An Invitation I Can't Refuse

Jesus said, "Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."

Anybody weary?  Life is a wonderful gift, but it can also be wearisome.  Things happen.  Hurt comes.  Mistakes and sins are committed and consequences follow.  Things that we have no control over go wrong.  Other people make choices that negatively impact us.  And, we get tired.  Or at least I do. 

Anybody burdened?  I wonder how many people will read this and say yes as they feel the weight of the world bearing down on their shoulders.  Its heavy.  It feels like it will never let up.  You can feel its weight physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  Yes, that is a burden. 

If you relate to one or both of the above, then get this: You are exactly who Jesus is inviting...I know, right? He is inviting weary and burdened people?  Is he sure he does not want strong and joyful people?  He wants we whose shoulders are sagging and eyes are on the ground.  Yep...you and I are exactly who he has in mind.  He knows you have enough on you that he makes the invitation very simple...its just three words..."Come to me."  Get that...let it sink in...Jesus wants weary and burdened people like you and me to come to him right now. 

Why? He invites us to come so he can give us rest.   I don't know about you, but that is an invitation I cannot refuse. 

This Sunday we will be talking about the rest Jesus invites us to enter.  If you or someone you know is weary and burdened, I hope you will receive the invitation to come. 

I Am a Warrior

Mary Miller is a part of the Living Hope Church family.  As we have been studying Ephesians 6, which describes the armor of God we, the Church, are to put on to bring truth, justice, peace, salvation and God's Word to the world, Mary was inspired to write the following poem.  She gave me permission to share it with you.  I believe God will use her words to encourage you as he has me.  Thank you, Mary!

I Am a Warrior

I live life in a fallen world

I battle to not survive but thrive and I have

Though not unscathed

My scars remind me of what I have conquered

I am a leader

Hope, faith, love, humility and perseverance are my superpowers

Each time I venture out to do more, to be who God created me to be, I am in the battle zone

Yet I do not fight alone for my faith in Christ is my shield

The church and God’s angles are my army

We all follow His lead

This life is a hazardous journey and

Everywhere you turn there is a battle

I fall – I pick myself up

When I am broken He carries me; He heals me

The best part is I learn to be more like Him

I begin to anticipate and expect trouble, to expect pain, to expect chaos

To expect all that Christ experienced and warned me about

And in the battle, in Him I have peace

So I keep going

I keep moving forward

I am a warrior

I am strong

My strength comes not from my physical body but my heart

My desire to help others to become whole in Christ– to become fellow warriors

At times I feel weak but I know that is a lie from the enemy of my soul

For Christ is my strength and through Him I am armed for battle

I could not become a warrior until I was able to see His strength in me

I used to shrink back, to isolate, to hide

I grieved God’s heart when I believed that lie

The enemy doesn’t want me to know I am strong

He doesn’t want me to fulfill God’s will for my life

He doesn’t want the injustice of this world to stop

Or for me to rise up, speak up, give a voice to the warrior’s anthem

I will NOT give up

I will NOT quit

I am a warrior

I fight injustice

I fight for my heart and the hearts of others

And though I know life is not a Disney movie

I know how this ends and

I am on the winning team

By Mary Miller, June 2013