I know, the actual phrase these days is, 'Take a Load Off', but even Jesus noted if/when you unburden your sin, guilt, and shame but do not 'seal your heart', you are actually facing a high probability that those burdens, sins, even 'demons' will return... but, with MORE burdens, sins, demons (see my Demons & Exorcism story in the Writings part of this site). Today's devotional helps us in our faith-walk with 'taking that load off', but sealing our hearts with His grace and mercy by His Spirit. Psalms 68:19 declares; " Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. ", which is to say that by asking for and accepting forgiveness, He unburdens our hearts of the anguish weighing on us, but replaces it with the 'benefits of salvation'... His indwelling Spirit. THAT seals our hearts unto the 'day of redemption'. Mind you, there IS an obligation on your part, there is one teenie-weenie requirement to obtain this indwelling and 'sealing' Spirit... asking for forgiveness and demonstrate repentance. Over in 1 John 1:7-9 , it states; " But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. " Scary, I know... trusting the unseen... following God... forsaking the life 'you know now', but again... as noted at the beginning, you are actually 'putting His load' on, and sealing yourself from those tormenting burdens, sins, and guilt. 1 John 4:1 reminds us; "T here is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. ", so cast off that fear, and Put a Load On from Christ our Lord!

Sure, we're usually advised to pay attention, focus, and not be distracted when we're on a path, whether we are driving, cycling, or jogging. Practically, we do need to focus and minimize distractions, sure. Today's devotional, however, is going to encourage you to actually be distracted by the Lord's path, the Lord's plan of your life... let that get/keep your attention, let that be where your prime energy and interests go. "Same thing, just a different spin", you might say. No... Psalms 16:8 tells us; " I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. ", which is to remind us that you should purpose to give attention to the Lord, let HIM be the content that distracts you from the woes of life, such as; relationships, your work/projects, society itself. See... once we get into a routine, even a 'rut' if you will, of being in His presence and waiting on His peace and leading and wisdom, these 'things of earth' will NOT have as dramatic affect or impact on you... relationship are enriched, work and projects flow better, your interaction and resolve with society now has His Spirit permeating your faith-walk. The passage in Psalms 89:15-16 states; " Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. (16) In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. ", therefore, this path of fellowship with the Lord has a much better influence on your life than just 'going it alone'. This 'distracted on His path' way of living is quite contrary to what 'makes sense', to what is rational/practical, or even what is socially acceptable... but, that in itself is the point; when we live in close fellowship with the Lord, we are essentially 'one step removed' from the worry, tension, fear, and utter selfishness of the world. We, in fact, are right on track for His blessings, and 2 Peter 1:2 claims; " Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord ", which is your reward, your benefit, your results of being on His Path of Distraction.

Oh, to be a child again, huh? Sure, we all have those thoughts on occasion... more and more frequently as we face toils, fears, anxieties from our world. To 'run home to mommy/daddy', sometimes seems like the only valid choice at times! Those days of innocence are quite envying, but we all know we can't remain there, that we must progress, grow, mature. I recently read 1 Corinthians 13:11 , which reminds us; " When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. " Party Pooper, huh! But, as I reflect back on the inner struggle that went on in my life through that 'put away childish things' process, I recognized it was really fear that was keeping me 'hiding behind my mothers skirt', as it were... somewhat afraid to step out in faith, to trust the Lord, to be my own man, to fear God more than humans. Then, I came across Proverbs 29:25 , which states; " The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. ", and also this passage in Psalms 23:4 , that boldly declares; " Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. " Seems sort of easy to 'grow up', actually. Well, the inner sense of innocence is to remain safe and sound, protected, guarded, secure. But, we all know our fellowship with God is not a childish one. He still admonishes us to receive His grace 'as a child', and to trust with that innocent faith, to keep that eagerness to learn, grow, even explore... keeping our Inner Sense of Innocence... keeping our faith pure, fresh, and certainly true.

