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Soothing Bible Stories - Relaxing Spring Rain for a Peaceful Night's Sleep - Abide Meditation App · Abide Meditation App

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Find rest as you listen to this peaceful bedtime story.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: For more Bible stories that bring you refreshing sleep, download
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: the Abide app in the iTunes or Google Play store.
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  Speaker 2: Good evening, and welcome to this sleep story from Abide.
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: My name is Tyler. Thank you for joining me tonight.
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  Speaker 2: As I read Surrender to Win tonight, we will be
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  Speaker 2: hearing about surrendering to the loving care and powerful control
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  Speaker 2: of the Lord, the God of angel armies. We will
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  Speaker 2: be hearing about how surrendering is not losing, but in
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  Speaker 2: fact it is winning. Our scripture is from the Old
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  Speaker 2: Testament in Exodus fourteen fourteen, when Moses was leading the
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  Speaker 2: children of Israel out of captivity in Egypt. We will
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  Speaker 2: see how God's heart is for us to rest while
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  Speaker 2: he fights the battle. He is not weak, as we
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  Speaker 2: read in Isaiah fifty nine. Surely the arm of the
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  Speaker 2: Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear
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  Speaker 2: too dull to hear. Or, as the New Living Translation
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  Speaker 2: puts it, listen, the Lord's arm is not too weak
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  Speaker 2: to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to
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  Speaker 2: hear you call. He does not need our meager weapons.
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  Speaker 2: Exodus fifteen, verse three tells us the Lord is a
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  Speaker 2: man of war. The Lord is his name. As we
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  Speaker 2: journey to night and lean into these powerful scriptures, we
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  Speaker 2: will experience the reality of resting in the mighty hand
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  Speaker 2: of the Lord, God of angel armies. He fights for you.
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  Speaker 2: Precious listener, you can be still and know that he
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  Speaker 2: is God. He is the Lord Almighty, and he is
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  Speaker 2: on your side. He beckons you to come daily to
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  Speaker 2: his side. He beckons you to dwell with him and
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  Speaker 2: abide with him. He beckons you to shelter under his
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  Speaker 2: wing so he can rout your enemies and give you rest.
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  Speaker 2: If He is for you, none can be against you.
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  Speaker 2: Let's begin our sleep story by listening to the account
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  Speaker 2: in Exodus fourteen ten to twenty five in the New
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  Speaker 2: Living Translation. As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked
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  Speaker 2: up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them.
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  Speaker 2: They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses,
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  Speaker 2: why did you bring us out here to die in
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  Speaker 2: the wilderness. Weren't there enough graves for us in Egypt?
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  Speaker 2: What have you done to us? Why did you make
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  Speaker 2: us leave Egypt? Didn't we tell you this would happen
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  Speaker 2: while we were still in Egypt. We said, leave us alone,
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  Speaker 2: let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It's better to
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  Speaker 2: be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness.
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  Speaker 2: But Moses told the people, don't be afraid. Just stand
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  Speaker 2: still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians
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  Speaker 2: you see today will never be seen again. The Lord
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  Speaker 2: himself will fight for you. Just stay calm. Then, the
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  Speaker 2: Lord said to Moses, why are you crying out to me?
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  Speaker 2: Tell the people to get moving. Pick up your staff
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  Speaker 2: and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water
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  Speaker 2: so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the
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  Speaker 2: sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts
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  Speaker 2: of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites.
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  Speaker 2: My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops,
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  Speaker 2: his chariots, and his charioteers. When my glory is displayed
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  Speaker 2: through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know
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  Speaker 2: that I am the Lord. Then the Angel of God,
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  Speaker 2: who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to
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  Speaker 2: the rear of the camp. The pillar of Cloud also
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  Speaker 2: moved from the front and stood behind them. The cloud
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  Speaker 2: settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell,
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  Speaker 2: a cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night, but
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  Speaker 2: the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night.
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  Speaker 2: Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the
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  Speaker 2: Lord opened up a path through the water with a
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  Speaker 2: strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning
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  Speaker 2: the sea bed into dry land. So the people of
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  Speaker 2: Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry
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  Speaker 2: ground with walls of water on each side. Then the Egyptians,
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  Speaker 2: all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots and chariot tears, chased them
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  Speaker 2: into the middle of the sea. But just before dawn,
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  Speaker 2: the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the
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  Speaker 2: pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces
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  Speaker 2: into total confusion. He twisted their chariot wheels, making their
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  Speaker 2: chariot's difficult to drive. Let's get out of here, away
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  Speaker 2: from these Israelites. The Egyptians shouted, the Lord is fighting
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  Speaker 2: for them against Egypt, and the chapter concludes on verse
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  Speaker 2: thirty one, which tells us when the people of Israel
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  Speaker 2: saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against
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  Speaker 2: the Egyptians, they were filled with awe. Before him they
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  Speaker 2: put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
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  Speaker 2: Precious listener, Our God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.
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  Speaker 2: We worship and trust the same God who delivered Israel
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  Speaker 2: and routed every single one of their enemies. Exodus tells
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  Speaker 2: us that not one single Egyptian survived. What's pause and
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  Speaker 2: offer this majestic God, our praise, Almighty and Sovereign God.
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  Speaker 2: There is no battle too great for you to win,
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  Speaker 2: and no foe too powerful for you to defeat. We
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  Speaker 2: praise you with a heart full of gratitude that you
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  Speaker 2: call us to simply rest and be still and watch
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  Speaker 2: you take the victory on our behalf. What a God
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  Speaker 2: you are. There is none like you, stand alone, uncontested, undefeated.
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  Speaker 2: We thank you, Lord Jesus, that you came to defeat
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  Speaker 2: not only an external enemy, but something far more powerful,
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  Speaker 2: the sin in our own hearts. You set us free
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  Speaker 2: when we could not do it ourselves. You set us
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  Speaker 2: free without our interference. We simply had to fall at
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  Speaker 2: your feet and receive your mercy and forgiveness. Thank you
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  Speaker 2: that you daily give us your Holy Spirit, who helps
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  Speaker 2: us in our weakness. We welcome him into our lives
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  Speaker 2: so we may be led by the spirit and not
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  Speaker 2: the flesh. We gratefully receive your help, Father, and each
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  Speaker 2: battle we face, you have won the war. The victory
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  Speaker 2: is yours. You are almighty and supreme, and yet you
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  Speaker 2: love us so tenderly. How can we praise you enough?
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  Speaker 2: We give you all the glory and Jesus Mighty name Amen.
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  Speaker 2: Sometimes in this life, when things can get very, very challenging,
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  Speaker 2: and we feel like we go from battle to battle,
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  Speaker 2: it's hard to trust that God is fighting for us,
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  Speaker 2: let alone winning the war. But this is why we
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  Speaker 2: can find these scriptures and dwell on the truth. As
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  Speaker 2: we know from Hebrews, we now live in a better
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  Speaker 2: covenant than the Old Testament, So our God is not
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  Speaker 2: going to perform fewer miracles. On the contrary, he wants
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  Speaker 2: to perform far more miracles than he even did for
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  Speaker 2: the Israelites in the wilderness. Precious Listener, though it can
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  Speaker 2: be hard to look at God when the dust of
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  Speaker 2: battle is filling your eyes, be deeply assured that you
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  Speaker 2: are not alone, and He is calling you to remain
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  Speaker 2: in peaceful trust and watch him defend you. The Lord
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  Speaker 2: himself will fight for you. Just stay calm. He knew
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  Speaker 2: we would face this kind of doubt, which is why
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  Speaker 2: he peppers the Bible with encouraging scriptures about his power
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  Speaker 2: and might in battle. The Psalmist writes to the Lord
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  Speaker 2: in Psalm forty four, verse three, for not by their
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  Speaker 2: own sword did they win the land, nor did their
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  Speaker 2: own arm save them. But your right hand in your arm,
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  Speaker 2: and the light of your face, for you delighted in them.
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  Speaker 2: He delights in you, his precious and chosen child. And
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  Speaker 2: you will not be put to shame when you place
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  Speaker 2: your confidence in his ability to save you. In Isaiah
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  Speaker 2: forty five two, the Lord tells the prophet, I will
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  Speaker 2: go before you and level the exalted places. I will
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  Speaker 2: break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through
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  Speaker 2: the bars of iron. And sometimes he does ask you
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  Speaker 2: to fight, But there is no need to worry at all.
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  Speaker 2: Do not fear. He supplies you with everything you need.
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  Speaker 2: He gives you the armor, the full set of weaponry,
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  Speaker 2: battalions of angels that there ready to fight on your
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  Speaker 2: behalf in the heavenly battle tactics. He also tells you
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  Speaker 2: exactly what the enemy's plan is, so we know how
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  Speaker 2: to fight him. He gives you his strength so you
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  Speaker 2: never have to become weary. And best of all, he
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  Speaker 2: gives you his holy spirit within and without. David, a
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  Speaker 2: great warrior who knew the nature of battles very well,
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  Speaker 2: wrote in Psalm eighteen thirty nine, for you equipped me
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  Speaker 2: with strength for the battle. You made those who rise
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  Speaker 2: against me sink under me. Paul tells us in Ephesians
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  Speaker 2: six the equipment God gives us as a part of
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  Speaker 2: his protection and victory. Therefore, take up the whole armor
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  Speaker 2: of God, that you may be able to withstand in
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  Speaker 2: the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
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  Speaker 2: But let us never forget that the battle is not
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  Speaker 2: fought by us. Even Paul tells us to take up
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  Speaker 2: the whole armor of God. But then ultimately we simply
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  Speaker 2: stand firm. There is no striving in standing. We win
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  Speaker 2: through Him, through his strength, specifically through yielding to him.
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  Speaker 2: Psalm forty four to five says through you we push
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  Speaker 2: down our foes. Through your name we tread down those
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  Speaker 2: who rise up against us. And in Romans eight thirty seven, no,
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  Speaker 2: in all these things we are more than conquerors. Through
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  Speaker 2: Him who loved us, let us lean on his strength
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  Speaker 2: and his wisdom, Let's allow his victory to come through us.
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  Speaker 2: Although it can sometimes feel like the battles are taking
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  Speaker 2: us down, Jesus won the ultimate victory two thousand years ago.
