“Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:22-24 (ESV)

Why do you work? Do you work hard at your job? I know, it’s too early for that many questions, but it is a very serious subject. In our society, it is proper to work hard for your boss, or to work hard for your family. These are good things as long as you are doing them by working hard for the Lord. Not sure what that means? Let’s see what Paul says:

Ignore the bond servant (slaves) word. In the King James Version it uses the word servant, which would be more proper. Slaves were a cultural thing, not a biblical thing. Notice Paul says, “obey your earthly masters as one who fears the Lord. . . not as a people pleaser”. When you work hard for your boss or your family are you doing it to be a people pleaser, or are you doing it with sincerity of your heart, as one who fears the Lord? What’s the difference you might ask?

If you work hard in all things for the Lord, you are in His will, just as Jesus did all things as the Father asked Him to do. When God said go, He went, when God said stay, He stayed. We need to have the same approach to our work. Man will manipulate and deceive you. Family will manipulate and deceive you, but God will not. In all things we need to pray and seek His wisdom so we are working hard for Him. There is a huge difference!

For years, before I gave my life truly to Christ, I worked for myself. If I held a second job it was for me to have more money, or for others to have more. I worked for material things, and for selfish reasons. My heart was not on God, it was on me. I made a lot of money in those days, yet the funny part is that I had nothing to show for it except brokenness and heartache.

My son barely saw me, and when he did, I was angry, exhausted, and had no patience. This wasn’t just because I was working so hard, it was because I was doing it on my own, and for me. I felt I was entitled to be short on patience and angry. I had no fruit of the Spirit in me. Now, I work just about as hard as I did then, and for a lot less money but my life has a much different look. When I am at work, I no longer grumble and complain, I do all things to serve Christ. Now I work hard for God, and not for man. I am blessed, I am happy, and my heart is at peace.

Just a side note: Working hard for God will not earn you salvation. You cannot earn your salvation, nor can you earn His Love. It is a gift.

Father, We pray today, that in all we do, we do it for You. Lord let us humbly and fearfully work for You and not for man. Transform our hearts Lord God. Let us not be lazy, nor selfish. Let us have our eyes and minds on You, being led by Your Holy Spirit. We praise You Lord, for every blessing You provide for us and our families. Let us not use these blessings for ourselves in selfish ways, yet use them in how You see fit for us. Be our captain, and steer our lives Lord, in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Question: Do you work hard for you, or for God?

By Daniel Forster
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Yes, Lord, Yes!

A Most Important Work

Will You Join Jesus in His Work?

The post Who Do You Work For? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Paul and his companions then left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. But Paul and Barnabas traveled inland to Antioch of Pisidia. On the Sabbath they went to the synagogue for the services.” Acts 13:13-14 (NLT)

Then, just a week prior to the start of the project, God’s Spirit rose up within me and clearly told me to walk away. No reasons were given – just a clear command from God.

In some ways, this is similar to the untold story of Mark. Mark was on a journey that was the opportunity of a lifetime — serving alongside Paul and Barnabas while they were literally changing the world. Then, out of nowhere, Mark announces he will return to Jerusalem and not continue on with the mission.

Many have speculated as to why Mark left, but several facts remain clear:

• Luke left out a description as to why Mark left.
• Some supported Mark (such as Barnabas), while others were angry and disappointed (such as Paul).
• Mark would later go on another mission with Barnabas and become a respected leader in the Church.
• Mark would later write the Gospel of Mark.

God clearly had a plan for Mark, as He does for all of us. To be Spirit-led, we are to follow His lead. This can sometimes cause dissension, as it did with Mark, and as it did when I decided not to go ahead with what seemed like a wonderful ministry opportunity. However, we must have faith in God’s guidance. Only God knows the roads we must go on to truly be His ‘hands and feet’ in the world.

Lord, we love to be in control, and we like to think we know how best to serve you. Help us not to fight against paths that you would have us take. Give us the strength to have faith that you will never forsake us or lead us astray. Help us to truly be Spirit-led. Amen.

By Daniel Forster
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

FURTHER READING

We Plan – God Directs

When God Interrupts Our Plans

Big, Big Plans

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • ‘X’ Twitter  •  Instagram  • Pinterest

The post Mark’s Untold Story appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  Ephesians 5:18-21 (ESV)

I will be the first to admit that I don’t have it all together. And I certainly don’t have my walk with Christ fully figured out. However, through my years of rebellion, new life in Christ, and growth in Christ, I have figured out a few things along the way. The first and most important one is that if I want to have successful relationships, especially within my family, I must be able to submit to others out of reverence for Christ.

Submitting to one another — or submitting to anything — is viewed by the world as a weak and unhealthy way to live your life. The world says be strong and independent, and look out for yourself first.

The problem with this worldly way of thinking? When it comes to family, there is “no ‘I’ in team.” If one member is independent from another, then there will only be division and discord. But when a family submits to one another, with Christ as the head of household, there’s unity, gratefulness, forgiveness, mercy, and joy.

A true mark of being a disciple in Christ is to live a life of submission. This doesn’t mean we become a doormat for our loved ones or for the society in which we live. But it does mean that in all things we submit our lives to His way — God’s way. When we surrender our lives to Him, we learn to submit to each other in Him, creating a very healthy and vibrant way of life.

Father, help me to want to submit my life to You in all areas, especially my family. Teach me to submit to others out of reverence for You. Help me to re-learn how You want me to live my life and to not be led by others or society. You are my first love, and I only want to live for You. Amen.

By Rev. Daniel Forster
used by permission

FURTHER READING

The post A Family Led By Reverence appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?”
James 2: 14 (NLT)

Please read James 2:14-26. I read an amazing quote the other day, and I would like to share it with you in regards to this scripture.  “God blesses us because we respond to Him, not as a response to our good works.”

I posted this scripture because I see to often a trend that is misunderstood. Somehow, new believers have come under the impression that they must start doing good works, and that this will please God. That God will know they are not the same sinner they were before by their good works now.

As a body of Christ, I feel we have not really taught this very well. All to often we are happy to see an increase of volunteers without fully seeing where their hearts may be. All to often our new volunteers get burnt out or fall away, because they misunderstood how and why we do good works.

James writes here, “what good is faith without action?” This is a true, as true gets. Yet, we do not prove our faith by our actions. Our faith is in our belief, our surrendering of ourselves to Jesus. There is no proof, other than what God sees in our hearts. Our good deeds do not make us more faithful; our faith leads us into action.

Faith and true belief must be established first. If it is not, we are working from our flesh to perform these good works we are doing it without God. We are doing it to show others around us and to show God we can change…and folks, this is just not the way it is. We can’t change on our own. We can only change by the blood Jesus has shed for us, it is Him inside of us, that is leading us to change. Doing good works out of your faith in Christ is not a New Year’s resolution (something we can do on our own will power), it is a way of life.

Once we are in full faith, and belief, and trust in God, He will guide us towards the good works He would like us to do. I often feel a pull, or a tug, or even sometimes a push from His Holy Spirit in me, to do a good work. This is the response to God, and by which we as well as others around us are blessed by God.

Father, I pray today that we are working in response to You Lord. I pray that we are not working from our own strength or our own will, but that we are working as a result of You stirring in us a desire to do something. I pray that we are working by the power of Your Holy Spirit in us, that it is You doing the work, and us being a vessel of Your love. Help us as a body of Christ, Lord, to share this with other brothers and sisters. Let us not be so quick to accept new help without understanding where their hearts are. Let us take time to teach Your living word, so others may be strengthened by it, and it becomes alive in their lives as well as ours. We ask all of this in the mighty name Jesus, Amen

Question: Have you been living a works-based or faith-based life of salvation?

by Rev. Daniel Forster
Used by permission

FURTHER READING

Walking with Jesus

Jesus Christ Never Changes

Where Do Your Works Come From?

If  you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, you can learn how to start one at this link:
https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-lawsghtsaboutgod.com/blog/

The post The Blessings of God appeared first on Thoughts About God.

I will be the first to admit, I can be quite hard headed at times; and as we see in the Bible, mankind is known to be quite hard headed at times as well. Following the resurrection Cleopas and his companion, followers of Jesus, are walking on their way to Emmaus. As they are walking they are discussing the events that have just taken place in Jerusalem; from the death on the cross of Jesus, to the story just told to them that morning on how some had discovered that Jesus tomb was now empty. Despite what they may have known, or had heard Jesus teach, or had knowledge of live up to date details; they could not grasp what was taking place, their eyes were not yet open to the truth in full.

Thanks be to God Jesus does not let us walk around with closed eyes, and He will always set us straight as He did with Cleopas and his companion.

 Luke 24:25-33 (NLT)    “Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures.  Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering His glory?”  Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.  By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if He were going on, but they begged Him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So He went home with them.  As they sat down to eat, He took the bread and blessed it. Then He broke it and gave it to them.

 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. And at that moment He disappeared!