" Pull Up a Chair "... Now that's a phrase that just exudes, 'grab a spot, I've something you'll want to hear'. We seem to naturally do that when our favorite sport game is on, or when you have an opportunity to have an exchange with someone (or a group) who share your hobby interest or passion (finances, politics, music, gardening, etc.). We seem to naturally and eagerly focus our attention, give specific concentration, isolate our thoughts and energy on this 'pull up a chair' topic. Our devotional today will help remind you how to take that same approach with 'things that actually matter'. Yea, I said it, "things that really matter"... see, Isaiah 55:2-3 poignantly states; " Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. (3) Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. ", which may seem harsh but you know SO well it is actually the truth. Now, try getting 'instant access' to ANY dignitary or person of influence, and see just how long THAT takes. See, way back on that fateful cross, Jesus made a way for us to always be in His presence... if we choose. You may remember in John 19:30 , it states; " When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. ", which is to say, He made it so you no longer have to 'wait in line' (as they did at the tabernacle and at the synagogues)... rather, you can just 'pull up a chair' and have that wonderful, rich, peaceful fellowship with God Almighty, right there where you are! Too often, we think we need to 'be ready', or 'set the mood' to fellowship with the Lord, as though we have to 'get ready to visit with God'. Not so. But Why? I know... "what's the point?", you may say. Mainly, as noted in the Isaiah 55 passage above, it is to learn things that matter, to strengthen your faith-walk, to enrich your life and literally avert tragedies, turmoil, anguish... but even better, to equip yourself to assist others, to minister to those around you, and certainly to prepare your heart and life for a closer and deeper walk with the Lord. Isaiah 50:4 clarifies this with; " The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. " See? Told ya... Pull Up a Chair, you're gonna want to hear what He has to share with you!

I know, surrendering is typically considered defeat. Victory and winning are two different things, too. Too often in our lives, we win (succeed), but don't actually enjoy/realize victory. Seems very odd, I know, but our devotional today reminds us that surrender with the Lord results in victory with the Lord... not against the Lord, but 'with' the Lord, 'in' the Lord. Sure, we can do many things, including living our entire lives without the Lord; we can work, raise families, navigate many worldly encounters (business, traffic, land ownership, even household concerns). But, Psalms 27:13-14 reminds us; " I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (14) Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. ". That is to say that even in all our strength, skills, and wisdom/experience, when we 'wait on the Lord', we shall not faint; we do more than succeed, we have victory. His everlasting arms are a sure and mighty foundation for your life... surrendering in Him does result in a victory for your life. Deuteronomy 33:27 declares; " The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. " 'Destroy Them', is much, much more than winning; much, much more than simple success; much, much more than 'getting ahead' in this life. His victory is deep-felt assurance, it is thorough, it is a quieting rest for your very soul. No more is there a lingering fear for 'the other shoe to drop'... Surrender to Victory with Jesus!

Those two traits rarely exist in the same sentence, but our devotional for today encourages us to be broadminded, but retain an ability/willingness to be resistant. Sure, seems those would almost never exist in you life, let alone actually making an effort to develop and strengthen them. Broadminded simply means your heart and spirit are open and ready for His guidance, for His leading FOR you. In fact, Ephesians 3:16-19 admonishes us; " That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; (17) That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (19) And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. " Sure, this is a lengthy passage, but essentially is reminding us that once you surrender your life (yes, preconceptions are included) and open your mind/heart, the Lord will broaden your faith, your perspectives, even your fears... to experience a deeper and richer walk with Jesus. Now, your enriched life has a purpose; in Jesus we are better equipped to face controversy... no longer are we limited in our hearts/thoughts to narrow and restrictive lifestyles... we have a wonderful freedom in the Lord... yet, we don't take this liberty selfishly. Rather, our lives benefit directly from His dying on that cross. Hebrews 4:14-16 shares; " Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (15) For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. ", which is to say that He is our example, He is our guide, He is even our teacher for the How-To process we face. For, as the passage notes, He was tempted 'like as we'. His was a first-hand and personal experience. But, many still argue; many still doubt... Their influence and teaching can be tough to recognize, tough to surpass, even tough to resist. The Jews had the same trouble as they questioned and challenged Jesus' stature, His 'rights' to communicate His broadminded approach to God... and He concluded in John 8:44 by telling them; " Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it ". A bit harsh and possibly narrow-minded. But, John 4:7-8 reinforces your calling to be resistant as it states; " Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. " Broad-mindedness is a quality of depth in the Lord. Resistance is not against your growth and trust in the Lord; rather, it is a testament to your strength, your trust and certainly your faith in His promise, His will, and His word for your life. Broadminded resistance is a keen quality.

