John 14:27
I give you peace, the kind of peace that
only I can give. It isn’t like the peace that this world can give. So
don’t be worried or afraid.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Greg
and I do not “go out to eat” very often. We take the children to a
local restaurant or fast food place after church on Sundays…and we get
“take-out” a few times a month. But for the most part, I’m pretty
content to prepare our meals at home…and bless his heart, Greg always
eats them – even when I experiment on us with a new Pinterest recipe!
But
once in a while, we get hungry for steak. And while we have tried the
offerings at several restaurants, there is only one that truly satisfies
us – and it comes from a tiny “mom-and-pop” restaurant in our community
known as “Chuck’s”. We’ve eaten at Chuck’s off and on for decades,
because for a span of several years, the owners closed the restaurant
and pursued another business venture. Boy, were we ever happy when they
re-opened their steak house a few years ago!
Like I said, we’ve
tried steaks at several establishments…from franchises to those
privately owned. And none compare to Chuck’s. We are never
disappointed there…the meal always satisfies and leaves us filled to the
brim - and happy (albeit often needing a nap!). Did I mention their
rolls? Those little pillows of deliciousness are more akin to a cupcake
than a piece of bread…and we enjoy every morsel. In case you have not
eaten a steak dinner lately, these are not the cheapest offerings on
most menus. So when I hand over that kind of money for one meal, I want
it to be the best thing I have put in my mouth in a long, long time!
And that’s always the case when we eat steak at Chuck’s!
Okay…commercial
over! But here’s the thing. There are lots of experiences in life
that give us pleasure. Plenty of things will satisfy us for a little
while…good food, the company of others, exhilarating encounters and
“thrills” of all kinds. We can find joy in the victory of our favorite
sports team over their opponent…and comfort in the happiness of a long
and fruitful marriage or relationship. We can relish a job that we love
– or a home that provides us with all of the “creature comforts”…or the
peace and tranquility of visiting a beautiful lake, forest, or National
Park. We can be cozy and content to attend worship on Sunday and
fellowship with family and friends…and we can revel in the pleasures of
the community in which we live.
But for the long haul, there is
only one “meal” that truly satisfies and never disappoints…and that is
the “Bread of Life”. The peace of Jesus Christ cannot be found in this
world. No one else can give us this peace and gratification. And while
Jesus’ gift of salvation is totally free, the “cost” of being His
faithful follower can sometimes seem a little high. We may face tests
and trials…it may seem that we “lose” some people who don’t agree with
us…we may be ridiculed and challenged. But in the end, the peace and
rest we find in Jesus is the only kind that is worth the price.
So
if you are dabbling with other avenues to peace…if you have “tried out
other restaurants”, so to speak…I encourage you to come back to Jesus.
He never closes…He will never “go out of business”…and He will never
disappoint. If you want true, perpetual, everlasting, quenching peace
and rest…Jesus is your answer. The time has come to stop wasting your
Spiritual “dining experiences” and receive the “meal” that satisfies
like no other. From now on...Who will feed your soul?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label finding rest for your soul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label finding rest for your soul. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 11, 2014
Jeremiah 6:16
Yet the Lord pleads with you still: Ask where the good road is, the godly paths you used to walk in, in the days of long ago. Travel there, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, “No, that is not the road we want!”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
My mom and her husband, Lee, are Workamping this summer in West Yellowstone, Montana. Four days a week, they work in a high-end retail shop, for which they are provided wages and a full hookup campsite for their motorhome. On their days off, they explore Yellowstone National Park and the scenery that surrounds it in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. This week, they decided to travel across the Bear Tooth Highway, which the late Charles Kuralt deemed “America’s most beautiful drive”.
According to the website http://beartoothhighway.com,...“[The Beartooth All-American Road/Highway] is one of the highest and most rugged areas in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks reaching over 12,000 feet in elevation. In the surrounding mountains, glaciers are found on the north flank of nearly every mountain peak over 11,500 feet high. The Road itself is the highest elevation highway in Wyoming (10,947 feet) and Montana (10,350 feet), and is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies.
A 54-mile section of the Beartooth Highway begins 8 miles south and east of Red Lodge, Montana, and ends just east of Cooke City, Montana. Since Mom and Lee approached from the west, they traveled 70 miles just to get on the Highway near Cooke City. Mom had been to “Yellowstone” many summers ago with my dad, and they approached this scenic roadway from the east, via the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway that travels southeast to Cody, Wyoming. She and Lee considered taking this cut-off and visiting Cody. They had some choices to make – especially about their return trip to West Yellowstone. They could travel to Cody and then go another 50-80 miles just to get to the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park…then drive across the Park and back to West Yellowstone. Or they could stay on the Beartooth Highway and drive to Red Lodge, Montana… then make their way “home”. In the end, they chose this option, then retraced their steps to get back to their home base.
In this area of the country, there is no easy or quick route! Not only that, the highways are fraught with wildlife, i.e. buffalo, elk, bears and more…all of whom have the right-of-way. Mom says that when these animals cross the road, traffic comes to a standstill. So this “day-trip” ended somewhere south of 10:00 p.m., and she and Lee were both exhausted! Had they chosen to go to Cody or traverse the National Park itself, their “rest” might have been delayed even further!
Google Yellowstone National Park or visit the Beartooth Highway website - or any of several websites for attractions in the surrounding area - and study the maps. You will get a sense of how vast this area is…and how isolated, and even treacherous some of the stretches of road and forest expanses can be. There are no Interstate highways to speedily traverse from Point A to Point B...and distractions galore abound at every turn. If you are not carefully watching the road, you are probably busy ogling the incredibly scenery and photographing the remarkable flora and fauna! When visiting an area such as this, it pays to do your homework, read the maps, and listen to those who are experienced with the area and its terrain and roadways.
