Happy New Year!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
(Matthew 11:28 (NIV))

Do you long for rest?

I long for true rest where all of my cares and worries are wiped away never to return!

Do you long for peace?

I long for true peace that passes all understanding.

I realize that these are difficult things to actually have, but I want to tell you that these, and so much more, can be yours if you simply place your faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Through Jesus, I have found true rest. Through Jesus, I have found true peace, and I can confidently claim that there is nothing better!

At the chance of sounding simplistic, which it is, all that you have to do is come to Jesus!

The world that we live in is falling further and further into a deprived, sinful state. Are you tired of the things that you see happening in the world? Does your heart break when you see the evil that permeates the thoughts and actions of those who are rebelling against God? Do you have a sense that society has lost its mind, and that what is good is now called evil and what is evil is now called good? You are not alone. More and more people are recognizing that God’s plans are unfolding right before us. We may not know the hour or the day, but we can recognize the season, and that season is upon us.

If you have not professed a faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, do not wait another minute! It is time to make that profession of faith now!

No one knows what the future holds, but we can know who holds the future. Trust in the Lord and I can guarantee that your future will be an eternity with the Father in paradise! I can’t think of a better way to end a year and to start a new year than resting in the assurance that your eternity rests safely in the loving arms of Jesus!

Happy New Year!

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Have you accepted the love that He has shown for you?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
(1 John 4:10 (NIV))

I have been battling diabetes for far too many years to even count. Every once in a while my blood sugar drops dangerously low. Most of these instances seem to happen at night. So far, I have always woken up and been able to take measures to raise my blood sugar. It happened again and I am writing this at 2:30 in the morning as I wait for the side effects of a very low blood sugar to go away. As I often do when this happens, I start to pray. Tonight, I remember saying something to the effect that Lord, I wish that you would find another way to wake me up, but I do enjoy our time together, so it is okay!

I reached over and grabbed my iPad and opened up one of my Bible apps. I instinctively went to the verse of the day and clicked to read the full chapter.

This passage stood out!

It gave me peace and assurance that even if I didn’t wake up, everything would be okay.

I am His and He is mine!

My sins are forgiven and I am at peace! I rest confidently in the knowledge that the one who created the universe knows my name. I rest confidently knowing that I am loved, that my sins are forgiven, and that one day I will see Him face to face!

All of this because I chose to accept His love, mercy and grace that is freely given through His atoning sacrifice that was done once for all. All that you have to do is accept before it is too late!

Have you accepted the love that He has shown for you?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Have you truly found rest?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
(Matthew 11:28 (NIV))

Weary and burdened!

Do these two words describe you?

To be honest with you, these two words probably describe the majority of people in the world after living through the events of the last several years. Even if you don’t profess a faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, it is extremely easy to give recognition to the fact that something is not right in the world today. People used to have common sense. Now, common sense is far from common. People used to be able to agree that the principles conveyed in the Ten Commandments were good and true. Now, if you try to say that stealing is wrong or that murder is wrong, you are blatantly told that what you claim to be truth is not the truth for everyone. We used to be able to disagree on things and still be friends. Now, if you disagree with someone, you are cast away and discarded like you were a mortal enemy. If you try to tell someone about Jesus, you are told to “EXPLETIVE”-off. What happened to our society? What happened to our world?

With all of this, it is so easy to become weary and burdened. In fact, most people do not have any idea just how far things will go and what is rapidly coming. To be honest with you, neither do I, but I do have a peace that passes all understanding. I am at rest because I know who holds the future even when the future is so uncertain.

I have placed my faith in Jesus!

He is my rock. He is my fortress. He is my firm foundation. I have placed all faith, hope and trust in Him alone. I have accepted His offer to trade burdens. He has willingly taken my burdens, my sins and my problems, and I have been given His grace and His mercy. I am no longer yoked with the weight of my sins, this world, or the worries of what is to come.

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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV))

I hear news stories of things unfolding. I read accounts of the world’s unrighteousness. I witness firsthand the wars and rumors of wars. I see nations rise against nation. I see all of this and so much more, yet, I still have a peace. Even with all that is going on in the world, I know who wins in the end. I don’t have to worry about tomorrow. I have truly found peace and rest.