Ever thought about that? The things the He doesn't want to do in your life, or even in the world in general. So often we're hoping He 'allows' us to do things; to accomplish tasks, projects, life-dreams; to enjoy a fuller life; to be safe/secure. Too often, we're really just doing enough just to get by, to keep Him pleased (not thrilled) with us... too concerned with the cause-n-effect of our relationship and fellowship with. Today's devotional gets us to focus on the 'today only' aspect of our lives and relationship with Him. See, in Matthew 6:34 we are directed to " Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. " I always think it so odd that He would end this directive reminding us just how evil each day actually is... and we seem to want to plan and live tomorrow's today, too. But selfishly, we rarely consider how tomorrow's evil is just way too much for us today... today's evil is more than we are 'proving' we can handle, anyway! Convicted about that? See... God actually has to 'throttle back' His will for us, He has to temper His grace toward us, He has to blend His peace with our 'faith pace', as it were; how much we believe, trust, accept. In many ways, like connecting a 220v cloths-dryer outlet to your cell-phone... BzzzzzzzZZAaaattt ... the phone cannot handle 'that amount of power' all at once. But, put it into reserves (a battery), and it just keeps going and going... So, today's devotional is something of a reminder that His will for us is MUCH deeper and more powerful than you are 'allowing' Him to experience with you... yours is to watch, wait, learn where your faith is being throttled-back, why your trust is shallow (i.e. not as deep as it can be), how your joy and peace are being stolen from you each day, each moment. So much so, Jesus said in John 10:10 ; " The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. "... not just 'life', but more abundantly, which is to say; fuller, richer, something on the order of 'high definition', in fact! How? Well, back to the "if the Lord doesn't want to" aspect of your relationship with Him... you may be tying His hands; keeping Him at a safe distance; worrying way too much about later, and not right now. James 4:13-15 gives us broad brushstrokes about it with " Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: (14) Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (15) For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. " 'If the Lord Will' is a powerful way to live in your today. Your tomorrow will fall right in line!

No, it doesn't happen fast for you; He gradually gets less and less time with you; less and less attention; less and less communication (except for your crisis and panic moments, huh!). Over time, He does become old hat, or... is it just that you have become lukewarm about Him, about your peace in Him, about your very salvation? Our devotional today scrutinizes our intent with the Lord, which can be best portrayed through Revelation 2:4 , which states; " Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. " See? God does allow us to 'not' remain close to Him. That's why the scripture reminds us 'draw near to Him and He'll draw near to you', which is to say we are still required to 'give ear' to the Lord in our lives. Sure, 'life' itself is sucking you dry of time, of energy, of any desire to even try keeping close with Him. The one thing you may not have really tried though, is found in Matthew 11:28 , which admonishes; " Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest ." I know, He 'can' be so hard to understand, to grasp, even to find common-ground or 'like minded' fellowship with Him. In fact, Isaiah 55:8-9 clarifies that as it states; " For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. (9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. ", and all by itself, THAT should be encouragement enough, reason enough, even guidance enough to move you to 'come unto me', as that scripture pointed out. See... who else will know your heart without you saying one word? Who else will nurture you through your weakness, fears, and woes? Who else HAS the answers, solutions, and almighty power to bring you through? None but Jesus! 1 Titus 6:15-16 declares; " Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; (16) Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. ", which is to remind us that He and He alone is where our hearts, our devotion, and our yearn should be... no longer should God be old hat in your life; rather, your life can steadily grow, steadily grow deeper, steadily grow stronger. Toss the hat, bolster your faith.

Now , not that everyone ' gets ' Him, as-in understands; it's a ' gets ' Him, as-in accepts. Both are actually very true statements, however hard it may be to actually prove either. But, the core point is that we consider how odd it is that God has made Himself wholly available to everyone... well... sort of everyone. OK, not everyone... actually a 'select few', or more in keeping with scripture, 'those that select/choose/accept' Him. See, Romans 10:13 states; " For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. ", which is to say He IS available to anyone and everyone who calls on His name. He doesn't choose who, you yourself do. Now , you have likely heard this before and since you have already received Him, you're ready to 'move along' to something else right now... but, consider that ours is not an instant transformation to holiness, to godliness, to righteousness... rather, ours is a 'walk of faith' until the day of fulfillment, until His end time, until 'the fullness of man is come', as the scriptures call it. Meanwhile , we continue to surrender more and more parts of our lives (think of it as depth). Not being 'more saved', but becoming more engulfed in His power, His grace, His fellowship. See... John 1:12 reminds us; " But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ", and that word 'become' is a word (a verb) from the original language that indicates 'to cause to be', or 'come unto being'... essentially, a process, not an instant transition, not 'poof, you're holy'. Also though , He knows all the details of our lives, good-bad, past-present-future, and He is SO very trustworthy... not to be feared, but revered. Luke 12:7 even states it as; " But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. ", so while you have initially called in His name, keep that journey active, keep it fresh, keep it genuine; not everyone gets God, only those that call in Him, walk with Him, trust in Him.

Granted, feeling thankful about a thing or event is something we naturally do... something of a 'response' to your appreciation of that thing/event, and possibly even an assessment of value (you were given something extravagant, say). But, this thankfulness is an accurate and rather predictable response for this thing/event. Sadness, sorrow, whining and even complaining are the same; rather natural and normal responses to a thing or event. In many ways, these are 'learned' communication skills. Something we 'pick-up' as we grow in our environment. Unnatural or irrational thankfulness is much tougher to do in 'sad' or 'hard' circumstances, but Ephesians 5:20 proclaims; " Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; ", and I want you to revisit that passage and recognize it states that we are to be thankful; 1) always, and 2) for all things. What? There 'are' things/events in life that just do NOT seem appropriate that we should express any thankfulness over (death, job loss, disease, injustice, etc). And THAT is the very point if our devotional, today... unlearning our 'learned' responses of sadness, complaining, whining... and unnaturally, maybe even irrationally give God thanks, giving God praise, giving God 'credit' for the incredulous work He is about to do in your life! See... applying unnatural and irrational thankfulness (the predicament doesn't seem to merit this response), you immediately get God's attention with your faith, with your hope in Him, with your trust that He does have your best interest in mind. Psalms 13:5 even references it as it states; " But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. ", which is such a perfect picture of our response to the Lord in the face of chaos, the face of turmoil, the very face of evil itself... not delirious, oblivious, disconnected glee... a faith-walk thankfulness, an irrational but solid trust. Apply this trait in your crazy circumstances and watch your faith leap, watch your joy (serious deep joy) overfill your soul. No longer are you ready to whine about a circumstance or potential outcome... but unnaturally and maybe a little irrationally thankful to the Lord that He IS near and has you right in His will.

I am not a fan of Luck; it can go one of two ways. When you have a 'streak of bad luck', you don't know why; when you have a 'streak of good luck', you also don't really know why. We get taunted with the whole 'thank your lucky stars' concept, or the Karma concept, but those don't really speak to the core point if thankfulness, the core point of gratitude or humble appreciation of our lives and the trends, paths, even odd-direction or predicaments in which we find ourselves. We want so badly to explain then away, understand them, even predict or thwart them. Regardless of our circumstances, regardless of our predicaments, even regardless of our plans, hopes, dreams... today's devotional is my desire to not only remind you that we can enjoy His joy regardlessly, but help you realize 'how' to have joy regardlessly, to experience that much deeper peace of our Lord. There are many 'why you should enjoy His joy' scriptures, but Habakkuk 3:17-19 explains it best as it states; " Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: (18) Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (19) The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. " You may need to re-read that, to re-think that, and even re-apply that to your life... I do! See... our circumstances (tangible events in life) do influence our lives, but they are NOT the source of out joy, the core reason for our peace, for our security. As verse 18 notes, " Yet I will rejoice ...", which is a reminder that we can and should remain on the rejoicing and 'joyful' side of an 'event', which postures our heart and soul to hear the very voice God Almighty... right in the midst of chaos, confusion, and what seems like 'hell'. No... in NO way being oblivious to pending doom, turmoil, or calamity; but faithfully trusting our Lord. As when Jesus called Peter to walk out of that boat onto the water 'with' Him, we can follow our Lord's calling with faith, hope, and joy... regardlessly! How? Remain in His presence, and you can and will be joyful. 1 Chronicles 16:27 proclaims; " Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place. ", which is a perfect reminder that in His presence, not only strength but gladness will engulf your very spirit, soul, and life... Joy Regardlessly.

...but, He doesn't. Sometimes your life may seem and feel like He cares very little for you; does not seem to be aware (or care) of the turmoil you face, the anguish you experience, or even the fear that hides deep in your soul... you know, that fear that makes you do things you regret or hate about yourself. He does care though, never misunderstand that. You may not feel it, sense it or realize it, but He does. To get you to a place where you really can internalize this fact, 1 Peter 5:6-7 presents it in two simple phases; Verse 6 reads; " Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: " Verse 7 reads; " Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. " You can NOT do one without the other. Were you to, you'd experience silence from the Lord, and even be feeling something along the lines of 'being ignored'. Do both, then wait and learn! Meanwhile, remember to rejoice, remember to live with J oy Regardlessly , as we recently discussed. Psalms 118:24 even states; " This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. ", and never forget to be ' Unnaturally and Intentionally Thankful ', as we'd discussed in a previous devotion. But, to bring it into today's devotional, we read in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 that; " In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. " God Could Care Less, but just doesn't... you don't see/feel it has much more to do with you!