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  Speaker 2: The devil is a defeated foe. John the Beloved said
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  Speaker 2: in chapter four of his first letter, little children, you
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  Speaker 2: are from God and have overcome them. For he who
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  Speaker 2: is in you is greater than he who is in
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  Speaker 2: the world. God is greater, and he has already overcome
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  Speaker 2: the main war and all your battles. Dear Loving Lord
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  Speaker 2: and Mighty God, thank you for causing this precious one
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  Speaker 2: to experience the truth of your victory in their lives,
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  Speaker 2: and the rest they can enjoy knowing they don't need
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  Speaker 2: to fight for themselves alone. Just as Paul said, what
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  Speaker 2: then shall we say to these things? Have God is
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  Speaker 2: for us? Who can be against us? You are for
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  Speaker 2: your child, So nothing can be against them. No weapon
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  Speaker 2: that's formed against them will prosper. Your child can fear not,
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  Speaker 2: for you are with them. They need never be dismayed,
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  Speaker 2: for you are their God. You will strengthen them, you
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  Speaker 2: will help them, You will uphold them with your righteous
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  Speaker 2: right hand and your son Dan's wonderful name. Amen. So
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  Speaker 2: beloved listener, as you enter into deep rest and allow
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  Speaker 2: sleep to come, know that God is fighting for you.
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  Speaker 2: You only need to be still and hold your peace.
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  Speaker 3: Turn worry into worship. Tonight we'll be looking at the
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  Speaker 3: story of Mary and Martha found in Luke chapter ten,
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  Speaker 3: Verses forty one to forty two. We'll be seeing through
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  Speaker 3: their examples how we are called to turn away from
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  Speaker 3: worrying and turn toward worshiping the Lord instead. We are
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  Speaker 3: living in a world world which is saturated with worry
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  Speaker 3: and anxiety. Some people live in a state of low
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  Speaker 3: grade fear as a norm, and more and more people
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  Speaker 3: are experiencing increased anxiety every day. This is not the
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  Speaker 3: will of God for us. He wants his children to
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  Speaker 3: live a full life with continual peace as our norm.
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  Speaker 3: One of the names for Jesus is Prince of Peace.
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  Speaker 3: He came to bring the peace from his kingdom down
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  Speaker 3: to this world. He means us to have life, and
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  Speaker 3: that life in abundance. The fruit that we shall soon
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  Speaker 3: see in the lives of Mary and Martha will show
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  Speaker 3: us that Jesus wants us to cease worrying and worship
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  Speaker 3: him instead, to worship Him and see our worries dissolve.
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  Speaker 3: He invites us to go low as Mary did, to
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  Speaker 3: listen intently to his every word, and as he comes
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  Speaker 3: into his proper place in our lives, the worries and
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  Speaker 3: cares will drift away. In his incredible Sermon on the Mount,
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  Speaker 3: Jesus speaks directly to the topic of worry. He tells
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  Speaker 3: us in Matthew six, verse thirty three, but seek first
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  Speaker 3: his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will
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  Speaker 3: be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry
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  Speaker 3: about tomorrow, for tomorrow we'll worry about itself. Each day
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  Speaker 3: has enough trouble of its own, precious one, Let's seek
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  Speaker 3: Jesus first tonight and experience the peace that we long
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  Speaker 3: for in our hearts. Before we visit the home of
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  Speaker 3: Mary and Martha and Bethany and take our seat at
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  Speaker 3: the feet of Jesus, let's prepare for sleep. The day
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  Speaker 3: is coming to a close. What has been done has
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  Speaker 3: been done. What has not been done has not been done.
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  Speaker 3: Let it be I invite you to turn off all
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  Speaker 3: the lights, let your eyes grow heavy, surrender to sleep
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  Speaker 3: as it comes to wrap you up. Just as you
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  Speaker 3: are wrapped up in your blankets, get cozy under the covers,
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  Speaker 3: adjust your pillow to best support your head. Completely relax,
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  Speaker 3: Let your whole body weight sink into your mattress. Breathe
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  Speaker 3: gently and deeply. Expel all the stagnant air of the day.
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  Speaker 3: Let all feelings of stress from the day's events pass
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  Speaker 3: over you and go to Jesus. You are not giving
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  Speaker 3: them over to thin air. You are giving them to
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  Speaker 3: your maker, the one who cares about the most intricate
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  Speaker 3: details of your life. He is the one who knows
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  Speaker 3: you better than you will ever know yourself. He counts
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  Speaker 3: every hair on your head, He collects your tears and
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  Speaker 3: a bottle he feeds the sparrows. So how much more
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  Speaker 3: valuable are you? Release your cares to him now, as
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  Speaker 3: you let go of every bit of tension in your body,
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  Speaker 3: You don't have to be in control. Now you are
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  Speaker 3: held in the loving arms of your creator. Give him
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  Speaker 3: control and feel the anxieties fade from your body, from
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  Speaker 3: your head and face, from your neck and shoulders, from
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  Speaker 3: your hands and feet. Keep breathing as you keep releasing
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  Speaker 3: every area of collected strain. Then, Hailworth, Lord, I give
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  Speaker 3: you control and exhaleworth Lord, I receive your peace, and
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  Speaker 3: again inhaleworth Lord, I give you control and exhaleworth Lord,
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  Speaker 3: I receive your peace. Let's begin our story in prayer. Oh,
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  Speaker 3: dear Lord Jesus, I bring this precious child to you.
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  Speaker 3: They may have come to this story tonight burdened with
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  Speaker 3: worries and cares. Thank you that they have come to you.
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  Speaker 3: You tell us in the Book of Matthew, chapter eleven,
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  Speaker 3: verse twenty eight to thirty. Come to me, all you
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  Speaker 3: who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
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  Speaker 3: Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for
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  Speaker 3: I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will
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  Speaker 3: find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy
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  Speaker 3: and my burden is light. Lord. Would you take the
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  Speaker 3: weight off your child's weary shoulders tonight? May they truly
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  Speaker 3: find rest in you. May they experience you tonight as
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  Speaker 3: gentle and humble in heart. I pray that this story
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  Speaker 3: would cause them to find deep rest for their weary souls.
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  Speaker 3: And your matchless name, we pray. Amen. There's a potential
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  Speaker 3: that you have come here tonight burdened by the worries
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  Speaker 3: of the world seeking peace. Well, I'm here as you
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  Speaker 3: encourage you that the Lord is here to bring you peace.
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  Speaker 3: He's the Prince of peace, and his Holy Spirit will
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  Speaker 3: grow within you the fruit of peace. And it's not
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  Speaker 3: just an intellectual peace. It is a felt peace, a
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  Speaker 3: tangible peace, an experiential peace. A peace that you cannot
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  Speaker 3: feel is not the peace that our Savior promises us.
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  Speaker 3: He paid such a high price for it. Jesus would
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  Speaker 3: not promise us the idea of peace, or just peace
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  Speaker 3: that will come in eternity, or even a peace that
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  Speaker 3: we will experience when situations around us mellow out. No,
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  Speaker 3: God's peace is powerful. It can be experienced in the
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  Speaker 3: darkest times. Let's pause here to praise God for his
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  Speaker 3: true peace. Beloved Father God, you sent your son to
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  Speaker 3: deliver us from worry and anxiety, not only in the
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  Speaker 3: next life, but also in this life. We praise you
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  Speaker 3: that you care about our souls so much that you
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  Speaker 3: want us to experience serenity and a calm mind. We
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  Speaker 3: glorify you. You are beyond good. We honor you tonight.
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  Speaker 3: We turn our hearts to worship you as you turn
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  Speaker 3: our worry into peace. Thank you, Lord. Now come along
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  Speaker 3: with me and let's go and visit the room in
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  Speaker 3: Bethany at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Listen
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  Speaker 3: as I read the story from Luke chapter ten, verses
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  Speaker 3: forty one and forty two from the International Standard Version. Now,
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  Speaker 3: as they were traveling along, Jesus went into a village,
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  Speaker 3: a woman named Martha welcomed him into her her home.
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  Speaker 3: She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at
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  Speaker 3: the Lord's feet and kept listening to what he was saying.
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  Speaker 3: But Martha was worrying about all the things she had
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  Speaker 3: to do, so she came to him and asked, Lord,
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  Speaker 3: you do care that my sister has left me to
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  Speaker 3: do all the work by myself. Don't you then tell
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  Speaker 3: her to help me? The Lord answered her, Martha, Martha,
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  Speaker 3: you worry and fuss about a lot of things, but
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  Speaker 3: there's only one thing you need. Mary has chosen what
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  Speaker 3: is better, and it is not to be taken away
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  Speaker 3: from her. Now, imagine that you are one of Jesus
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  Speaker 3: disciples traveling to be Anthony to have dinner with Jesus
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  Speaker 3: friends and hear him teach. The day is hot, the
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  Speaker 3: road is dusty. The sun has been shining down on
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  Speaker 3: you and the other disciples. As you have made your
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  Speaker 3: way from Jerusalem to Martha's house. You are certainly ready
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  Speaker 3: for food and water. As you enter the village, Jesus
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  Speaker 3: leads you and your companions to a small stone house.
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  Speaker 3: A woman opens the door, and Jesus smiles warmly and
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  Speaker 3: embraces her. But she looks anxious. Her hair is messy,
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  Speaker 3: her forehead is wrinkled with lines of worry. She's probably
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  Speaker 3: very glad to see Jesus, but it's not completely obvious
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  Speaker 3: by her appearance. You wonder if your visit might be
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  Speaker 3: more of an imposition than a pleasant surprise. This woman
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  Speaker 3: called Martha ushes you all in. She counts the number
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  Speaker 3: of disciples as you pass through. This seems to cause
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  Speaker 3: her even more concern. Jesus turns and gives you a
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  Speaker 3: wry smile, and you see the twinkle in his eye.
