ThoughtSeeds

While it can be difficult to obey God when He calls to do or say something, or to go somewhere, it can be even harder to obey Him when He says "Wait. Wait on Me." Waiting on God, instead of doing it ourselves means we're trusting Him to act. Faith grows through patience, and even though waiting can sometimes be painful, and we might feel like nothing is happening -- nothing is changing -- God IS at work, and He will honor our faithfulness in waiting on Him.

Have you ever felt that nudge from God to do or say something that feels completely out of nowhere for you? Maybe He's calling you to go somewhere, whether that's down the street or thousands of miles, and you're frozen in fear or indecision. When the people of Israel were trapped on the beach of the Red Sea, and crying out to God in their fear, God's reply was to "Move forward." Move where? And in God's amazing and miraculous power and mercy, He split the sea in two, making a way forward. He's waiting to show you your way forward, too.

Out of the more than 700 songs Bill and Gloria Gaither have written through the past 50+ years, this brief poem and touching melody reach out with encouragement and hope. Jesus says He is making you new. He says He's giving you beauty for your ashes. Let Him make you beautiful and good.

https://youtu.be/Z_FTdgFe1ew

Jesus not only has come to give us beauty for our ashes, He's come to pour out the oil of joy as a comfort for our mourning. He's come to clothe us in a garment of praise to take away the spirit of heaviness. When we lift our face to the heavens, we'll see the glimmer of joy as a sun ray through storm clouds, ready to anoint us in our sorrows and heavy hearts. Lift your voice in praise as your Savior wraps you in HIS beautiful garment.

https://www.thesheepfold.org/studies/pdf/14_HEAVINESS_SPIRIT.pdf
https://newcreation.tv/pastor-joes-blog/2019/5/8/the-spirit-of-heaviness
https://www.thesheepfold.org/studies/pdf/13_THE_GARMENT_OF_PRAISE.pdf

In Isaiah 61, we find prophetic verses about Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus read the first verse and part of the second in the synagogue of His hometown, declaring that He was the fulfillment of that prophecy. One of the things Jesus says He has come to do is to give us beauty for ashes. Ashes are symbol of deep grief and mourning, and our Savior promises to turn our ashes of grief into something beautiful.

Though we don't know for sure who wrote the lyrics to this classic hymn, we do know who composed the music. William Bradbury -- composer of the well-known children's hymn, "Jesus Loves Me" -- originally intended for this to also be a children's hymn for his children's singing schools. This and many other of his hymns are in our hymnals today, meant to be sung by all, and their truths continue to shine the light of the Gospel every time they are lifted up in worship.

https://www.rmjc.org/node/622

In Psalm 23, we find David's perspective as a shepherd himself of God as our Shepherd. The Good Shepherd leads His sheep to the provision of daily food in green pastures, and for quietness of mind, He finds still waters to bring us to. When the pests of life threaten to overwhelm us and make life crazy, He anoints our heads with the oil of His goodness and mercy. You can follow Him, even through the darkest dark, in that valley of the shadow of death.

https://www.bible-history.com/links.php?cat=39&sub=414&cat_name=&subcat_name=Shepherds
http://deannaharrison.com/2016/08/10/lessons-from-a-sheep-part-7-my-cup-runneth-over/

Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, and He describes and refers to numerous roles and duties of a shepherd. Sheep and shepherds are an integral part of the shaping and history of the nation of Israel, and their presence and necessity is woven through the thousands of years since God first called Abraham. The Bible likens us to sheep, and studying sheep and shepherds is an eye-opening look at what Jesus really means when He calls Himself the Good Shepherd.

https://www.bible-history.com/links.php?cat=39&sub=414&cat_name=Manners+%26+Customs&subcat_name=Shepherds

In 1903, Reverend Cleland McAfee's 2 tiny nieces died within 24 hours of each other from diphtheria. His brother's family was then quarantined, with no one allowed in or out. In the midst of this great grief for their family and their community, he was asked to both preach and sing for the funeral service. From that, he wrote this hymn, taught it to his church choir, and subsequently blessed thousands over the past 100+ years. "There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God."

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CCldesSA6aJ/

https://www.instagram.com/makobrass/

Jesus calls us to Him, with our weariness and burdens, and He promises to give us rest. His rest involves submitting to His yoke, and He assures us of His guidance. The rest offered by a guiding yoke of submission to Jesus is interwoven with the restoring, rejuvenating rest of the Sabbath Day. Both require trusting God. The Sabbath rest inherently involves trusting Him for provision during our time of rest, and the yoke asks us to trust Him to direct our lives.

https://www.christianity.com/jesus/life-of-jesus/teaching-and-messages/the-yoke-of-jesus-biblical-meaning-and-importance.html