus would carry heavy burdens and need rest. Jesus Himself told those (this includes us today) who wanted to follow Him that they would have to turn from their selfish ways and take up their cross daily. They would have to hate what is wrong and cling to what is good. These requirements aren’t easy for us today, and they certainly weren’t easy when Jesus and His disciples walked this earth. Because of this, God not only sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins; He also offers His followers, including us, a rest only Jesus can give. We have this rest through the power of His Spirit, who enables us to carry out God’s call on our lives.

It is not only helpful but necessary to understand that Jesus is speaking to a crowd. Some, perhaps many, of the people would have been Jews. “These Jews,” according to bibleref.com, “would have been struggling to know God the Father. Their religious leaders had placed enormous burdens on them (Matthew 23:4), and they were laboring to carry those burdens in hopes of being approved by God. Jesus has just said that He can reveal His Father to anyone, and He immediately offers rest to everyone who is weighed down.”

The rest for the soul that Jesus offers is an internal, spiritual respite, peace of mind, and emotional stability rather than the removal of physical work or life’s trials.

Leslie Schmucker

Core Aspects of Jesus’ Soul Rest (source unknown)

DimensionDescriptionBiblical / Theological Meaning
Nature of RestInward calm and refreshment (anapauo)It relieves the exhaustion of fear, worry, grief, sin, and self-reliance.
The Giver’s CharacterGentle and lowly in heartJesus does not shame or crush the weary; He offers a compassionate, steady presence.
The Method (The Yoke)Taking Christ’s yoke and learning from HimWalking alongside Jesus as a partner in a shared, balanced load rather than carrying life alone.
The ResultPeace of mind and heart (zoe)It replaces performance pressure, perfectionism, and heavy legalistic burdens with grace.

Jesus describes the rest not as a physical rest, but as “rest for your souls.” Bibleref.com explains it like this:

The path to the Father through Jesus is not one of weary labor and heavy work. Jesus’ earlier analogy about the path to life being narrow and “difficult” (Matthew 7:14) is entirely separate, and speaking from a different perspective. From the view of the world, following Christ means taking on difficult circumstances and giving up worldly pleasures. From the view of eternity—of salvation—following Christ means giving up the impossible task of carrying our own sin.
Christ does not say it here, but the gospel will reveal that Jesus is offering to carry the burden and do the work in order to lead those who come to Him—those who are “yoked” to Him—to the Father (Matthew 11:30; John 6:29).

Bibleref.com/Matthw 11:28

THE PERSPECTIVE OF ETERNITY

What Jesus refers to here, however, is the perspective of eternity. Compared to the impossible task of earning one’s own salvation (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16), Jesus offers something infinitely “easier” (Matthew 11:30). By making this comment, Jesus is not offering freedom from commitment. His yoke is still a yoke: it still comes with demands from a holy God. But the apostle John will later write that obedience to the God we love is not burdensome (1 John 5:3). This is true in part, the gospels will reveal, because Jesus will carry the ultimate burden of our sin for us and will provide power in the Holy Spirit to carry out His will. ~Bibleref.com

COMPARED TO

EARNING ONE’S OWN SALVATION

Jewish people described living under obedience to the Law as having a yoke upon them. In Jesus’ time, the Pharisees made that load even heavier by adding manmade requirements and regulations on top of the law of Moses (Matt 23:4)

Friends, Jesus’ offer to swap yokes meant our sins would be placed on Him, and His “yoke and burden”, described as “easy and light”, would be placed on us. ‘While Jesus offers rest and partnership, accepting his yoke still means living under the authority and demands of a holy God, though his grace and strength make them bearable.’1 But these demands (obedience to the God we love) are not burdensome. When we truly understand what God has done for us, what He requires of us, and what comes from following Him, we see that following Him is not a burden but a privilege we do out of love for what He has done for us.

Scripture makes it clear that we are saved by grace, not by works, but through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8-9). However, Paul goes on to explain that we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,2 so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. So while salvation is a free gift, it comes with a commitment to God,3 but this commitment is not a burden but rather a privilege, as Jesus “carries the burden, the yoke of our sin for us and provides power in the Holy Spirit for us to live out the commitment.”

We must come as disciples to learn, willing to be guided by His yoke – not merely to receive something. 4

· The yoke of Jesus is easy and light as compared with the yoke of others.

· The yoke of Jesus is easy and light as long as we do not rebel against it.

· The yoke of Jesus has nothing to do with worries that are forbidden to us.

· The yoke of Jesus does not include the burdens we choose to add to it.

Jesus is Gentle and Humble in Heart

Jesus knew that gentleness was what weary people needed most. They don’t need more demands, pressure, or performance. Rather, they need a gentle, humble Savior who sees their exhaustion and says, “Come. I’ll take that. Rest here.”

Jesus doesn’t just model gentleness for us. He invites us to learn it from Him. Gentleness is something we absorb as we stay close to Jesus and watch how He treats people. His gentleness toward us shapes our gentleness toward others.

Are you weary today? Come to Him first. Let His gentleness toward you fill you back up. The gentleness you extend to others will always flow from the gentleness you have first received from Him.
You cannot give what you have not received. So receive it today. He is waiting.5

d. For I am gentle and lowly in heart: Jesus revealed His nature when He described Himself as gentle and lowly of heart. It is His servant’s heart, displayed throughout His ministry, making Him qualified to be the one who bears our burdens.

e. And you will find rest for your souls: Jesus described His gift to His followers as rest for your soul. This unmatchable gift – both powerful and profound – should be considered the birthright of those who come to Jesus and are His followers. They should believe that something is wrong if they don’t experience rest for their souls.6

Response of Prayer

Lord, I was weary and burdened, and I came to You, and You gave me rest for my soul…Rest from striving, from shame, and so much more through the years. You have taken my yoke, the sin and heavy burdens of my life, upon You, and You have allowed me to experience the ease and privilege of Your yoke, Your gentleness, and Your gentle and humble heart in so many ways. I am most blessed to belong to You and pray that You will help me imitate Your gentle, humble, servant’s heart to the world around me. ~ Amen and Amen

Response of Worship

The More We Know

https://www.leslieschmucker.com/blog/2021/1/30/33pmprzaq2i4ykl26jw3igpb9jryy6

  1. Bibleref.com and others ↩︎
  2. A New Creation ↩︎
  3. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. ↩︎
  4. Enduring Word, David Guzik, Matthew 11:28-30; 3.c. ↩︎
  5. LGG The Fruit of the Spirit, digital journal, p. 149 ↩︎
  6. Enduring Word, Matthew 11:28-30; 3.d,e ↩︎

i. “You will find rest for your souls is an echo of the Hebrew text of Jeremiah 6:16, where it is the offer of God to those who follow his way; Jesus now issues the invitation in his own name!” (France)

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Psalm 119, Quiet Time

Prayer and the Word

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Scripture: Psalm 119:149-152

Listen to me because of your loyal love.
O Lord, revive me, as you typically do.
150 Those who are eager to do wrong draw near;
they are far from your law.
151 You are near, O Lord,
and all your commands are reliable.
152 I learned long ago that
you ordained your rules to last.

Psalm 119:149-152 NET

While I am not easily intimidated – when I am – whether it be due to those who are eager to do wrong or simply those who have a surly personality, I have learned to trust that when God is near (and He always is) not even the toughest or most fear-inducing person or situation can overpower the peace and joy of His presence. If, for some reason, I cannot sense His presence, I have learned to trust His heart, which He has revealed to us in His Word.

I love the opening words of this passage, “Listen to me because of your loyal love. O Lord.” We should imitate this posture of humility in all of our prayers— coming not as one who depends on his own goodness or worthiness but on the faithful love of the Lord. However, I believe the keywords in this passage are found in verse 151, where the Psalmist declares the Lord’s nearness and reliability. When we know these truths and stand upon them as the promises of God, we will not be shaken in the face of danger. This isn’t to infer that we will never be afraid, but that when we are afraid, we will trust in the one who has said/promised: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

One commentator said it like this: “Though the wicked are near to injure, because far from God’s law, He is near to help, and faithful to His word, which abides forever.” –

Biblehub.com
Encouragement for the journey

Humble yourselves before God and pray. One of the ways we humble ourselves before God is to cast on Him all of our cares/anxieties – not just the ones we think might be important enough but all of them because He cares for us.1 Prayer is one of, if not the greatest, privileges and assets of the Christian’s life. We have been given direct and bold access2 to God and every assurance that we can trust Him to not only hear but answer.3

Like the Psalmist, tell God your concern(s),

Those who are eager to do wrong draw near;
they are far from your law.

Psalm 119:150

and then remind yourself who He is and what He has said or promised.

You are near, O Lord,
and all your commands are reliable.