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  Speaker 3: He's always got something planned, and he is never even
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  Speaker 3: remotely concerned. You hear Martha go into the kitchen and
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  Speaker 3: mutter to herself that she may not have enough bread
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  Speaker 3: to feed everyone. Jesus greets his friend Lazarus with a
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  Speaker 3: warm embrace. He asks, with deep love and interest, where
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  Speaker 3: Mary is. He has been so longing to see her
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  Speaker 3: a again. Lazarus turns to the stairs and calls for
• 30:05
  Speaker 3: a sister Mary. She immediately hears and comes racing down
• 30:10
  Speaker 3: the stairs. She doesn't answer her brother, but she simply
• 30:16
  Speaker 3: runs to Jesus and squeezes him tightly. You and the
• 30:22
  Speaker 3: others watch this, but Jesus doesn't look at all uncomfortable.
• 30:28
  Speaker 3: He is grinning from ear to ear, and he holds
• 30:32
  Speaker 3: her tightly too. He kisses her forehead. Presently, you are
• 30:41
  Speaker 3: all sitting on the floor in the open area of
• 30:44
  Speaker 3: the house. Jesus is holding you all captive with his
• 30:49
  Speaker 3: incredible wisdom and knowledge. But more than that, the love
• 30:55
  Speaker 3: in his voice and eyes is impossible to look away from.
• 31:03
  Speaker 3: Mary sits at his feet well. She practically clings to
• 31:08
  Speaker 3: his feet. Her gaze is fixed on him. She barely
• 31:14
  Speaker 3: blinks because she's so captivated by him. She is not
• 31:20
  Speaker 3: distracted or worried. She smiles with a joy that appears
• 31:25
  Speaker 3: to brim out of her eyes. She is low at
• 31:30
  Speaker 3: the lord's feet. She is looking intently at his face
• 31:35
  Speaker 3: as he teaches unearthly wisdom and tells parables with his
• 31:40
  Speaker 3: customary passion and love. Even though someone observing Mary might
• 31:46
  Speaker 3: think she's being lazy for not helping prepare a meal
• 31:49
  Speaker 3: like her sister does. You watch her with increasing awe.
• 31:56
  Speaker 3: You understand that she is putting all other matters, even
• 32:01
  Speaker 3: important matters and urgent demands, second to Jesus. If that
• 32:08
  Speaker 3: isn't worship, then you don't know what is. You keep
• 32:14
  Speaker 3: observing her because her RESTful seat at Jesus' feet is
• 32:19
  Speaker 3: teaching you about simple adoration. Even Mary's face looks radiant.
• 32:27
  Speaker 3: Her eyes are sparkling as she listens to him and
• 32:31
  Speaker 3: watches his kind face. You want to have such deep
• 32:37
  Speaker 3: affection in your heart too. Perhaps you've known Jesus as
• 32:43
  Speaker 3: teacher and rabbi and master, but she is looking at
• 32:49
  Speaker 3: Jesus as her all in all, her lord and king.
• 32:57
  Speaker 3: You look at Jesus again with any new perspective. You
• 33:03
  Speaker 3: see that Jesus' eyes are beaming with affection for his
• 33:06
  Speaker 3: beloved friends. You are not just as student or follower.
• 33:14
  Speaker 3: He loves you as his friend. Only the other day
• 33:20
  Speaker 3: he told you and the other disciples, I don't call
• 33:25
  Speaker 3: you servants any longer. Servants don't know what the Master
• 33:30
  Speaker 3: is doing. But I have told you everything the Father
• 33:35
  Speaker 3: has said to me. I call you my friends. You
• 33:43
  Speaker 3: are thinking about his love for you, and watching Mary
• 33:47
  Speaker 3: adoring him in total simplicity of heart, You notice that
• 33:54
  Speaker 3: Martha still hasn't come out of the kitchen, even though
• 33:58
  Speaker 3: it's been an hour or so since you arrived. You
• 34:03
  Speaker 3: can hear her preparing a meal. She emerges from the
• 34:08
  Speaker 3: kitchen and interrupts this precious moment, saying, Lord, you do
• 34:16
  Speaker 3: care that my sister has left me to do all
• 34:19
  Speaker 3: the work by myself. Don't you then tell her to
• 34:24
  Speaker 3: come help me. Jesus looks with such love and tenderness
• 34:30
  Speaker 3: at her and replies, Martha, Martha, you worry and fuss
• 34:38
  Speaker 3: about a lot of things, but there's only one thing
• 34:42
  Speaker 3: you need. Mary has chosen what is better, and it
• 34:49
  Speaker 3: is not to be taken away from her. Join me
• 34:55
  Speaker 3: as we turn our eyes to the Lord and praise
• 34:58
  Speaker 3: him in this moment, Lord Jesus, we want you to
• 35:04
  Speaker 3: have our attention. We do not want to worry or
• 35:09
  Speaker 3: stress about anything. Let us instead worship you. You are
• 35:16
  Speaker 3: worthy of all our time and energy and care. You
• 35:23
  Speaker 3: call us to sit at your feet so that we
• 35:27
  Speaker 3: may honor and praise you. Lord, turn our worry into worship.
• 35:34
  Speaker 3: We come and turn our anxiety into adoration. Lord, we
• 35:43
  Speaker 3: love you. Help us adore you, like Mary did, help
• 35:49
  Speaker 3: us choose the better part, the one thing necessary, and
• 35:56
  Speaker 3: your precious name, we pray.
• 36:00
  Speaker 2: Men.
• 36:03
  Speaker 3: We know from scripture that Mary is remembered for all
• 36:07
  Speaker 3: time for lavishing Jesus with an extravagant display of affection.
• 36:14
  Speaker 3: When she broke an alabaster jar of expensive perfume over
• 36:18
  Speaker 3: his feet, she esteemed Jesus worthy above all others to
• 36:26
  Speaker 3: have her costly love. This is pointed out by Jesus
• 36:32
  Speaker 3: to be the opposite of a life of worrying and fretting.
• 36:37
  Speaker 3: These two sisters' lives display that in order to experience
• 36:42
  Speaker 3: peace of mind, we must draw ourselves away from busyness.
• 36:48
  Speaker 3: Come and rest at his feet, turn our eyes to him,
• 36:54
  Speaker 3: and simply adore him. Ninety five Verse six exhorts us, come,
• 37:06
  Speaker 3: let us bow down in worship. Let us kneel before
• 37:11
  Speaker 3: the Lord, our maker. For he is our God, and
• 37:17
  Speaker 3: we are the people of his pasture, the flock under
• 37:22
  Speaker 3: his care. As we bow down in worship and give
• 37:30
  Speaker 3: him our attention and affection, we find our cares dissolve.
• 37:37
  Speaker 3: We discover that our deepest needs are met in Him.
• 37:45
  Speaker 3: When we chase after lesser things, we ultimately find them
• 37:49
  Speaker 3: empty of meaning. Like Martha. We might make a meal
• 37:55
  Speaker 3: that Jesus never ordered, and we will most likely it
• 38:00
  Speaker 3: leads to worry and anxiety and burn out. Jesus invites
• 38:09
  Speaker 3: us every day to come to him, to bring even
• 38:13
  Speaker 3: our heavy burdens and lay them at his feet, and
• 38:18
  Speaker 3: offer up our lives again as a sweet fragrance to him.
• 38:26
  Speaker 3: He will give us rest for our souls. He will
• 38:31
  Speaker 3: take the worries off our shoulders and give us his
• 38:36
  Speaker 3: lightness in its place. Psalm sixty eight, verse nineteen in
• 38:45
  Speaker 3: the New English translation tells us the Lord deserves praise
• 38:52
  Speaker 3: day after day he carries our burden, the Lord, God
• 38:57
  Speaker 3: who delivers us. Our God is a god who delivers
• 39:04
  Speaker 3: the Lord, the sovereign Lord can rescue from death. We
• 39:13
  Speaker 3: thank you Lord. You do deserve our praise. Day after day.
• 39:20
  Speaker 3: You carry our burdens, not just once, but every day.
• 39:28
  Speaker 3: Not just one burden, but every burden that is weighing
• 39:33
  Speaker 3: us down. Thank you Lord that whatever burden you lay
• 39:38
  Speaker 3: on our shoulders is easy and light. You are a
• 39:44
  Speaker 3: God who rescues us. Not only do you deliver us
• 39:49
  Speaker 3: from eternal death, but you deliver us from our fears
• 39:54
  Speaker 3: in this life. You are worthy of all. Are at
• 39:59
  Speaker 3: a listen as I read Matthew Chapter eleven, verses twenty
• 40:07
  Speaker 3: eight to thirty in the New International version. Come to me,
• 40:16
  Speaker 3: all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
• 40:20
  Speaker 3: give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn
• 40:26
  Speaker 3: from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
• 40:31
  Speaker 3: and you will find rest for your souls. For my
• 40:36
  Speaker 3: yoke is easy and my burden is light. I'll read
• 40:44
  Speaker 3: it again from the Amplified Bible. Let all heaving us
• 40:49
  Speaker 3: fall away as you hear the words of our Savior.
• 40:57
  Speaker 3: Come to me, all you who are weary and heavily
• 41:02
  Speaker 3: burdened by religious rituals that provide no peace, and I
• 41:08
  Speaker 3: will give you rest, refreshing your souls with my salvation.
• 41:14
  Speaker 3: Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, following
• 41:20
  Speaker 3: me as my disciple, for I am gentle and humble
• 41:26
  Speaker 3: in heart, and you will find rest, renewal, blessed quiet
• 41:33
  Speaker 3: for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear,
• 41:38
  Speaker 3: and my burden is light, easy and light, light and easy,
• 41:51
  Speaker 3: nothing heavy or ill fitting. Whatever he requires is pleasant
• 41:58
  Speaker 3: and perfectly made the you. There is joy in the
• 42:03
  Speaker 3: carrying of it. I invite you to become aware of
• 42:09
  Speaker 3: the presence of Jesus with you now. His Holy Spirit
• 42:14
  Speaker 3: is with you as you fall asleep. He is in
• 42:19
  Speaker 3: the room with you. He is not far, he is
• 42:26
  Speaker 3: not distant from you. He is ever present, ever near.