They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”  And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them,”

It is common for us to be hard headed about what we know to be truth, because the world loves to confuse the facts;  which just leads to endless debates. Let us not act the fool, and see truth for what it is. Let Jesus open our eyes today and every day to His Glory and to what He has done for us. Let His Truth fill us with His Grace; in order that we may find His Peace and Rest in our lives. Let us follow Him, follow His Spirit that is alive and in us, and let Him open our eyes to His Glory. Thank you Jesus, Hallelujah!

Lord I pray that the world does not confuse me, that I am not distracted away from your truth Lord. I pray that you carry me Lord, lift me like the wings of eagles Lord, lift me out of the darkness in this world and fill me with your light, fill me with all of you, in Jesus name, Amen.

by Rev. Daniel Forster
used by permission

RELATED READING

• Open My Eyes
• From the Eyes of God
• Give Me Eyes to See

The post Eyes Opened appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;  therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Matthew 9:35-38 (ESV)

Everything Jesus did or said was in his Fathers will. His guidance and direction to teach and to heal for hundreds of thousands of people came from Father, by the Spirit of God. Even though Jesus was in the flesh, Him and Father and the Spirit were still as one.

Jesus says to His disciples that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. He tells them to pray for more laborers, but not just any laborer. Those who labor for Father, are in His will; they are in Christ and He is in them, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who labor for Father are Spirit led in all they do. To be Spirit led is a way of life, it’s not something we just do when we are doing “ministry”. To be Spirit led is to be free from the binds of this world, to go and walk freely in Christ as He works freely in you.

The harvest is the world around us…not in our church buildings, and not in church programs. The harvest is still plentiful; however, the laborers are still few. We don’t need a mission package for our communities to reach out and share the Good News. We need Spirit led laborers. God wants Spirit led laborers, for it is Him who saves; not us. It is His compassion that changes the world; not our actions or words. It is His Spirit that transforms lives; not our good deeds or powerful messages.

I have been taking a hard look at my own life lately, and have been meditating on scripture and paying close attention to all I do, to see how Spirit led I really am. With that being said, I want to share an experience with you.

The other day, I was not having the best of days. My wife was sick with the flu for almost a week, I was pulling triple duty as dad for our newborn daughter, secular job, school, and ministry work. I was on my way home from my secular job, and had just called the leader for Common Grounds (non-profit youth group) to tell him I could not come in to work with the kids for my wife was still sick and I was feeling down about it…frustrated, and tired. It was then I see a friend and dear Brother in Christ coming out of a house of a family that myself and my wife have been ministering to. I pull over and he proceeds to tell me about his day…having lunch with a youth pastor in town that he hasn’t talked to in two years to have it interrupted by his cousin needing money to get to work and home, coming to the house of the family only to have be non-responsive to his prayers and compassion…except he’s in a great overflowing joy of Fathers Spirit. Everything was great, praise God, God is good, glory to God… he kept saying. You see, him and the youth pastor spent time in His presence and glorifying God by catching up on the car ride to the cousin’s work, and then ministered and prayed over the cousin. They got lunch to-go. Even though the family was non responsive, he found out I was ministering to the same family and found great encouragement in that, and it led him to running into me. To top it off, I find out that God had arranged for him to work with the kids at Common Grounds that night, and he didn’t tell me because he wanted to surprise me when I showed up.

Can I spell convicted? My friend and Brother in Christ was so totally led in the Spirit in everything that he was doing that circumstances meant nothing. He could only see what Father was doing and nothing else…hence his Joy, and the fruit of His Spirit working in my Brother. This is the life I want to lead. This is the life of ministry I want to share with others. This is the church, being Spirit led.

Father, I pray today that you are in control, that I forsake it all to you Lord. Let me be led by your Spirit all day, every day. Let me die to my flesh and my own desires. Let me die to my frustrations and the way I have always thought and looked at circumstances. Let me just be led by your glorious Spirit and bask in your presence all day. Lord I ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Do you feel your life is Spirit led 24/7, or just some of the time?

By Rev. Daniel Forster
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• Be Spirit-Led
• The Spirit-Filled Life
• What is a Spirit Filled Life?

• Suppressing the Holy Spirit

The post To Be Spirit Led appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14 (NLT)

This verse is, and always will be, one of my life verses. I remember the day I gave my life to Jesus. As I wept and was embraced by His mercy and grace, He put this Scripture on my mind. I knew immediately why He had done this, for I was always one who loved instant gratification. I was a child of the microwave era, and when I wanted something, I wanted it now.

But that is not how God works. God wants us to rely and depend upon Him fully, which takes an enormous amount of trust on our part, especially when we have to wait.

Watchman Nee expresses the importance of depending on God when he says, “A person who wholly follows the Lord is one who believes that the promises of God are trustworthy, that He is with His people, and that they are well able to overcome.”