Have you truly found rest?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Where you seek shelter will have eternal consequences!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
     will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
     my God, in whom I trust.”
(Psalms 91:1-2 (NIV))

What comes to mind when you think of shelter?

A shelter can be a simple covering that protects you from the elements. It can be your home. It can be someplace that you evacuate to in times of emergencies. It can be a place of rest, and in some cases it can even be a place that you run to for refuge. If that is the case, then it only stands to reason that you would want your place of refuge to be a fortified location where the enemy cannot enter and do any harm.

If you think of a shelter in this manner, does the Lord fit this description? If a shelter is where you reside, does the Lord fit this description?

Life in this sinful, fallen world has gotten so strange lately that the only thing that is certain is uncertainty. Just when you think that you have seen it all, something else comes along to add to the rapidly unfolding chaos. Where do you find shelter when you hear of wars and rumors of wars? Where do you find shelter when common sense is no longer common? Where do you find shelter when supplies are short and prices are high? Where do you find shelter when the world health organization is being given authority over individual nations and their citizens?

Where do you find shelter when all around you is falling apart?

This world is not our home! It is not our shelter, our refuge, nor our fortress. We are not finding rest! We are not finding peace! We must look to the Lord!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33 (NIV))

Have you found this peace? Have you found your refuge and your fortress in the Lord?

We know that the Lord uses the stars and planets as signs to mark sacred times. We also know that the Lord uses the Jewish festivals to give us a foreshadowing of the events that they represent. At this moment in history, even the most conservative Biblical scholars are saying that something is going on. As things unfold, are you seeking shelter in the things of this world or are you seeking shelter in the Lord?

Where you seek shelter will have eternal consequences!

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Have you found rest?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV))

The world has ways of making you weary. None of us are exempt from this. If you live in the world, you WILL become weary and burdened. Right now, I am exhausted. Without going into detail, if you have aging parents, you understand my current burden. There have been days in the last three weeks that seemed like they took forever. Other days seemed to fly by. All of it is a blur, and . . .

I am tired!

I rest assured in the promises contained within this passage. I still make myself turn to His Word for there is no other place to turn. I know and hold firm to what Simon Peter professed.

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
(John 6:68 (NIV))

Have you found rest?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do you desire true rest?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
(Matthew 11:28 (NIV))

If you have lived any length of time at all in this world, you know very well how it can drag you down. It will make you so weary at times that you do all that you can do to simply drag yourself out of bed. Just the thought of another day like all of the others makes you want to scream. The enemy does his job all too well when it comes to making you feel like you are carrying the weight of the world upon your shoulders.

It doesn’t have to be like that!

And, yes, people who profess a faith in Jesus still have days like this. We still live in this world, but we have a hope for a future beyond the realm of this physical world. We have placed our faith and trust in Jesus, and as a result, we can rest assured that His promises are true. He desires to ease our burdens.

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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV))

The biggest burden that Jesus has lifted is the consequences for our sins. If we profess a faith in Jesus, we are no longer bound by the law of sin and death. He has saved us from eternal separation from God by taking our punishment upon Himself. He has removed our burdens. He has provided a way to escape the troubles of this world. He has given us peace.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33 (NIV))

Do you desire true rest?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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It is time to come to Jesus!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
(Matthew 11:28 (NIV))

There is never a bad time to turn to the Lord, but now is the best time if you haven’t already accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior!

With all that is going on in the world, turn to Jesus!

Are you weary and burdened because of evil being called good and good being called evil? Are you overwhelmed by the never-ending variants and lock downs? Are you uncertain about your income? Are you concerned about the shortages that just don’t seem to go away?

No one knows what the future will bring, but, as followers of Jesus, we know who holds the future. We have been given insight into what will transpire in the end of days and it looks all to similar to the things that we have been seeing and are seeing unfold right before our eyes. A line from a song by the Atlanta Rhythm Section comes to mind. “The world is in an uproar and I see no end in sight” is very fitting at this time in history. If you look to the world, then you will be in an uproar, but if you look to Jesus, you will have peace and rest no matter what the world may send your way.

Do you long for rest?