• 42:34
  Speaker 3: Psalm forty six, Verse one reads, God is our refuge
• 42:40
  Speaker 3: and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
• 42:48
  Speaker 3: Precious listener, whatever troubles there are in your life right now,
• 42:54
  Speaker 3: God is ready to rescue you. He is poised to
• 42:59
  Speaker 3: deliver you. Listen. The Lord's arm is not too weak
• 43:06
  Speaker 3: to save you, nor is hear too deaf to hear
• 43:10
  Speaker 3: you call, Loving Father God. We lift our hearts to
• 43:19
  Speaker 3: you again. Tonight we see ourselves resting, nestling at your feet.
• 43:28
  Speaker 3: We pour our love on you. Help us not to
• 43:32
  Speaker 3: run to other things. Help us not to grasp control
• 43:37
  Speaker 3: of our lives and wind up demoralized. We give control
• 43:42
  Speaker 3: to you as trusting children. We want to lean on
• 43:48
  Speaker 3: you and let you take over. We praise you that Jesus,
• 43:56
  Speaker 3: your one and only son, came to give us newness
• 44:01
  Speaker 3: of life and to take all of our anxieties upon himself. Yes,
• 44:08
  Speaker 3: those cares are not ours. Anymore. We give them to you.
• 44:14
  Speaker 3: We ask you to daily carry our burdens, Lord, so
• 44:18
  Speaker 3: that we may be free to simply enjoy you. That
• 44:24
  Speaker 3: does seem too good to be true, but that is
• 44:27
  Speaker 3: the way your kingdom works. We praise here for that
• 44:33
  Speaker 3: and your son's glorious name. We pray amen. Jesus wants
• 44:43
  Speaker 3: us to be like little children. Little children, like toddlers,
• 44:49
  Speaker 3: do not walk around weighed down by the cares of
• 44:52
  Speaker 3: this world. They don't worry about what other people think
• 44:59
  Speaker 3: about them. They don't feel angst over the mistakes of
• 45:02
  Speaker 3: the past. They don't overthink their next actions. They don't
• 45:09
  Speaker 3: work themselves into burn out to please people. They are
• 45:14
  Speaker 3: totally care free, free to relish living an abundant life.
• 45:23
  Speaker 3: This is only possible because they know they are not
• 45:27
  Speaker 3: in control. They can't provide food or shelter for themselves.
• 45:33
  Speaker 3: They can't pay the bills. They are totally dependent on
• 45:41
  Speaker 3: their parents. This is the level of trust that our
• 45:46
  Speaker 3: heavenly father wants us to have. Jesus is inviting you
• 45:54
  Speaker 3: to release everything heavy and ill fitting let him replace
• 45:59
  Speaker 3: it with lightness. Feel your worry turn to worship. Your
• 46:06
  Speaker 3: anxiety turn to adoration, Your concerns turn to calmness. This
• 46:16
  Speaker 3: all happens when we turn to Jesus. One definition of
• 46:22
  Speaker 3: worship is simply to turn all your attention and affection
• 46:28
  Speaker 3: toward God. It isn't an outward display. It doesn't require
• 46:36
  Speaker 3: any singing. It is a pasture of our hearts, because,
• 46:40
  Speaker 3: as we know, Man looks on the outward appearance, but
• 46:46
  Speaker 3: God looks on the heart. As Psalm one hundred and
• 46:52
  Speaker 3: three expresses, praise the Lord my soul, all my most being,
• 47:01
  Speaker 3: praise his Holy name. God always looks at our hearts.
• 47:10
  Speaker 3: He sees when our hearts genuinely love him. Not like
• 47:15
  Speaker 3: Martha who was working to earn his love and getting
• 47:20
  Speaker 3: upset and stressed, we cannot earn his love. He loves
• 47:27
  Speaker 3: us totally and completely. That knowledge will inspire worship and
• 47:35
  Speaker 3: affection to bubble up in our hearts. Come, let us
• 47:43
  Speaker 3: bow down and worship. Let us kneel before the Lord,
• 47:49
  Speaker 3: our maker. So meditate on his love and goodness, and
• 47:56
  Speaker 3: worship will be the natural result. There's no straining or striving.
• 48:03
  Speaker 3: Simply think on his love, on the ultimate expression of
• 48:08
  Speaker 3: God's love, the Cross. As you meditate on the Cross
• 48:16
  Speaker 3: and this ultimate expression of radical love from Father, Son
• 48:21
  Speaker 3: and Holy Spirit. For you, allow your worship to arise,
• 48:31
  Speaker 3: because your love is better than life. My lips will
• 48:35
  Speaker 3: glorify you. I will praise you as long as I love,
• 48:42
  Speaker 3: and in your name, I will lift up my hands
• 48:47
  Speaker 3: and let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise
• 48:55
  Speaker 3: the Lord, our loving Lord God. We adore you, We
• 49:05
  Speaker 3: glorify you. There is none like you in all the
• 49:11
  Speaker 3: heavens or on the earth. Thank you for carrying this
• 49:16
  Speaker 3: beloved listener's burdens tonight, so that they may sleep in
• 49:22
  Speaker 3: complete peace and wake up tomorrow light and free. Enable
• 49:30
  Speaker 3: them to live their life in abundance without carrying the
• 49:34
  Speaker 3: burdens of this life. I pray that when cares and
• 49:39
  Speaker 3: concerns come along, they will look to you and be radiant.
• 49:46
  Speaker 3: May they simply surrender again and worship You and watch
• 49:51
  Speaker 3: their worries disappear. My hope is that tonight you have
• 49:59
  Speaker 3: not only heard how worry can turn to worship, but
• 50:03
  Speaker 3: also that you have actually experienced the tangible peace that
• 50:08
  Speaker 3: God promises all his holy ones. May you remain in
• 50:14
  Speaker 3: that experiential peace all through the night, and as you
• 50:18
  Speaker 3: rise in the morning light. Let's listen again to this
• 50:25
  Speaker 3: sleep story and turn your worry into worship. Now listen
• 50:32
  Speaker 3: to another story. Listen to the rest of this sleep
• 50:37
  Speaker 3: story and many more by downloading Abide in the app
• 50:41
  Speaker 3: store or play store. Find your place of peace by
• 50:47
  Speaker 3: joining the millions of others who have transformed their lives
• 50:51
  Speaker 3: with guided Christian meditation on Abide.
• 50:59
  Speaker 2: Time.
• 51:00
  Speaker 4: Times life can feel so overwhelming and busy, Spending time
• 51:05
  Speaker 4: with plants and nature will help us to slow down. Tonight,
• 51:10
  Speaker 4: we'll take a siesta in a sunny greenhouse full of
• 51:15
  Speaker 4: tropical plant life and see how well the gardener cares
• 51:19
  Speaker 4: for each and every plant. So take a moment to
• 51:24
  Speaker 4: get cozy, stretch out or bundle up. Find that perfectly
• 51:30
  Speaker 4: comfortable spot and settle into it. Feel the soft, warm
• 51:36
  Speaker 4: covers over you. Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
• 51:44
  Speaker 4: Let go of all the tension from the day. Sink
• 51:49
  Speaker 4: into the safe, loving presence of Jesus. Before we get started,
• 51:57
  Speaker 4: let me pray for you, Lord Jesus, Thank you for
• 52:03
  Speaker 4: this child of yours. To night, I pray for your
• 52:07
  Speaker 4: miraculous peace to cover this listener as they drift off
• 52:12
  Speaker 4: to sleep. You take care of everything we need. Please
• 52:18
  Speaker 4: give them the rest and renewal they need for the
• 52:21
  Speaker 4: day ahead as they sleep. I ask that you would
• 52:28
  Speaker 4: bring healing and assurance to your child, help them to
• 52:33
  Speaker 4: trust that what you say is true you will provide
• 52:39
  Speaker 4: for them. It is in your name that we pray.
• 52:43
  Speaker 3: Amen.
• 52:46
  Speaker 4: Now that you are comfortable and ready for sleep, step
• 52:50
  Speaker 4: into the greenhouse with me. This greenhouse is bigger than
• 52:56
  Speaker 4: the house that you live in, with fully grown trees,
• 53:00
  Speaker 4: paths that wind around in circular garden beds. The glass
• 53:06
  Speaker 4: paned walls ark into a large domed ceiling high above
• 53:11
  Speaker 4: your head.
• 53:12
  Speaker 3: It is a.
• 53:13
  Speaker 4: Sunny, cool afternoon outside, but the air fills warm and
• 53:18
  Speaker 4: inviting inside this protective glasshouse. Golden sun drips like honey
• 53:26
  Speaker 4: over everything on the inside. A warm path of earthy,
• 53:32
  Speaker 4: reddish brown tile leads to you through the greenhouse. Both
• 53:39
  Speaker 4: sides of the path are neatly outlined by clean white pavers.
• 53:45
  Speaker 4: Some of the spaces have a rich, dark soil where
• 53:48
  Speaker 4: different kinds of ferns and trees grow right out of
• 53:51
  Speaker 4: the ground. Other areas are marked by knee high flower beds.
• 53:58
  Speaker 4: Terra Cotta pots of all shapes and sizes scatter around
• 54:02
  Speaker 4: the space, overflowing with bushy plants and flowers. The path
• 54:09
  Speaker 4: ahead of you has been freshly swept. If you listen closely,
• 54:17
  Speaker 4: you can hear the gurgling and splashing of water, the
• 54:21
  Speaker 4: call in response of bird trills, and the hum of
• 54:26
  Speaker 4: the breeze against the glass window panes. You take a deep,
• 54:32
  Speaker 4: cleansing breath, feeling your tension melt away. The misty air
• 54:39
  Speaker 4: holds a fresh green scent, sweetened by the flowers. You
• 54:47
  Speaker 4: look up and see a cluster of palm trees brushing
• 54:51
  Speaker 4: against the glass dome. They stand proud, towering over the
• 54:56
  Speaker 4: shorter trees and the lower flower beds. This is a safe,
• 55:00
  Speaker 4: quiet place. It's a place for us to slow down,
• 55:06
  Speaker 4: to watch things grow, and to indulge in God's incredible creation.
• 55:15
  Speaker 4: In Matthew chapter six, Jesus says, and why worry about
• 55:20
  Speaker 4: your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field, how
• 55:24
  Speaker 4: they grow. They don't work or make their clothing. Yet Solomon,
• 55:30
  Speaker 4: in all his glory, was not dressed as beautifully as
• 55:33
  Speaker 4: they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers
• 55:39
  Speaker 4: that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow,
• 55:43
  Speaker 4: he will certainly care for you. Why do you have
• 55:47
  Speaker 4: so little faith. Isn't it wonderful how well God cares
• 55:52
  Speaker 4: for you. He will give you everything you need. You
• 55:59
  Speaker 4: can rest knowing that He will take care of every detail,
• 56:04
  Speaker 4: and there's no need to worry about the future. As
• 56:10
  Speaker 4: you walk along the path, little brown birds flit through
• 56:14
  Speaker 4: the trees over your head. You walk through a white
• 56:18
  Speaker 4: trellis arch supporting a bugen bea tree. Piles of crisp,
• 56:24
  Speaker 4: fallen petals crunch beneath your feet. The vines of the
• 56:29
  Speaker 4: tree wrap all the way around the arch, sporting bursts
• 56:33
  Speaker 4: of delicate fusion and purple petals. It's an explosion of
• 56:39
  Speaker 4: purple and green over your head, hand on the ground
• 56:42
  Speaker 4: around you. Stand here in the arch for a moment
• 56:47
  Speaker 4: and trace the path of the vines from the ground,
• 56:50
  Speaker 4: up the side, over the top of the arch, and
• 56:55
  Speaker 4: down elegantly over your head like a leafy chandelier. God
• 57:01
  Speaker 4: has clothed each and every flower on this vine with
• 57:05
  Speaker 4: great care. Psalm sixty five, verses one through four says
• 57:13
  Speaker 4: praise is rightfully yours. God in Zion vows to you
• 57:17
  Speaker 4: will be fulfilled. All humanity will come to you the
• 57:21
  Speaker 4: one who hears prayer. Iniquities overwhelm me. Only you can
• 57:27
  Speaker 4: atone for our rebellions. How happy is the one you
• 57:31
  Speaker 4: choose and bring nearer to live in your courts, We
• 57:35
  Speaker 4: will be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the
• 57:40
  Speaker 4: holiness of your temple. At the center of the greenhouse
• 57:47
  Speaker 4: is a stone water fountain and a yellow cushioned bench.
• 57:53
  Speaker 4: This bench is long enough and wide enough for you
• 57:56
  Speaker 4: to lie down comfortably if you want to. Paths spread
• 58:01
  Speaker 4: out from the central point to the different sections of
• 58:04
  Speaker 4: the greenhouse. Water bubbles up from the top and spills
• 58:10
  Speaker 4: down a series of bowls until it lands in the
• 58:14
  Speaker 4: fountain's base. A few old leaves float on the water surface.
• 58:21
  Speaker 4: We fish them out and toss them into one of
• 58:24
  Speaker 4: the flower beds to decay. Lean over and look into
• 58:30
  Speaker 4: the water. There is a mosaic tile pattern of blue
• 58:36
  Speaker 4: and yellow flowers winding around the bottom. Tiny droplets of
• 58:42
  Speaker 4: spray land on your skin. You picture those droplets like
• 58:48
  Speaker 4: prayers sent up to God. When we feel overwhelmed, we
• 58:54
  Speaker 4: can meet God in his house and spend time soaking
• 58:59
  Speaker 4: in this peace pass of His presence. The best part
• 59:04
  Speaker 4: of this is that we can meet God anywhere, even
• 59:09
  Speaker 4: in this warm, sunny greenhouse. Sitting on the edge of
• 59:13
  Speaker 4: a fountain. In John fourteen twenty seven, Jesus tells us
• 59:21
  Speaker 4: I am leaving you with a gift, peace of mind
• 59:25
  Speaker 4: and heart. And the peace I give is a gift
• 59:29
  Speaker 4: the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.
• 59:35
  Speaker 4: Before we can settle into sleep, let's check on the plants.
• 59:40
  Speaker 4: We need to weed and prune and water each of them.
• 59:45
  Speaker 4: Let's see how the seedlings are doing. On the far
• 59:49
  Speaker 4: side of the greenhouse there are two neat rows of
• 59:53
  Speaker 4: wooden shelves and a glass table. Some of those shelves
• 59:57
  Speaker 4: hold extra gloves, spray bottle, watering cans, empty pots of
• 1:00:03
  Speaker 4: all sizes, and various gardening tools. Big bags of rich
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 4: soil sit beneath the table. You pick out a pair
• 1:00:13
  Speaker 4: of pale blue gardening gloves and put them on. These
• 1:00:18
  Speaker 4: gloves fit nicely and will protect your hands from getting
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 4: dirty or pricked by thorns. The table next to the
• 1:00:26
  Speaker 4: shelves is covered by flat black seedling trays. Here and
• 1:00:31
  Speaker 4: there baby plants peek their teeny green heads out of
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 4: the dirt. A few of them are starting to form
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 4: their first leaves, but they're not yet ready to be
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 4: moved to pots.
• 1:00:44
  Speaker 3: These trays of dirt and new seeds.
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 4: Must be kept moist but not too wet. You select
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 4: a spray bottle from a supply shelf and spray the trays.
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 4: The light cloud of mist water comes out of the
• 1:00:59
  Speaker 4: bottle with a salt shhh. The gentle watering will prevent
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 4: the seeds from getting dislodged. Look at the lilies of
• 1:01:12
  Speaker 4: the field and how they grow. They don't work or
• 1:01:16
  Speaker 4: make their clothing. Yet Solomon, in all his glory, was
• 1:01:21
  Speaker 4: not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God
• 1:01:25
  Speaker 4: cares so wonderfully for wild flowers that are here today
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 4: and thrown in the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care
• 1:01:32
  Speaker 4: for you. Three of the pineapple plants on the shelf
• 1:01:37
  Speaker 4: are ready to be transferred from their pots to the
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 4: planting beds along the walkway. Unlike most other fruits, pineapples
• 1:01:46
  Speaker 4: are not often grown from their seeds. They do have seeds,
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 4: but they are so easy to grow from the cut
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 4: off top of another pineapple fruit. All you have to
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 4: do is stick the cut basin water with the crown
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 4: of leaves sticking up, and roots will begin to form.
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 4: These pineapple plants have outgrown their first pots. It's time
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 4: to set them in the planting beds. One by one.
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 4: You take the clay pots in your hands, along with
• 1:02:18
  Speaker 4: a garden trowel, and walk them across the greenhouse to
• 1:02:22
  Speaker 4: an empty planting bed. You dig three holes into the
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 4: soft earth, equal distance apart. Then pull a pineapple crown
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 4: gently from its pot. With your free hand, you loosen
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 4: the dirt and roots that have begun to tangle. This
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 4: will encourage the plant to thrive in its new home.
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 4: Think of all the variety you can find just in
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 4: the plants of a greenhouse garden. Isn't it amazing? Some
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 4: of the plants are grown for nourishment, others have unique
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 4: healing properties, and still others are grown simply for their
• 1:03:05
  Speaker 4: beauty and the joy they bring to anyone who sees them.
• 1:03:12
  Speaker 4: You answer us in righteousness with awe inspiring works, God
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 4: of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of
• 1:03:22
  Speaker 4: the earth and the distant seas. You establish the mountains
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 4: by your power. You are robed with strength. You silence
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 4: the roar of the seas, the roar of their waves,
• 1:03:38
  Speaker 4: and the tumult of the nations. Those who live far
• 1:03:42
  Speaker 4: away are owed by your signs you make east and
• 1:03:48
  Speaker 4: west shout for joy. We can see God's strength and
• 1:03:54
  Speaker 4: power in the mountains, the oceans, and great big storms.
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 4: But we see God's great care and attention to detail
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 4: in the subtle designs in the veins of a single leaf. Now,
• 1:04:10
  Speaker 4: let's take a couple of watering cans from the shelf
• 1:04:13
  Speaker 4: and fill them up. This greenhouse has sprinklers built in
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 4: to water some of the plants, but all the pots
• 1:04:22
  Speaker 4: and raised flower beds need their own special touch. Psalm
• 1:04:27
  Speaker 4: sixty five nine to ten says you visit the earth
• 1:04:31
  Speaker 4: and water it abundantly, enriching it greatly. God's stream is
• 1:04:38
  Speaker 4: filled with water for you. Prepare the earth this way,
• 1:04:42
  Speaker 4: providing people with grain. You soften it with showers and
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 4: bless its growth, soaking its furrows and leveling its ridges. Now,
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 4: as you drift off to sleep in this beautiful green else,
• 1:05:01
  Speaker 4: think about the gardener and how well he cares for
• 1:05:05
  Speaker 4: each plant. Remember how much more precious you are to God,
• 1:05:12
  Speaker 4: and how well He will care for all of your needs.
• 1:05:17
  Speaker 4: He will leave you with a gift peace of mind
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 4: and heart. And the peace God gives is a gift
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 4: the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.
• 1:05:34
  Speaker 4: Let me pray for you. Dear Lord, Thank you for
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 4: the way you take care of us. I pray for
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 4: this listener to have peaceful rest and pleasant dreams. Please
• 1:05:51
  Speaker 4: bless them, protect them, and give them your peace and
• 1:05:57
  Speaker 4: Jesus name. Amen. Sleep well, safe in this garden of
• 1:06:06
  Speaker 4: God's peace.
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 5: Welcome to a story of how God opens eyes, of
• 1:06:17
  Speaker 5: how God opened the eyes of Saul and then radically
• 1:06:21
  Speaker 5: transformed him into the apostle hall. But now shift your
• 1:06:27
  Speaker 5: mind away from today's tasks and worries. Just soak in
• 1:06:32
  Speaker 5: God's presence and get comfortable. Begin to close your eyes
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 5: and relax. Breathe in God's peace and breathe out your troubles.
• 1:06:45
  Speaker 5: Just begin to drift off. And if you fall asleep
• 1:06:49
  Speaker 5: before I finish, all the better. God is present while
• 1:06:53
  Speaker 5: you dream too. And now as we begin the time,
• 1:06:57
  Speaker 5: join me in a moment of opening prayer. Dear God,
• 1:07:02
  Speaker 5: fill my heart and mind fresh with your presence and
• 1:07:06
  Speaker 5: your peace as I sleep. May your Holy Spirit guide
• 1:07:11
  Speaker 5: my dreams, transform my mind, my spirit, and my soul,
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 5: just as you transformed Paul. Open my eyes to see
• 1:07:22
  Speaker 5: the world as you see it, full of love and
• 1:07:26
  Speaker 5: beauty and joy. You were faithful to Paul, and I
• 1:07:31
  Speaker 5: believe you'll be faithful to me as well. So now
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 5: renew me as I rest in, you bring me joy
• 1:07:39
  Speaker 5: and strength.
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 2: For tomorrow in Jesus name. Amen.
• 1:07:46
  Speaker 5: Now, with your eyes closed, your body at rest, and
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 5: your mind peaceful, begin to imagine living in first century Damascus.
• 1:07:57
  Speaker 5: It's about a five day journey north of Jerusalem. You
• 1:08:02
  Speaker 5: are a Jewish believer living there in relative peace, but
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 5: you've heard stories of persecution coming from Jerusalem. In particular,
• 1:08:13
  Speaker 5: you've heard of the brutal atrocities that this Jewish scholar
• 1:08:18
  Speaker 5: named Saul has been committing on your fellow brothers and
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 5: sisters following Jesus. Even now, you can hear their cries
• 1:08:27
  Speaker 5: of pain as they are beaten for their belief. Specifically,
• 1:08:34
  Speaker 5: Now imagine this from the point of view of Anonius.
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 5: You are a devout man according to the law. You
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 5: have a great reputation among the other Jews living in Damascus.
• 1:08:49
  Speaker 5: But they sense something new and fresh and hopeful about
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 5: your life. God has transformed you and opened your eyes
• 1:08:59
  Speaker 5: to the tears of Jesus. You often wonder why can't
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 5: all believe your heart is burdened. You remember your life
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 5: before you put your trust in Jesus. Jesus has transformed
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 5: your soul. How does it feel to know you have
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 5: been changed? Rest here in the sweet memory of the
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 5: gift of faith that God gave you to have faith
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 5: how your life has transformed. For a moment you rest
• 1:09:35
  Speaker 5: in that tranquil space where every thought you have is
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 5: aligned with God's. But then reality starts to see back in.
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 5: You've heard reports that Saul has received letters from the
• 1:09:49
  Speaker 5: High Priest addressed to the synagogues there in Damascus. The
• 1:09:55
  Speaker 5: letters ask for their cooperation in the arrest of any
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 5: following of the way that he finds followers like you,
• 1:10:05
  Speaker 5: cooperation to bring you and your friends back to Jerusalem
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 5: in chains, heavy cold chains, dragging the ground and dragging
• 1:10:18
  Speaker 5: you with them. How will they feel around your wrists
• 1:10:22
  Speaker 5: and ankles, maybe around your neck. You just know Saul
• 1:10:28
  Speaker 5: is coming for you and your friends, but there is
• 1:10:31
  Speaker 5: something you don't know. Saul is already here, but something
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 5: has changed. As Saul was approaching Damascus on his mission
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 5: three days ago, a light from heaven suddenly shone down
• 1:10:49
  Speaker 5: around him. He fell to the ground and heard a
• 1:10:52
  Speaker 5: voice saying to him, Saul, why are you persecuting me?
• 1:11:00
  Speaker 5: Said I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. The
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 5: light and the voice of Jesus blinded him. His traveling
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 5: companions led Saul by the hand into Damascus, right down
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 5: the street from you.
• 1:11:19
  Speaker 2: But you don't know that yet.
• 1:11:22
  Speaker 5: For now you seek sleep, peace and safety. You dream
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 5: of light transforming light. So rest for a moment. Just
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 5: breathe in trust from God, let the Holy Spirit fill
• 1:11:41
  Speaker 5: you with faith, and then breathe out and release your worries.
• 1:11:48
  Speaker 5: Rest now in God's arms. As you dream, you hear
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 5: a whisper. It's like nothing you've ever felt or heard before.
• 1:12:00
  Speaker 5: It echoes in your heart. It sounds strangely familiar to
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 5: your soul. The whisper becomes a vision, calling your name, Anonius,
• 1:12:13
  Speaker 5: It's the Lord. Breathless for a moment, you humbly respond yes.
• 1:12:19
  Speaker 5: The Lord tells you go over to the straight street
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 5: to the House of Judas. When you get there, ask
• 1:12:28
  Speaker 5: for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is afraid.
• 1:12:33
  Speaker 5: He is blind. He is praying to me right now,
• 1:12:38
  Speaker 5: and I have shown him a vision of you coming
• 1:12:40
  Speaker 5: in and laying hands on him so he can see again,
• 1:12:46
  Speaker 5: you are shocked and muster the courage to challenge the
• 1:12:50
  Speaker 5: Lord's plan. But Lord, you say, I've heard many people
• 1:12:55
  Speaker 5: talk about the terrible things this man has done to
• 1:12:58
  Speaker 5: the believers in jeru Usalem. The High Priest has authorized
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 5: him to arrest everyone like me who calls upon your name.
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 5: But the Lord tells you, Annias, go for Saul is
• 1:13:13
  Speaker 5: my chosen instrument to take my message to the gentiles
• 1:13:18
  Speaker 5: and to the kings, as well as to the people
• 1:13:21
  Speaker 5: of all of Israel. And I will show him how
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 5: much he must suffer for my name's sake. That is
• 1:13:29
  Speaker 5: truly radical transformation. What God has done in your heart
• 1:13:35
  Speaker 5: has he done in sauls too, As God has chosen you,
• 1:13:40
  Speaker 5: as He chosen Saul. Imagine the power of God to
• 1:13:44
  Speaker 5: change the heart of a man like Saul. God can
• 1:13:49
  Speaker 5: save Saul, who can't he save? How does that sudden
• 1:13:54
  Speaker 5: realization bring you even closer to God? Right now? Just
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 5: rest there for any other moment, Breathe in trust from God,
• 1:14:05
  Speaker 5: let the Holy Spirit fill you with faith, and then
• 1:14:10
  Speaker 5: breathe out and release your worries. Rest here even longer
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 5: in God's arms. As if you had a choice, you
• 1:14:23
  Speaker 5: leave the relative comfort of your home and walk down
• 1:14:27
  Speaker 5: Straight Street to the home of Judas. Every step you
• 1:14:31
  Speaker 5: take is measured. You feel the rocky soil, your sandals
• 1:14:37
  Speaker 5: dragging across the stone streets. You've agreed to go, but
• 1:14:42
  Speaker 5: you are in no hurry. Your eyes watching the children
• 1:14:46
  Speaker 5: playing in the street. The smell of a meal floats
• 1:14:50
  Speaker 5: from an open window. You wave at friends as you
• 1:14:53
  Speaker 5: walk down Straight Street, taking your time. When you finally
• 1:14:59
  Speaker 5: get there, you knock and the door slowly opens. You
• 1:15:05
  Speaker 5: step from the brightness into the darkness of Judas's home.
• 1:15:11
  Speaker 5: Once inside, your eyes begin to adjust and you ask
• 1:15:15
  Speaker 5: for the man from Tarsus named Saul you were taking
• 1:15:20
  Speaker 5: in to see him. He isn't what you imagined. He
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 5: isn't the monster you imagined. He almost seems afraid, and
• 1:15:30
  Speaker 5: he is definitely praying. With his eyes lifted heavenward. You
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 5: can see he's blind. The scales are apparent. He stops
• 1:15:41
  Speaker 5: his prayer for a moment. He seems to since you
• 1:15:45
  Speaker 5: were there, almost as though he was expecting you. You
• 1:15:49
  Speaker 5: walk over and lay your hands on him and say,
• 1:15:54
  Speaker 5: brother Saul, Ah. The words just stick in your throat
• 1:15:57
  Speaker 5: for a moment that you feel peace. Brother Saul. The
• 1:16:05
  Speaker 5: Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has
• 1:16:09
  Speaker 5: sent me so that you might regain your sight and
• 1:16:13
  Speaker 5: be filled with the Holy Spirit. And then instantly, something
• 1:16:18
  Speaker 5: like scales fall from Saul's eyes. Dead scaly skin falls
• 1:16:24
  Speaker 5: to the ground. Saul looks at you and blinks. He
• 1:16:31
  Speaker 5: has regained his sight. You help him up, and you
• 1:16:34
  Speaker 5: walk outside together, from the darkness into the light. Now,
• 1:16:42
  Speaker 5: Brothers in Christ, you walk together down straight street to
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 5: find a stream or a pond or a river, someplace,
• 1:16:50
  Speaker 5: any place where you can baptize your new brother in Christ, Paul.
• 1:16:56
  Speaker 5: At this moment you fade from the story and we
• 1:17:01
  Speaker 5: hear of you no more. Your role was small but significant. Perhaps,
• 1:17:07
  Speaker 5: like Ananius, you have wavered when you heard God speaking
• 1:17:11
  Speaker 5: to you. Or perhaps the Holy Spirit has given you
• 1:17:16
  Speaker 5: the strength to be faithful and obedient. God can make
• 1:17:21
  Speaker 5: a small act of obedience from a transformed heart bring
• 1:17:26
  Speaker 5: a great harvest. God transformed Annius, he changed Paul, and
• 1:17:34
  Speaker 5: he redeemed you. His ways can seem confusing at times,
• 1:17:41
  Speaker 5: But now as you sleep, whisper a prayer of reliance
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 5: on Him, on his word, on his voice, and trust
• 1:17:49
  Speaker 5: that He has transformed you and will not lead you
• 1:17:53
  Speaker 5: astray as you rest. May you be blessed by the
• 1:18:00
  Speaker 5: living God that transforms. May the Holy Spirit guide your dreams.
• 1:18:06
  Speaker 5: Let me pray for you now as you fall asleep.
• 1:18:10
  Speaker 5: Oh peaceful and Loving Father, Be merciful to this one,
• 1:18:14
  Speaker 5: Oh God, because of your constant love, because of your
• 1:18:19
  Speaker 5: great mercy, wipe away their sins, wash away all evil,
• 1:18:24
  Speaker 5: and make them clean from their sin. Tonight, tonight, let
• 1:18:28
  Speaker 5: them hear the sounds of joy and gladness. Create in
• 1:18:33
  Speaker 5: them tonight a pure heart, O God, give them again
• 1:18:37
  Speaker 5: the joy that comes from your salvation. God, grant this
• 1:18:42
  Speaker 5: one peace so that they can sleep soundlessly and awaken
• 1:18:47
  Speaker 5: with a renewed spirit, ready to face the day ahead.
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 5: In Jesus' name, Amen, So continue to pace your breathing
• 1:18:57
  Speaker 5: now as you continue to rest, presence of God, just breed,
• 1:19:05
  Speaker 5: just imagine and dream.
• 1:19:18
  Speaker 6: Almost three quarters of American households have pets. They become
• 1:19:23
  Speaker 6: our furry, fuzzy or feathery family members. But even if
• 1:19:28
  Speaker 6: your household doesn't have a pet, you most likely encounter
• 1:19:32
  Speaker 6: animals in your life. Either your backyard bird feeder lures
• 1:19:37
  Speaker 6: hungry visitors, or you see squirrels darting from tree to tree.
• 1:19:42
  Speaker 6: Whatever your encounter with animals, there can be no doubt
• 1:19:46
  Speaker 6: that they are uniquely created by God. Animals even listen
• 1:19:52
  Speaker 6: to God. In the Book of Jonah, we learn that
• 1:19:55
  Speaker 6: God commanded a great fish to swallow Jonah and then
• 1:20:00
  Speaker 6: to spit him onto dry land. And then God caused
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 6: a worm to eat a plant that had grown up
• 1:20:06
  Speaker 6: to give Jonah shade. In the Book of Numbers, in
• 1:20:11
  Speaker 6: the Old Testament, a man named Balem was acting cruelly
• 1:20:15
  Speaker 6: toward his donkey when the animal actually spoke to him.
• 1:20:20
  Speaker 6: Genesis one twenty one tells us so God created the
• 1:20:25
  Speaker 6: great sea creatures, and every living creature that mose with
• 1:20:30
  Speaker 6: which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every
• 1:20:36
  Speaker 6: winged bird according to its kind, and God saw that
• 1:20:40
  Speaker 6: it was good. In tonight's sleep story God's Amazing Creatures,
• 1:20:48
  Speaker 6: we'll encounter animals both huge and small in stories told
• 1:20:54
  Speaker 6: by the people that experienced significant God moments involving those creatures.
• 1:21:01
  Speaker 6: You'll drift off to sleep with a smile on your
• 1:21:04
  Speaker 6: face as your heart is touched by the way God
• 1:21:08
  Speaker 6: uses all his amazing animals to reveal himself to the
• 1:21:12
  Speaker 6: humans who coexist with them, Whether you're an animal lover
• 1:21:19
  Speaker 6: or not, the owner of one cat or five, the
• 1:21:23
  Speaker 6: friend of a single dog, or companion to many. Let
• 1:21:27
  Speaker 6: these stories wash away your worries and remind you that
• 1:21:31
  Speaker 6: God hears you and that He cares for you. And
• 1:21:36
  Speaker 6: next time you see a squirrel trying to steal food
• 1:21:39
  Speaker 6: out of the bird feeder, smile at its wily ways.
• 1:21:45
  Speaker 6: Before I share these special stories with you, make sure
• 1:21:48
  Speaker 6: you're comfortable in your bed. Acknowledge the distractions that want
• 1:21:54
  Speaker 6: to worm their way into your thoughts, and then send
• 1:21:57
  Speaker 6: them away to be dealt with tomorrow. Close your eyes
• 1:22:04
  Speaker 6: and take a nice, deep breath, Hold it for a
• 1:22:08
  Speaker 6: few seconds, and then release it. Feel the tension of
• 1:22:17
  Speaker 6: the day begin to drain from your body as you
• 1:22:21
  Speaker 6: steady your breathing and relax your muscles. Take inventory of
• 1:22:27
  Speaker 6: your body. Relax the muscle groups in your neck, your shoulder,
• 1:22:35
  Speaker 6: your abdomen. Now your arms and hands, your legs and feet.
• 1:22:45
  Speaker 6: Clench and relax. Invite God's Holy Spirit to surround you tonight,
• 1:22:55
  Speaker 6: to bring you comfort and to protect you from all
• 1:22:59
  Speaker 6: fear and anxiety. As you lay your hand on your blanket,
• 1:23:07
  Speaker 6: imagine the soft, warm fur of a sleeping puppy or
• 1:23:12
  Speaker 6: a cuddly kitten bringing you comfort. Continue to breathe in
• 1:23:23
  Speaker 6: and out. Matthew six twenty six says, look at the
• 1:23:31
  Speaker 6: birds of the air. They do not sow or reap,
• 1:23:36
  Speaker 6: or store away and barns, And yet your heavenly Father
• 1:23:41
  Speaker 6: feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
• 1:23:49
  Speaker 6: Psalm one hundred and four, verse twenty one says the
• 1:23:54
  Speaker 6: lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.
• 1:24:00
  Speaker 6: Job twelve seven through ten says, but ask the animals
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 6: and they will teach you. Or the birds in the
• 1:24:09
  Speaker 6: sky and they will tell you. Or speak to the
• 1:24:13
  Speaker 6: earth and it will teach you. Or let the fish
• 1:24:17
  Speaker 6: in the sea inform you. Which of all these does
• 1:24:22
  Speaker 6: not know that the hand of the Lord has done this.
• 1:24:28
  Speaker 6: In his hand is the life of every creature, and
• 1:24:32
  Speaker 6: the breath of all mankind. All creation is answerable to
• 1:24:40
  Speaker 6: the Creator. We have been given care of the animals,
• 1:24:44
  Speaker 6: and God uses them to reveal himself to us. Let
• 1:24:50
  Speaker 6: me pray for you before I begin our stories. Creator, God,
• 1:24:55
  Speaker 6: thank you for all your creatures, from the cute to
• 1:24:58
  Speaker 6: the incredible, from the armadillo to the antelope. You have
• 1:25:04
  Speaker 6: given each a unique place in this world. I pray
• 1:25:08
  Speaker 6: that you would take this listener, this beloved child of yours,
• 1:25:13
  Speaker 6: deep into sleep, so that they may wake up refresh
• 1:25:18
  Speaker 6: and ready to start their day tomorrow. I pray that
• 1:25:23
  Speaker 6: any worries or fears that they might be carrying would
• 1:25:27
  Speaker 6: be swept away in the light of your love and
• 1:25:30
  Speaker 6: care for them. Thank you for our animal friends who
• 1:25:35
  Speaker 6: become integral parts of our family. And thank you for
• 1:25:39
  Speaker 6: the wonders of the wild animal who swim in the deep,
• 1:25:44
  Speaker 6: fly in the sky, and roam the earth. They speak
• 1:25:49
  Speaker 6: of your glory. Give uplifting and calming dreams to this
• 1:25:54
  Speaker 6: listener to night, Assure them of your presence, Wrap them
• 1:25:59
  Speaker 6: in your peace. Maybe cast all their cares upon you
• 1:26:04
  Speaker 6: because you care for them, guard them, guide them, keep
• 1:26:11
  Speaker 6: them in your perfect peace because their mind is fixed
• 1:26:16
  Speaker 6: on you. Thank you for always being with us and
• 1:26:21
  Speaker 6: for always having your eye on us. We love you,
• 1:26:26
  Speaker 6: Jesus in your name. I pray Amen. Tonight, I'm going
• 1:26:33
  Speaker 6: to tell you special stories about amazing animals who have
• 1:26:38
  Speaker 6: touched people's lives and unique ways. We're not always looking
• 1:26:43
  Speaker 6: for God and the everyday encounters we have. Sometimes we
• 1:26:49
  Speaker 6: just go about our day not expecting anything unusual, But
• 1:26:54
  Speaker 6: God wants to bless us with his presence. He wants
• 1:26:59
  Speaker 6: us to know that He's always thinking about us, hearing
• 1:27:04
  Speaker 6: our prayers, and caring for our needs, whether they be
• 1:27:09
  Speaker 6: physical or emotional. All the stories you will hear tonight
• 1:27:14
  Speaker 6: are true, and they are told by the people who
• 1:27:17
  Speaker 6: experienced them. Our first story is called Cling to Jesus,
• 1:27:26
  Speaker 6: and it's by Tracy Crump Psalm sixty three, Verses seven
• 1:27:32
  Speaker 6: and eight in the New International version says, because you
• 1:27:37
  Speaker 6: are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wing,
• 1:27:42
  Speaker 6: I cling to you. Your right hand upholds me. Lightning flashed,
• 1:27:49
  Speaker 6: thunder boomed, and the electricity went out. After the storm
• 1:27:53
  Speaker 6: moved through, my husband Stan and I went to check
• 1:27:56
  Speaker 6: on my elderly parents. Wind had blow down a huge limb,
• 1:28:01
  Speaker 6: and stand stopped to drag it to the curb for
• 1:28:04
  Speaker 6: pick up. When he turned around, two orange eyes stared
• 1:28:10
  Speaker 6: into his They belonged to a bedraggled but beautiful gray bird.
• 1:28:18
  Speaker 6: Its hooked beak opened in silent protests, and claws clamped
• 1:28:23
  Speaker 6: onto the branch. When the bird made no attempt to fly,
• 1:28:29
  Speaker 6: We texted a picture of it to the director of
• 1:28:32
  Speaker 6: a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. She identified it as a juvenile
• 1:28:38
  Speaker 6: Mississippi kite, a small bird of prey. It's a brancher,
• 1:28:45
  Speaker 6: she said, old enough to leave the nest, but not
• 1:28:49
  Speaker 6: yet ready to fend for itself. Put it back in
• 1:28:54
  Speaker 6: a nearby tree, and its parents will return to care
• 1:28:57
  Speaker 6: for it. Once stand managed to pry the bird's claws
• 1:29:03
  Speaker 6: from the brand, he did as instructed. The next morning,
• 1:29:08
  Speaker 6: the two adult kites swooped in to feed their hungry offspring.