The fact that we have to wait in no way means that God has forsaken us. It is during this waiting process that we learn to lean on Him more than ever before. If He gave us everything in “microwave fashion,” would our trials produce strength, courage, or endurance in us? How else are we going to learn to overcome challenges by abiding in Him.

Through waiting on God, we learn to stop being the leader and to instead live as a follower of Jesus.

Father, it is hard to wait when the winds and waves of life are hitting me from all sides. Help me to place my trust in You and to hold on to You for dear life as I face these struggles. Fill me with Your Spirit so I may be brave and courageous as I face these trials. I will wait upon You Father and trust You completely. Amen.

Thought: What are you waiting on God for these days? How are you waiting? Prayerfully and patiently? Or with frustration and self-reliance? Take a moment to ask God to give you the strength and endurance to be courageous in Him as you wait patiently.

By Daniel Forster
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• Waiting Patiently
• How To Wait When God Seems Slow
• How do We Wait?

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • ‘X’ Twitter  •  Instagram  • Pinterest

The post It Takes Trust to Grow appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.  Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” Psalm 27:13-14 (NKJV)

In our society and culture today, we like to have it “our way”, and we like to have it “now”. I often think of the T.V. commercials for cash settlements, in which everyone is shouting “I want my money now”. Whether we mean to or not, we often take this mentality when it comes to our faith. We look for God to answer immediately and on the spot. We want to know today in which way to go, and not wait until tomorrow.

I often fall into this routine myself, and I call it microwave faith. If I’m hungry, and short on time (as I often am) I love to throw something into the microwave, eat, and run. When I ask God where He wants me to go and what He wants me to do, I tend to expect the same results. Pray, questions answered, and then off I go to the next task on my list for the day. The problem with this mentality is that we lose heart if we don’t get our answers right away. When we lose heart, we tend to pray on it less and less; to the point where in my experience, I will make a decision from my flesh, and not in the Spirit. God sometimes responds immediately, yet often He is the God who enjoys a good slow cooking. Let’s be honest…if given the choice of a microwave burrito, or a slow cooked pulled pork sandwich; which would you choose? God wants to transform our minds to see things His way, and to think as He thinks. To do this, it sometimes takes a slow cooking process.

Let us then wait upon our Lord, and wait with patience and endurance…”His” that is, and not our own. Let us continue to seek His presence and call upon Him to help us with all of life’s decisions. Let us not rush our Lord, but let Him guide us on His time…for His ways are perfect and righteous, as He is perfect and righteous. Let us not lose heart, yet lean on Him more and more each and every day.

Lord, help me to not look for the instant and the now, but to wait upon you, abiding in you, soaking in your Spirit as you transform and guide me in this life. Let me humbly serve you Lord and not myself. Let my thoughts, my actions, and my words glorify you God; as others may see you and not me.

What are the instant microwave moments in your life?

by Rev. Daniel Forster
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• Waiting on God
• The Silent Waiting
• Trust in the Wait

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest

The post Microwave or Slow Cooked? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5

It is not in our human nature to want to suffer. In fact, our society encourages us to avoid hardship at all costs. But what if suffering was part of God’s plan for our restoration?

Paul of all people knew what adversity was. From an illness that was always upon him, to beatings, stoning’s, prison, and even shipwrecks, Paul experienced it all. Yet he knew in his heart that his sufferings were to be rejoiced over.

All of us have experienced various forms of afflictions and suffering: the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, income or home, divorce, sickness. I personally can attest to everything I just listed; however, I wouldn’t change anything about my life. Every form of affliction I have endured — and will endure — has brought me closer to God. These painful experiences have transformed me into who I am today.

Our restoration and hope in is Christ Jesus. Our suffering will restore our hearts, teaching us endurance, which will develop our character to be a reflection of His. This is our restoration in Him: to be one with Him as Christ was One with the Father.

Hear our cries today, Lord. You know our struggles. Help us to face our afflictions with a joyful heart, knowing that in them we will only grow closer to You. May we trust You with everything in our lives, so that You may restore our hearts to be one with You. Amen.

Thought: Do you feel overwhelmed by life right now? Ask God to change your mind and attitude about whatever afflictions you face this week.

Read Romans 5:3-5 again, and meditate on its promise of restoration and hope.

By Daniel Forster
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Suffering and Sovereignty

Growth through Suffering

Suffering – What is Suffering?

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest

The post Rejoice In Suffering appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31 (ESV)

Are you heading into this week just flat out exhausted? Is there some great weight upon you that you just can’t seem to lift? Maybe there is something in your life that you have been dealing with for some time, and there seems to be no end in sight. Have no fear, for our God does not grow weary.

He knows exactly what you’re going through. Even though it may not be time to release you from this trial, He will give you strength to endure. If we try to handle these life moments on our own we grow weary and collapse under the pressure. Scripture says even the youth will faint, and young men fall exhausted. So what do we do?

We wait upon the Lord. We seek His face every moment of every day and He will lift us up. I know how hard this is to do in our fast food, 4G society. It is in our nature to look for instant relief. We seek to find the instant solution and why not? No one wants to suffer.

God will renew your strength until it is time for this trial to be over. In Him you will not fall, you will not grow weary. Will you still feel the pain of your journey? Yes. Will it still seem like the world is crashing in on you, it might, but in the arms of Jesus you will be held safe and strong until this storm passes.

Let us praise God! Let us sing songs glorifying His wonderful name! Even in your storm, let us sing Hallelujah, for He is with you. He is supporting you, and you know that your prayers will be answered in His time. The storm will not last forever, but the Love God has for you will last for all eternity. So when this storm does pass, His love will be right there showering down on you, blessings in abundance!

Thank You Jesus! Hallelujah! We Love you Lord! Thank You Jesus! Praise God! Amen

Question: Are you in the middle of a trial, or a storm of life that seems to have no end in sight? Is there something holding you back from letting Jesus be your life raft?

by Rev. Daniel Forster
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Tiredness

What is Your Strength

Fear, Faith and Migraines

The post Let Us Not Grow Tired appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“For I swear, dear brothers and sisters, that I face death daily. This is as certain as my pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done in you.” (1 Corinthians 15:31)

If I told you this was your last day on earth, would your priorities and your attitude towards others change? We believe on most levels that we control some things in our lives. This control is part of our flesh – it is the battle between our fleshly sin and God’s Spirit that is alive in us through His Son Jesus Christ.

Paul told the Corinthians that he died daily, for Paul lived daily in Christ Jesus not in himself. This is true humility. Humility is to die to ourselves, our flesh, our control, all worldly desires so that we may live in Christ Jesus alone and alone in the will of our Father in Heaven.

Jesus taught us to pray that Father’s will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Is your life lacking a life-altering experience? Could it be due to a lack of humility in your life?

This morning, thank God for the day and die to yourself. Live with the uncertainty of anything you do and give up your control. Let the Spirit of God be your guide, let Him who created all on this earth and the entire universe be the one who steers your life today. Only in true humility can we allow God to lead us. Only in true humility can we really hear His Spirit guiding us in all our circumstances and relationships. To impose ourselves on others is not humility; it is pride, and it is control.

Lord, open our eyes to see how much we inflict our own personal agendas upon our circumstances and all the relationships that you put in our lives. Help us to truly be humble as You were. Let our flesh pass away this morning and let Your Kingdom shine as a light through us into the darkness of this world. Let the words that come from our lips be of Your Spirit and not of our flesh. Lord we ask this in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

Questions: What does this kind of humility look like on a practical level? How will it change the way you live?

by Rev. Daniel Forster
used by permission

FURTHER READING

How to be Filled with the Holy Spirit

Spiritual Oxygen: Are You Getting Enough?

Stepping Into a Personal Revival

The post Death and Humility appeared first on Thoughts About God.

The scripture of Jesus calling forth Peter, James, and John in Luke Chapter 5, is a very popular scripture used in Evangelism, and rightfully so. However, for us as believers to view this scripture as just for those who don’t know the Lord, we are settling for less than what Jesus was offering that day.

Luke 5:11(ESV) “And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.”

The New King James version says “they forsake everything”, and as believers in Christ we should find great peace and strength in this. When we actually “lay it all down” at the cross, at His feet; we acknowledge that the burdens of this world are more than we can bear. We become free of these burdens and trust fully in our Father to lead us and direct us according to His will, no longer ours. Paul nailed it when he said, “I die daily to myself”; for this is the forsaking process in which we find daily peace and rest in our Father, all through our Lord and Savior.

Matthew 11:25-30 (ESV) ‘At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 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.”

Too many believers walk with heavy hearts, and burdens they cannot sustain any longer. Brothers, and Sisters…there is good news! Forsake all that you hang on to, not just your sins…your life too…and come into His peace and rest today, and every day.

Peter, James, and John left everything behind that day that they had ever known and had ever lived for, they left it for something much better; something the world cannot offer us.

by Rev. Daniel Forster
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Afraid but Following

Follow the Leader

Come to Him

The post Hear His Call…Every Moment of Every Day appeared first on Thoughts About God.