"Have
I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be
discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
(Joshua
1:9 NIV)
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
We once had a Sheltie, named Tammy, whose timidity
kept her from enjoying life outside the safety of our home. Our solution to this
problem was to yoke her with a young puppy named Pepper whose gregarious nature
was infectious. At first Tammy fought the splitter leash that bound them
together when we went for our daily walk, but Pepper's strength and
encouragement, as he nudged her along, soon began to make a huge difference. In
fact in a lot less time than I thought possible, Tammy began to overcome her
fears as she learned to greet and be petted by strangers, move quietly and
confidently by noisy vehicles and wait patiently outside the post office while I
retrieved the mail.
Perhaps you too suffer from timidity. I know from time
to time I certainly do, especially when I am in a group situation, traveling, or
learning a new skill. Too often instead of being able to enjoy and appreciate
these opportunities, I am burdened and wearied in body and soul by insecurity
and fear of the unknown, until the one I am yoked with gently nudges me with
encouragement and truth.
Maybe today you too may need a little nudging; a
little nudging from Jesus, whom all Christians are yoked with for eternity. If
so, then go back and reread the Scriptures at the top of the page and then claim
them. God is with you. Jesus is calling you to come to him and receive all that
you need for whatever it is you are facing. Strength, courage, peace,
companionship and guidance are ours for the asking if only we will exercise
faith to believe and receive.
Tammy's life was transformed when she became yoked
with Pepper. Ours can be too, at any moment, during any day when, as Christians,
we simply take the time to remember who walks beside us and claim the gifts of
power he has to offer.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of
being yoked with Christ. Thank you that in him we have everything we need to
face every area of life. We love you and praise you that amidst our
forgetfulness you are ever ready to nudge us back toward the truth of your
transforming word. Bless us this day with faith to believe and receive. In
Christ's name we ask. Amen.
Lynne Phipps Atlin B.C.
lynnephipps@hotmail.com
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.