Find Rest for Your Soul by Ann Broughton

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him” (Psalm 62:5 NIV).

   Do you need rest? I am not just talking about physical rest, but rest for your soul. Here are some signs that I have noticed when I have felt unrest in my soul: anxiety, insomnia, being irritable, having stomachaches, panic attacks to name a few. When these occur I know that I need to take time to be still, pray, and be quiet. I believe there are many of you reading this who are having problems with a restless soul. It is so easy to get your priorities so messed up that time spent in quiet, alone with God, becomes an issue. In order to have a calm spirit you must take time to pray, quiet your mind, and then be still for at least 15 minutes in your day, preferably 30 minutes. If you do this you will find out that peace and rest for your soul is very real.

   I have gone to bed being so very weary with the problems that surround me in people’s lives that it seems as if I am totally weighed down with the burdens. But then I lie in bed and calm my mind and recite the 23^rd Psalm. I concentrate on the Lord being my shepherd and how he is leading me by the still waters. After I recite this I am already feeling calmer. Then I pray and lay my burdens down at Jesus’ feet and ask Him to give me the peace I so desire. When I awake I feel refreshed and am able to greet the day with a smile. I promise you this works.

   God alone can give you the rest you need because your hope comes from him. You must be the one to take the steps to change your restless soul. You must be quiet, pray, and believe that He will restore your soul in ways that nobody else could.

Dear Lord,

Help me to take time each day to quiet my soul and pray to you. I know that my body yearns for peace. Help me to remember to follow Jesus’ example because He always took time in his busy schedule to talk to His Father in Heaven in solitude. Thank you giving me peace in my soul.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

His Glorious Light by Ann Elaine Broughton

"God is light, in him there is no darkness at all." I John 1:5

"You are the light of the world........In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14,16

    Our church has a beautiful stained glass window of the nativity with Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in the manger.  If you look at it in the evening from inside the sanctuary the whole window looks black. There is no indication of the beauty at all that’s hidden in the darkness. On Sunday morning the sun shines through the window, displaying beautiful colors and the manger scene. The gold in the windows literally glitters and sparkles as the sun dances through it.

    I imagine that seeing the stain glass window in the evening is like our lives without Christ, full of darkness.  I Peter 2:9 NIV says: "But, you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." Without Christ in our lives we live in darkness, but when we surrender our lives to Him, His light shines through us. This light purifies us. I John 1:7 NIV tells us: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." Isn't that reassuring?

    Why would people want to stay in darkness when Jesus can bring light into their lives and bring them peace? Just as the light shines through that window and reveals its beauty, so does the Son of God shine through us to reveal His glory to others.     May you shine His love into other people's lives so that they will be blessed and glorify God for your kindness. Do an act of kindness for someone this week in the name of Christ and smile.....You are the light of the world.

Dear Lord,

Thank you so much for bringing us out of our darkness and purifying us from our sins. Let us shine our lights before men so that others will know your love and be drawn to your glorious light.

In Jesus' name,

Amen

God Looks At Your Heart by Ann Elaine Broughton

“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 NIV).

    God looks at our heart and judges us by our inner beauty. He sees us for who we really are. So is that the way you judge others or do you look at someone and make rash judgment calls on people by their looks? I recently saw a movie called “Shallow Hal”. It was about a man who only wanted to date beautiful women and would not even consider looking for inner beauty. Well, a man came into his life who gave him the ability to see a woman’s inner beauty. From that time on Hal dated women who his friend considered losers because they were heavy or not so attractive. But Hal didn’t understand because to him they looked beautiful because he was viewing them for their inner beauty.  That is exactly what we are to do. We are to look at others as Jesus does.

    Since I have problems with my weight, I am very sensitive to those people with this problem. I know people make fun of heavy set people and it makes me sad. There are reasons people are heavy. It could be a hormonal problem, a thyroid problem, medicines, or depression. Sometimes it is just so very hard to lose weight. I have many friends with this problem who are so very kind and sweet, and I am glad that they are my friends. If I would have judged them by what their outward appearance was and rejected them, I would have missed out on a wonderful friendship.