Psalm 119:151

If you aren’t sure how to pray or prayer itself intimidates you, remember that God has given us His Word, which is filled with untold examples of praying. To pray God’s Word back to Him is both freeing and refreshing, and I believe brings God great delight. 4

Posted in Bible study, He Sees He Knows He Cares

The power, the purpose, and the promise of God in action

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Suggested Reading: Luke 1:26-56; SOAP 1:48-49

because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant.
For from now on all generations will call me blessed, because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name;

Luke 1:48-49

If you have ever doubted what God can and will do, or should you ever doubt His promises in days to come – you only need to consider this story. The story is true, based on the history of God’s people and the incredible means by which He delivered His son, untainted by sin, into a world filled and dying from it. For from the barren womb of Elizabeth, in her “old age” and the virgin womb of Mary in her youth – God brought forth sons, one the messenger to prepare the way for the other, who would be the Savior of the world! This is the power, the purpose, and the promise of God in action. Surely, “Nothing” is, or ever will be, “impossible with God!”

Knowing God’s power and purpose to save a sin sick world, and seeing that He is a promise keeper of the ancient words He spoke since the foundations of the world – how then should we live? I believe we should live with hope that what God says He will do – He will indeed do. We should not be surprised by, nor doubt, what God can do or what He will do – instead, like Mary, we should listen to and explore what God says, and we should be sensitive and surrendered to His Presence and the work He does in and around us. We should be quick to worship Him and focus all the glory and honor on Him as both Elizabeth and Mary did. We should look for opportunities to point out His goodness and the great things He has done. We should not be puffed up about our position with God but remember that we are His humble servants, and honored by the fact that He looks on us with favor, choosing to give us His Son and to use us for His glory – to which end we should faithfully live.

Let us not miss the lesson found in the beauty of God’s intimate and relational nature, as we look at the larger passage and realize that God is faithful to intertwine our lives with others – so that we might rejoice with one another or encourage and lift each other up. Consider Elizabeth, suddenly pregnant in her old age, decades older than any other expectant mother around her – and her husband was now mute. It seems possible that she would have been feeling alone in her shockingly and unexpected pregnancy as she, undoubtedly, dealt with the natural fears or excitements every birth brings, and in her case, likely more so. Then – consider Mary, the young virgin – who – though having never slept with a man – now carried a child within her womb; and not just a child, but one who would be the Son of God. Clearly, these women needed each other. They needed someone who could understand and appreciate their unique situation, they needed encouragement – and renewed strength to face their future. So God, in His love and perfect timing brought them together – strengthening and assuring them of His presence with them and with their children. We would be wise to remember that He knows our needs as well and thus to embrace the relationships He offers us with other believers, through the bond of Christ.

My Response to God’s Word

Father, how very great You are, placing a child in the womb of a virgin and an old woman. Only You could do such greatness and with such purpose. Again, I see Your perfect timing and I witness the affect Your Presence has on us when I am attentive and yielded to You Spirit. As You found favor in Your servant Mary, find favor in me I pray. Use me to carry Your love to the world and to encourage others. Thank You for the eternal blessing of Your Son through whom nothing is impossible with You. All glory and honor to You, most good and faithful God!

Posted in Quiet Time

John 13:1-17

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Video starter

Today’s Scripture: John 13:1-17 (S.O.A.P. John 13:14-15)

Question of the Day: Why do you think Jesus chose to wash the feet of His disciples?

Washing the Disciples’ Feet – Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that his time[a] had come to depart[b] from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end.[c] 2 The evening meal[d] was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart[e] of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray[f] Jesus.[g] 3 Because Jesus[h] knew that the Father had handed all things over to him,[i] and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 he got up from the meal, removed[j] his outer clothes,[k] took a towel and tied it around himself.[l] 5 He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself.[m]

Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter[n] said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash[o] my feet?” 7 Jesus replied,[p] “You do not understand[q] what I am doing now, but you will understand[r] after these things.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!”[s] Jesus replied,[t] “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”[u] 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash[v] not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus replied,[w] “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet,[x] but is completely[y] clean.[z] And you disciples[aa] are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 (For Jesus[ab] knew the one who was going to betray him. For this reason he said, “Not every one of you is[ac] clean.”)[ad]

 So when Jesus[ae] had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table[af] again and said to them, “Do you understand[ag] what I have done for you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly,[ah] for that is what I am.[ai] 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example[aj]—you should do just as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the solemn truth,[ak] the slave[al] is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger[am] greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand[an] these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

After Thoughts