Our lives are like the glacial lakes, forests, mountain peaks and scenic vistas of a National Park…vast, sometimes remote and out-of-the-way, filled with peaks and valleys, and often carrying us along treacherous roadways. If we make reckless choices or do not pay attention – or simply choose the road we want rather than the one God ordains – we may find ourselves quite wearied. Worse yet, we might end up in something of a pickle! Imagine being lost in the expansive forests of Yellowstone National Park…and then think of being “Spiritually stranded” by comparison! It boggles the mind!
I pray that we are all “reading the maps” properly – on America’s Scenic By-ways, and in our spiritual lives. It is human nature to want to venture off on our own…to make our own decisions and travel the paths that seem most interesting and enjoyable – or those that our peers feel are right for us. But no one knows better than God which course is truly in our best interest. His paths may not be the ones we would choose…but they offer us the greatest opportunities for joy, peace…and rest. More importantly, these “roadways” lead us directly to Him and His favor…and ultimate respite with Him for all Eternity.
It’s so easy to get off-track…to take the wrong turn and travel far and away from the road that best leads to God’s blessings and perfect plan for our lives. Just as in the case of Mom and Lee’s trip, there may be several options…but one is always better than the others. Are you doing all you can to make sure you choose the best route in each area of your life? Will you select a path that leads to God’s rest and peace? Are you properly preparing for “safe travels” toward your ultimate destination? Don’t you think you should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Yet the Lord pleads with you still: Ask where the good road is, the godly paths you used to walk in, in the days of long ago. Travel there, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, “No, that is not the road we want!”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
My mom and her husband, Lee, are Workamping this summer in West Yellowstone, Montana. Four days a week, they work in a high-end retail shop, for which they are provided wages and a full hookup campsite for their motorhome. On their days off, they explore Yellowstone National Park and the scenery that surrounds it in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. This week, they decided to travel across the Bear Tooth Highway, which the late Charles Kuralt deemed “America’s most beautiful drive”.
According to the website http://beartoothhighway.com,...“[The Beartooth All-American Road/Highway] is one of the highest and most rugged areas in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks reaching over 12,000 feet in elevation. In the surrounding mountains, glaciers are found on the north flank of nearly every mountain peak over 11,500 feet high. The Road itself is the highest elevation highway in Wyoming (10,947 feet) and Montana (10,350 feet), and is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies.
A 54-mile section of the Beartooth Highway begins 8 miles south and east of Red Lodge, Montana, and ends just east of Cooke City, Montana. Since Mom and Lee approached from the west, they traveled 70 miles just to get on the Highway near Cooke City. Mom had been to “Yellowstone” many summers ago with my dad, and they approached this scenic roadway from the east, via the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway that travels southeast to Cody, Wyoming. She and Lee considered taking this cut-off and visiting Cody. They had some choices to make – especially about their return trip to West Yellowstone. They could travel to Cody and then go another 50-80 miles just to get to the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park…then drive across the Park and back to West Yellowstone. Or they could stay on the Beartooth Highway and drive to Red Lodge, Montana… then make their way “home”. In the end, they chose this option, then retraced their steps to get back to their home base.
In this area of the country, there is no easy or quick route! Not only that, the highways are fraught with wildlife, i.e. buffalo, elk, bears and more…all of whom have the right-of-way. Mom says that when these animals cross the road, traffic comes to a standstill. So this “day-trip” ended somewhere south of 10:00 p.m., and she and Lee were both exhausted! Had they chosen to go to Cody or traverse the National Park itself, their “rest” might have been delayed even further!
Google Yellowstone National Park or visit the Beartooth Highway website - or any of several websites for attractions in the surrounding area - and study the maps. You will get a sense of how vast this area is…and how isolated, and even treacherous some of the stretches of road and forest expanses can be. There are no Interstate highways to speedily traverse from Point A to Point B...and distractions galore abound at every turn. If you are not carefully watching the road, you are probably busy ogling the incredibly scenery and photographing the remarkable flora and fauna! When visiting an area such as this, it pays to do your homework, read the maps, and listen to those who are experienced with the area and its terrain and roadways.
Our lives are like the glacial lakes, forests, mountain peaks and scenic vistas of a National Park…vast, sometimes remote and out-of-the-way, filled with peaks and valleys, and often carrying us along treacherous roadways. If we make reckless choices or do not pay attention – or simply choose the road we want rather than the one God ordains – we may find ourselves quite wearied. Worse yet, we might end up in something of a pickle! Imagine being lost in the expansive forests of Yellowstone National Park…and then think of being “Spiritually stranded” by comparison! It boggles the mind!
I pray that we are all “reading the maps” properly – on America’s Scenic By-ways, and in our spiritual lives. It is human nature to want to venture off on our own…to make our own decisions and travel the paths that seem most interesting and enjoyable – or those that our peers feel are right for us. But no one knows better than God which course is truly in our best interest. His paths may not be the ones we would choose…but they offer us the greatest opportunities for joy, peace…and rest. More importantly, these “roadways” lead us directly to Him and His favor…and ultimate respite with Him for all Eternity.
It’s so easy to get off-track…to take the wrong turn and travel far and away from the road that best leads to God’s blessings and perfect plan for our lives. Just as in the case of Mom and Lee’s trip, there may be several options…but one is always better than the others. Are you doing all you can to make sure you choose the best route in each area of your life? Will you select a path that leads to God’s rest and peace? Are you properly preparing for “safe travels” toward your ultimate destination? Don’t you think you should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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