You Will Find Rest For Your Souls

Meditations for the Season of Christmas

January 2, 2023

You Will Find Rest For Your Souls

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;

I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

Jeremiah 31:3 

Let this thought be our guide for 2023:

“But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit” (Romans 7:6).

God’s love for us is based 100% on His choice to love us unconditionally, just as we are, not as we should be. If His choice to love us were based on anything else, we would be in trouble. What if God chose to love us based on some measure of our faithfulness? What would happen if we didn’t measure up?

The truth of God’s love for us is that we don’t deserve it; we can’t earn it and we can’t justify it. God’s choice to love us is seemingly contradictory. God sets a very high bar of expectations for us: 

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect”

(Matthew 5:48).

But when we fail to meet His expectations, we hear:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”

(Romans 8:1). 

When we accept God loving us so completely, we can move toward that liberating day when, because we passionately believe in God’s love for us, we truly love ourselves for God’s sake.

Perhaps as we begin this New Year, you are still a bit weary from striving to justify your place with God, still battered and bruised from the game of life. If so, today is a great day to renew your faith in God, who loves you unconditionally, just as you are, not as you should be. Because no one is as they should be. (Brennan Manning)

My Takeaway: “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 Emphasis mine).

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.