Tag: Psalm 4:8
Day 2–Refreshing Rest
Scripture reading for April 28: Matthew 11:28-30“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Psalm 4:8 “In peace I will lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Proper rest is a key ingredient to functioning in your workplace with maximum efficiency and mental acuity. The psalmist stated plainly that he would lie down and sleep peacefully. The stated reason for this was that because he knew the Lord as his protector and peace, he could rest without fear of harm by any enemy. He did not have to entertain worry or fear in his mind about being caught off guard as he slept.
Jesus Christ called those who were burdened down with their fears and worries to come to Him. He promised them rest as they would exchange these heavy loads for His ‘yoke’. As a Jewish rabbi, the ‘yoke’ was the body of teaching and instruction of the teacher. Jesus was God the Father’s Word in human form. Jesus encouraged them that HIs yoke was easy and His burden was light. He would personally instruct them while present with them. When time came for Him to die on the cross and be raised from the dead and enter into glory through resurrection, He would send them Another Helper, the Gift of the Father. This Helper, the Holy Spirit, would empower them to live out His teaching and bring comfort and God’s presence to them always.
As responders, rest and good sleep is very important to our well-being. We would do well to heed Jesus’ invitation to come to Him and find not only sleep for the body, but rest for our souls. We can rest in what our Lord Jesus did to deliver us from fear of death and punishment for sins. We can rest in God’s presence with us always. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the invitation to find relief for our burdens, guilt, and weariness in our Lord Jesus. Teach me Your Word and ways that I might follow Jesus and enjoy peace and rest for my soul. Help me daily to rest and have refreshing sleep in peace with God and man. Amen.
Jesus standing by!
Scripture reading for May 6th: Acts 23
Key Scriptures: Acts 23:9-11 “Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about Me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.””
Jesus is with His people always and in all situations. He is in charge of what His people walk through in their appointed calling. Paul was in the center of God’s will and doing what He was called to do. God was at work on those of the Jews as well as the Gentile soldiers and their handlers as well as the officials of Rome. He placed Paul where He could minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all and also had plans to reach even to Rome with Paul. Even a plot of ambush by forty Jews to kill Paul didn’t stop God’s plans. The devil is no match for God’s Spirit-filled people! Paul could rest soundly knowing Jesus was standing by him!
Daniel 3:24-25 “Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.””
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for standing by Your people in every age and every mountain and valley. Thank You for vision and Words of encouragement when the going gets tough. May I testify boldly to the facts of Who You are and Your plan of salvation, knowing that You are standing by me.
Psalm 4:8 “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Resisting temptation by God’s Word
Scripture reading for January 4th: Matthew 4, Psalm 4, Prov. 4 (Reading through the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs one chapter a day, five days each week in 2019–please join me in the trek!)
Key Scriptures: Matthew 4:1-4 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But He answered, “It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.””
Immediately following Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit lead Him to the wilderness where He fasted for forty days and nights. The devil came to Him at the height of His hunger and suggested He prove His divinity by turning stones into bread. Jesus responded with God’s Word: “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God.” Jesus made a faith confession to defeat the devil’s temptation and the desire of His own flesh for food. We can do the same!
Faith’s confession: I believe that my life is not sustained by bread alone, but I live by every word God has spoken and rest in His grace. I am God’s child! (Action: Break any addiction today by standing on God’s Word and resisting the devil’s temptation.)
Psalm 4:8 “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”