Matthew 11 Verse 28
“[28] Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

May we find rest and peace in Christ by treasuring His words and believing what is right. May the burdens we bear, self-inflicted or not, be but a feather on our shoulders, in prayer to our Lord. He calls to all laboring under the weight of difficulty, not some or few—but anyone and everyone buckling under the pressures of this world. What a heavenly feeling it is to experience, when the heavy weight we carry., becomes but a weightless misunderstanding in discovering the correct belief, afforded to us by Jesus!

This post was edited by WizardKiller on May 6 2023 11:02pm

“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/pro.16.24.NIV

How often are our words gracious? I believe the idea of Christian grace is to love, forgive, support, encourage, etc. — even when someone may not deserve it. How often do you hear gracious words? I’m thinking about this, it seems somewhat seldom that I hear or say gracious words. I hope to be more gracious in my speech, to build others up and give them what they might not deserve—and in doing so, maybe it would inspire them to be more gracious and deliver sweetness to another’s soul, perhaps even heal some brokenness in this world.

“Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/pro.17.1.NIV

It seems all too often I lack appreciation for the simple, peaceful things in life. I think back to my twenties, when going to parties, bars, and other feasting-like events—quite often it lead to some kind of sinning, strife, emptiness. It took many years of studying scripture, prayer, and maturing to find the above verse so very true. May God bless us with more humility, wisdom, gratefulness and being able to appreciate what seems like simple dry crust with peace (how valuable such a thing really is).

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/pro.17.17.NIV

Envision a world where this rings true in the heart of so many. Would there be less suicide, less loneliness, less depression? I believe so. Where might we find this verse being lived out in the world? It seems foreign.
I feel like we are more connected via the internet and social media but much less close to others. I feel like we can see and experience so much with our phones or computers, it’s almost replaced our friends and thus makes life more difficult in times of adversity. I pray I would remember this verse when there is an opportunity to be a friend—to love in times of another’s adversity.

“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/pro.19.11.NIV

There is a ratio between wisdom and patience. WISDOM:PATIENCE
As wisdom grows, so does patience. As patience grows, it is less difficult to overlook an offense. Thus, if you were wanting to be more tolerant and peaceful, wisdom is the key to this. May we begin with a prayer to God for more wisdom, then read scripture, love others, and listen—all in the effort of growing wisdom.

This post was edited by WizardKiller on May 21 2023 10:55pm

I find these verses so poetic. They encourage the young to remember God in their youth, then go on to describe the dullness, fear, and cynicism age often brings. The last sentence is stirringly contemplative.

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”— before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim; when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when people rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint; when people are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags itself along and desire no longer is stirred. Then people go to their eternal home and mourners go about the streets.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/ecc.12.5.NIV

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” – Galatians 3:28

Jesus’ work on the cross was the greatest equalizer in all human history.

Jesus was given by God for the poor, the prideful, and the rich—the sick, the broken, the failures—those without identity and without hope! The murderer, liar, thief, sexual deviant—you name it—all have been given the gift! In being in His light, it exposed our darkness but the light did not destroy us for being in darkness, it did not burn or harm us. Jesus filled up what was empty like light filling up a dark room. He brought joy where cynicism had taken hold; softened hearts hardened by years of anger and disappointment; washed what was stained with sin and brought trust where betrayal had created guilt.

Jesus offers reconciliation in the war between race, age, gender, sexuality, status; He exposed every trap ever made and laid throughout society. The cross challenged anything that could pit another against another by equalizing the transgressions of all: making everyone guilty in sin and then equal in forgiveness.

Jesus Christ provided every human being the opportunity to find in others the image of God by serving them—to the ultimate example, on the cross. He did not do this by encouraging what we could do for ourselves or by ourselves, rather, He exclaimed “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it” (Mark 8:34-35).

No person nor institution that has sought to destroy Christianity has survived Jesus’ cross: Rome fell, the USSR fell, the Islamic State fell, America will fall; but the cross will stand. No movement will shake its foundation; no social construct will surpass its purpose; no politics will undermine it; no fires will consume it; no censorship will prevent it being felt in the heart of God’s people. Why? Because we are all one in Christ and Christ is in us—it’s a perfect union that all the world cannot possibly overcome.

""I Do Not Enjoy Life;” Almost 50% of Teens Surveyed Spiraling With Depressive Symptoms"
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/i-do-not-enjoy-life-almost-50-of-teens-surveyed-spiralling-with-depressive-symptoms/ar-AA1f6zrs?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=ba94c91893ad4c8b82ad893b75add7ce&ei=308

Matthew 11:28-30
New International Version
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 9:35-38
English Standard Version
The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few
35 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. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

May we be a light in this world and help the waves of generations before us come to a shore of love, hope, mercy, forgiveness, encouragement, and faith!

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"Were the fathers there?
Mothers without care?
Christians wouldn't dare?

Jesus, where?

Brothers no more
Sisters a bore
The Word a chore

Jesus, just lore?"
-Anon

The idea of humor and God is peculiar, perhaps mysterious. Most expressions of humor or comedy, in a popular sense, tend to be degrading or derogatory; a sort of tearing down, as opposed to building up. Can we imagine what a holy, righteous, perfect God would find funny? Would He laugh at misfortune, foolishness, insults, or perversity? No Christian would think so. The Son of Man has no depiction of cracking jokes at anyone’s expense. He showed sadness, anger, love, leadership, passion, wit, faith, empathy—but nothing in the way of modern comedy. Perhaps the closer we are to God, we find inevitable laughter in supernatural joy, the likes of which comedy could never even hope for.

May we be more enlightened, more mindful of what we find funny, and seek a laughter which builds hearts and minds, instead of tearing them down.

“His pathos was natural, almost casual. The Stoics, ancient and modern, were proud of concealing their tears. He never concealed His tears; He showed them plainly on His open face at any daily sight, such as the far sight of His native city. Yet He concealed something. Solemn supermen and imperial diplomatists are proud of restraining their anger. He never restrained His anger. He flung furniture down the front steps of the Temple, and asked men how they expected to escape the damnation of Hell. Yet He restrained something. I say it with reverence; there was in that shattering personality a thread that must be called shyness.
There was something that He hid from all men when He went up a mountain to pray. There was something that He covered constantly by abrupt silence or impetuous isolation. There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth.”

Excerpt From
Orthodoxy
G. K. Chesterton
https://books.apple.com/us/book/orthodoxy/id1522942000
This material may be protected by copyright.

I would like to draw a parallel between the final chapter of the book of Psalms and the idea of how we want things to end.These lives are like the Psalms: the triumphs, the disasters, the sadness, the joy, the worry, the reassurance—the Psalms capture so much over the 150 chapters, all coming to this conclusion; and may it be the same for us in our living and when our life comes to an end. May we experience all things necessary to cause us to praise God all the more in the end.

Let Everything Praise The Lord
“Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭150‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.150.1-6.ESV