    Do you have problems with judging people before you get to know them? God tells us, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1 NIV). God looks at your heart. “For the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts” (1 Chronicles 28:9 NIV). So just as God looks at your heart, it is important for you to see people in the same light.

Dear Lord,

Help me to see others as you see them. Help me not to judge them by their outward appearances, but to treat them as you would treat them. Let me show them your love and kindness.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

  

   

   

Rescue Me, O Lord A devotion by Ann Elaine Broughton

“Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me” (Psalm 71:2 NIV).

   Are there times when the storms of life seem to engulf you so much that you have no hope? Let me tell you about the disciples’ trip on a boat and how they learned rather quickly that Jesus is the one who can calm the storms.

   The disciples went on a little boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is 680 feet below sea level and the mountains that surround it are over 2000 feet high. So when the cool air from the mountains meets the warm air of the sea a strong storm can occur. One such storm occurred without warning while the disciples and Jesus were crossing the sea. (Matthew 8:23-27) The waves were being swept over the boat. Jesus was sleeping during this whole event.

  I have been on a boat on Lake Erie when the waves were pretty high.

I can’t even imagine sleeping with the waves rocking the boat like that. It would be twice as bad if there was a storm with thunder and lightning. But you see Jesus knew the source of His strength. He had spent enough time in prayer talking to God so that He could remain at peace in any situation. So when the disciples woke Him up and declared that they were going to drown if He didn’t save them, He gave them a lesson on faith. First, He rebuked them and asked them why they were afraid. After all the miracles they witnessed, they still didn’t believe that Jesus had Godly power. Jesus rebuked the winds and waves and everything became calm. The disciples were amazed. Are you?

    So if you have faith in God, you should know that God will help you during your storms of life. These storms can be from within you or brought on by others who have left you reeling with hurt and sadness.

But you see God is bigger than all the storms that envelope you in life. He is the one who can calm your soul in ways that nobody else can.

It is so important to pray and ask Him to help you when you are in the midst of terrible doubts. He will erase your fear and give you peace.

Dear Lord,

I know that the storms of life will surround me, but I know that you are bigger than these storms and can still my soul. Help me not to be afraid, but to have the faith to know that you will never leave me or forsake me when my life is tossed with despair and fear.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

  

Run From Temptation By Ann Elaine Broughton

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7 NIV).

   Do you have an escape plan ready when temptation rears its ugly head? I hope you do because it is a given that temptation will come your way and you must have a plan in order not to give in to it. 

Escape plans are part of our routine in life. When you go to the theater there are big arrows on the screen informing you of where the exit doors are in case of an emergency. When you are on a plane, the flight attendant goes through a long speech about escape procedures in case of an emergency. Have you noticed how many people really pay attention to them? Most people don’t even listen to the escape plan.

They should because it might just save their lives.

   God has given us an escape plan in the Bible in order to confront temptation and win. Following God’s plan will literally save our lives also because sin separates us from God. Are you ready? First it is important to realize what tempts you and avoid it if at all possible. If you can’t, then you must decide what to do. Joseph when tempted by a woman, ran. That might be a good idea for you too. Run away from temptation so you won’t get caught in sin. Also, Jesus recited scripture when he was tempted by Satan. He said, “Away from me Satan!” (Matthew 4:10 NIV). Remember that God always has an escape hatch waiting for you. “And God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand under it” (1 Cor. 10:13 NIV). Look for the way out and pray with all your heart that you can be strong in God’s strength and not give in and sin. Remember “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4 NIV). The Holy Spirit can give you the strength you need to overcome temptation.

Dear Lord,

I know that temptation will come to me. Help me to not give in to it.

Give me your strength to stand up to it. Help me to run away from sin and into your arms.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen