Preface
More than anything, I want the words, thoughts, scriptures, and prayers in these pages to draw your heart closer to our Lord, our Savior, showing you how to let go of all that weighs you down and live in His unforced rhythms of grace. I’ve prayed this prayer for you every time I sat down to pour out on these pages.
God never meant for us to ‘work for Him.’ His story has always been to invite us into an intimate relationship to ‘work with Him.’ This idea was a paradigm shift for me several years ago. A moment I realized much of my life “burn out” and failures came from being exhausted, depleted, striving and living in my own strength; even doing all the right things, serving God – I wasn’t letting Him into the deepest intimate parts of my soul.
Even our deepest desires realized can’t compare with the soul-rest that comes from abiding in God and His presence. We long for something more than anything or anyone in this world can fulfill. Yet striving to achieve comes almost as naturally as breathing. God’s Kingdom is the opposite. He created us for rhythms of grace and rest in His strength through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We want God’s will for our lives, but when we try to work it out in our own strength, it becomes daunting. When our daily rhythms are dependent on what we can accomplish, we burn out; we give up, we doubt, we fear, we lose our identity.
This Devotional is for you if you’ve ever been:
Tired of doubting
Tired of comparing
Tired of striving
Tired of fear
Tired of being tired
In my personal journey, the Lord has shown me that it’s in rest that we have room to receive revelation and healing. Rest isn’t found in a vacation or holiday. It can be found every single day by intentionally shifting your thoughts, mind, and heart toward the Lord.
God has important work for us to do here on this earth, but we must do it in His strength and by the power of the Holy Spirit. There have been times in my life where I ran ahead with a plan instead of waiting on God’s complete instructions. I have learned to wait on His timing. Activities, plans, information, and execution alone don’t bring transformation; it’s only God’s presence and the power of the Holy Spirit that brings actual effectiveness with what God has purposed in our lives.
Jesus is inviting you to let go and live in His unforced rhythms of grace.
Will you let go of your worries? In stillness and quietness, know He is the Lord, and He will show you which way to go, the next right thing to do, providing every step of the way.
Day 1
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:8
In Deuteronomy 31, Moses commissions Joshua and prepares the Israelites for his departure. He summoned Joshua in the presence of all Israel beginning with, ‘Be strong and courageous’. He knew fear and doubt had the potential to be a companion in the long unpredictable journey ahead. As complex as their situation seemed, God’s promise was profoundly simple: He promised He would not fail or forsake them, and that He would always be with them.
Everything God does on earth comes through the life of a man or woman. Have you ever stopped to think about that?
You are here on purpose with a purpose. Each of us has a vital role assigned by God and the way we live our lives is an expression of the revelation we have of God.
Revelation forms the expectation you have of God in your life. He has given us hundreds of promises and assurances that He will be with us, guide, provide, and never forsake us.
In God’s mercy, He doesn’t show us our life reel in one sitting. You have a stunning story of promise but there is a war. You have a very real enemy that has been strategizing and scheming against you since you were born – he has come to ruin all that God intended for your life. But that’s not where the story ends. We are reborn into a perfect inheritance that can never perish, never be defiled, and never diminish.
Just as God prepared Joshua for the long unpredictable journey ahead that would ultimately take him to the promised land, He gives you promises and preparation for your promised land. You only need to receive and allow Him to do the work in and through you. Can you hear Him whispering today? ‘Be strong and courageous. I am with you. I am for you.
In rest, trust and dependence we can walk lightly and live freely, fully.
Day 2
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10
If we could see our lives beginning to end, it would be overwhelming. Facing adversities, disappointments, and delays are inevitable. This is why God has given us so many promises and explicit instructions so that we can live in His strength, peace, and grace.
In this psalm, to be still means to stop striving, stop fighting, relax, to not be anxious. The Greek root of ‘be still’ means let go.
God plants seeds and dreams in our hearts. Nothing is truly solid, trustworthy, or lasting apart from or in God. The way God unfolds His plans for our lives is a process. It’s not a sprint. It’s a journey. Slowly through prayer and process, God-given dreams come to life, rising with blooms in places and seasons beyond our finite minds could imagine. For His glory, for our good.
Letting go, the stillness of soul and surrender is where we find freedom. Freedom to trust and let go of fears, doubt, and insecurities. Being still does not mean standstill. In the process, we keep moving forward as God directs and orders our steps, knowing He has the final victory.