The world has false hopes that a new year will bring about better days, but without turning to Jesus, the world will still be in an ever increasing uproar until the time comes when Jesus returns for His Bride, His church! Once that happens, what we are experiencing today will seem like a walk in the park.

The only way to insure that you will have a happy new year is to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior today!

It is time to come to Jesus!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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It is my prayer that everyone finds true rest in Jesus.

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
(Matthew 11:28 (NAS))

At this very moment, I feel extremely heavy-laden. I am weary in body and mind, but my spirit still knows that I have a place of strength to which I can turn and I do turn. The world has a way of beating each of us down, no matter how much we desire to stay focused on Jesus. We must never forget that He is our source of strength when the world oppresses us in any manner.

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
     a stronghold in times of trouble.
(Psalms 9:9 (NIV))

It has taken me a long time to grasp this simple, yet profound truth. I know that I still have a long way to go in fully claiming this truth as my own, for in my humanity, I have times of weariness where it is difficult to stay focused. To be honest with you, I know that everyone does. It is only human nature. Rejoice, for we can overcome our nature if we keep our eyes focused on Jesus. Even in times of trouble, He is with us.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
(Matthew 28:20b (NIV))

It is comforting to know that we have a place of refuge where we can go; that we have a friend who stays closer than a brother. We can always turn to Jesus, and I pray that we always do. Isn’t it good to know that He is always there when we feel that we are weary. We can rest in His grace and mercy. We can rest in His love. We can rest in the assurance that He has overcome the world.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
(John 16:33 (NIV))

It is my prayer that everyone finds true rest in Jesus.

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Have you truly turned to Jesus?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
(Matthew 11:28 (NIV))

I don’t know a single person who professes a faith in Jesus that does not know and love this passage. In fact, we rely on the truth of these words when the world gets us down. We love the fact that we can turn to Jesus and He will not forsake us, but most people stop there. They don’t connect the proverbial dots with what is written in the next two sentences.

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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV))

The rest that we seek is not a transitory rest. It is not a pit stop where we get recharged and then go do our own thing. We are to take His yoke and learn from it. I started to say that we are to take His yoke as a way of life, but in all honesty, we are to take His yoke as the way of life!

I have read in the past that a rabbi’s teachings were called a yoke. The Pharisees and the Sadducees created a heavy burden, a heavy yoke, for their followers to carry. They were burdened with legalism and teachings that were of man’s traditions instead of God’s Word. Jesus never placed this type of burden, this type of yoke, on those who follow Him. He simply calls us to repent and acknowledge Him as your personal Lord and Savior. Instead of a vast number of man’s traditions, He calls us to love the Lord your God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. If we are able to do this, everything else falls into place.

In essence, when you look at Matthew 11:28-30 in context, we are invited to come to Jesus and abandon man’s religious traditions, accept the grace and mercy that is freely given at the cross, and follow His teachings that call us to love God and each other. We don’t have to worry about sacrifices, for He has paid the price as the perfect Lamb of God!

I realize that Isaiah lived hundreds of years before Matthew recorded these words, but I see a direct relationship, a direct result of taking the yoke of Jesus as our own.

But those who wait on 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 40:31 (NIV))

We will find rest. We will have the joy of carrying the burden that Jesus spoke of. We will rejoice in the Lord. We will renew our strength, for our strength will be found in Him. We will learn to soar above the sins of this world because He has overcome this world, and we will walk through this world knowing that our strength comes from Jesus!

Have you truly turned to Jesus?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do you seek rest?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28 (NIV))

Are you weary from all that you burdened with in this world?

In this country, we celebrate people who work, but is work different than labor? Is this different than a burden? Work implies fulfilling duties in exchange for compensation whether a pay check or a harvest of some kind. Labor implies hard work or compulsory work without the proportional reward. A burden implies some hardship or oppression that must be carried. With that in mind, do you work or do you labor? Do you have any burdens that you carry?

Are you weary from your efforts? Are you exhausted physically and spiritually? Do you feel that you can endure nothing else in this world?

Do you long for peace? It can be yours! Turn to Jesus!

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
‭‭(Philippians‬ 4:7‬ (NIV‬‬))

Do you long for rest? It can be yours! Turn to Jesus!

Do you seek rest?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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