• 1:29:13
  Speaker 6: The young bird endured a frightening fall and a bumpy
• 1:29:17
  Speaker 6: ride across the yard, clinging to the only thing it
• 1:29:21
  Speaker 6: knew for security. What do I cling to when life
• 1:29:27
  Speaker 6: throws me to the ground? Too often I look to
• 1:29:32
  Speaker 6: other people for comfort and refuge. Others may turn to
• 1:29:37
  Speaker 6: recreation work or more destructive diversions such as drugs or
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 6: alcohol to dull the pain. But I've found that only
• 1:29:47
  Speaker 6: Jesus provides lasting security, offering the assurance that He will
• 1:29:52
  Speaker 6: stand beside me no matter what trials and hardships I faith.
• 1:29:58
  Speaker 6: Anything else is temper. Life often takes me on a
• 1:30:03
  Speaker 6: bumpy ride. When I turn to Jesus, I find peace
• 1:30:09
  Speaker 6: and strength to let go of the brand. I'm depending
• 1:30:14
  Speaker 6: on and move forward.
• 1:30:19
  Speaker 3: Psalm sixty two.
• 1:30:21
  Speaker 6: Verse seven in the New International version says, my salvation
• 1:30:27
  Speaker 6: and my honor depend on God. He is my mighty rock,
• 1:30:34
  Speaker 6: my refuge. Tracy and Stan were there to help this
• 1:30:41
  Speaker 6: little kite when it was alone and frightened, and in
• 1:30:45
  Speaker 6: that moment they could see the love and care that
• 1:30:48
  Speaker 6: God always gives to them. Lord, thank you for always
• 1:30:54
  Speaker 6: being there to help us to hear our cries. Sometimes
• 1:30:58
  Speaker 6: you have to pry our hands off something we're clinging
• 1:31:01
  Speaker 6: to in order to help us, to put us where
• 1:31:05
  Speaker 6: we need to be to grow, help us to have
• 1:31:10
  Speaker 6: loose hands willing to cling to you instead. Amen. Our
• 1:31:20
  Speaker 6: next story is told by Judy Ross of Chesapeake, Ohio.
• 1:31:25
  Speaker 6: She calls it Lamas Everywhere. My husband Tom and I
• 1:31:31
  Speaker 6: had come up with more than a few crazy ideas
• 1:31:33
  Speaker 6: in our twenty nine years of marriage, but this one
• 1:31:37
  Speaker 6: topped them all. We are not buying a Lama, I
• 1:31:43
  Speaker 6: told him no way. We had just driven home after
• 1:31:49
  Speaker 6: spending the afternoon at a huge lama exhibition and show
• 1:31:53
  Speaker 6: on the Ohio State Fairgrounds. We had gone there for
• 1:31:58
  Speaker 6: the dog show, where for fire five years we'd shown
• 1:32:01
  Speaker 6: our beloved boxer.
• 1:32:04
  Speaker 3: Roxy was a.
• 1:32:05
  Speaker 6: Beautiful champion show dog whom I'd loved as if she
• 1:32:09
  Speaker 6: were one of our children. She'd drawn us into a
• 1:32:13
  Speaker 6: life I could never have imagined. Roxy came into our
• 1:32:18
  Speaker 6: lives when she was a puppy, and everything changed. Summer
• 1:32:23
  Speaker 6: weekends were spent going to shows across the region. It
• 1:32:28
  Speaker 6: became all consuming. For months, we didn't even go to church.
• 1:32:34
  Speaker 6: That was the one drawback about showing dogs. But I'd
• 1:32:39
  Speaker 6: so enjoyed it. The competition, the people we met, the
• 1:32:44
  Speaker 6: time bonding with Roxy. I was sure God understood. Then,
• 1:32:51
  Speaker 6: at sixty years old, Roxy was diagnosed with an inoperable
• 1:32:56
  Speaker 6: brain tumor and died only a year later. I was
• 1:33:01
  Speaker 6: still heartbroken. I thought coming to the show would be
• 1:33:06
  Speaker 6: a way to relive happy memories, but all I felt
• 1:33:09
  Speaker 6: was sadness. I can't do this, I told Tom. Halfway
• 1:33:15
  Speaker 6: through we left the arena. Just outside the doors was
• 1:33:21
  Speaker 6: a huge sign, come see the lamas. Let's check it out.
• 1:33:28
  Speaker 6: Tom said, I thought he was joking. An hour later,
• 1:33:33
  Speaker 6: we were still walking past pen after pen of these leggy,
• 1:33:37
  Speaker 6: furry animals. Tom was fascinated peppering the farm owners with
• 1:33:42
  Speaker 6: questions and getting their business cards. The whole three hour
• 1:33:47
  Speaker 6: drive back to our thirty two acre hillside hobby farm.
• 1:33:51
  Speaker 6: Tom was lost in thought. Sometimes I feel like we
• 1:33:54
  Speaker 6: should be doing something more with our lives, he said,
• 1:33:59
  Speaker 6: as much to himself as me. At last we pulled
• 1:34:04
  Speaker 6: into the driveway, Tom announced, I'm going to buy a lama.
• 1:34:11
  Speaker 6: He'd always been like this, impulsive and full of ideas,
• 1:34:15
  Speaker 6: wanting to buy the farm when we were just starting
• 1:34:18
  Speaker 6: out in our marriage, volunteering us to teach Sunday school
• 1:34:22
  Speaker 6: and then to lead a youth group. Never mind that
• 1:34:25
  Speaker 6: we had no experience. He just leaped in and trusted
• 1:34:30
  Speaker 6: God to figure out the details. I was more cautious
• 1:34:34
  Speaker 6: and liked to weigh all the pros and cons. God
• 1:34:38
  Speaker 6: gave us brains so we could think things through right,
• 1:34:42
  Speaker 6: And I couldn't see anything good about this. Why lamas
• 1:34:48
  Speaker 6: and what would we do with them? There's good money
• 1:34:51
  Speaker 6: to be made in breeding them, Tom said. The breeders
• 1:34:55
  Speaker 6: mentioned there's a huge demand and it could supplement our retirement.
• 1:35:01
  Speaker 6: I was fifty, Tom was fifty two. I was glad
• 1:35:05
  Speaker 6: he was thinking about our future. But still lamas. It
• 1:35:11
  Speaker 6: seems too risky, I said. We'd raised a few horses
• 1:35:16
  Speaker 6: and cattle, not that we'd ever gotten rich off of it.
• 1:35:22
  Speaker 6: Tom let the subject drop. I noticed he kept all
• 1:35:26
  Speaker 6: the Lama farm business cards on his dresser though. A
• 1:35:31
  Speaker 6: couple of months later he called me at work. There's
• 1:35:35
  Speaker 6: a Lama farm north of Columbus. He said, I want
• 1:35:39
  Speaker 6: to go have a look this weekend. More than one
• 1:35:43
  Speaker 6: hundred lamas ambled about the farm's rolling fields. Tom was
• 1:35:49
  Speaker 6: like a kid in a candy store. Was this the
• 1:35:52
  Speaker 6: future he envisioned for us lamas everywhere? We both worked
• 1:35:59
  Speaker 6: full time, Tom for a plastics manufacturer, me in the
• 1:36:03
  Speaker 6: computer department of Marshall University's School of Medicine. Solid dependable jobs.
• 1:36:11
  Speaker 6: One lamma in particular, a spindly legged, fuzzy, brown and
• 1:36:15
  Speaker 6: white baby, took a liking to Tom. Her name was Emily.
• 1:36:21
  Speaker 6: She followed him like a puppy. How can we resist?
• 1:36:26
  Speaker 6: Tom said, let's just start with her. I still wasn't
• 1:36:31
  Speaker 6: feeling it. But how much trouble could one little wamma be? O? K?
• 1:36:38
  Speaker 6: I said, you'll need to get two. The breeder added,
• 1:36:42
  Speaker 6: not so helpfully. They're herd animals. They don't do well alone.
• 1:36:49
  Speaker 6: Six months later, when they were old enough to be weaned,
• 1:36:53
  Speaker 6: we brought home Emily and a solid brown male baby
• 1:36:58
  Speaker 6: named Fabian. We opened the back doors of the trailer
• 1:37:03
  Speaker 6: and the Llamas walked into our freshly mowed field. Emily
• 1:37:08
  Speaker 6: nosed the grass and began nibbling. Fabian sniffed the air
• 1:37:13
  Speaker 6: around him. I can't explain it, but something took hold
• 1:37:17
  Speaker 6: of me. There were just the two of them, surrounded
• 1:37:22
  Speaker 6: by open field, their wool sun dappled. It seemed as
• 1:37:28
  Speaker 6: if they were exactly where they belonged, as if God
• 1:37:33
  Speaker 6: had reached down and placed them on our farm himself.
• 1:37:37
  Speaker 6: Was he trying to tell me something? They're beautiful? I said,
• 1:37:42
  Speaker 6: they really are. Tom nodded, but he had that far
• 1:37:46
  Speaker 6: away look again. What now, I thought. A few days
• 1:37:52
  Speaker 6: later I found out we should take the llamas out
• 1:37:57
  Speaker 6: to places where folks can meet them. He said, nursing,
• 1:38:01
  Speaker 6: home schools, that kind of thing. I remembered the breeder
• 1:38:08
  Speaker 6: stressing that it was important to get the word out
• 1:38:11
  Speaker 6: to have people interact with the Lamas in order to
• 1:38:15
  Speaker 6: build a successful breeding operation. I hadn't thought we'd start
• 1:38:19
  Speaker 6: right away, though. I've been praying for a way for
• 1:38:23
  Speaker 6: us to get involved in some sort of ministry outside
• 1:38:26
  Speaker 6: of church. Tom said, the lamas could be the answer.
• 1:38:32
  Speaker 6: There'll be a conversation starter, for sure, an animal ministry.
• 1:38:38
  Speaker 6: I thought about Roxy and all the places we'd taken her.
• 1:38:43
  Speaker 6: People constantly came up to us wanting to pet her.
• 1:38:47
  Speaker 6: But I'd never seen it as a chance to talk
• 1:38:50
  Speaker 6: about God. If anything, the dog show circuit had pulled
• 1:38:55
  Speaker 6: me away from church, from practicing my faith. Regretted that
• 1:39:01
  Speaker 6: now it was as if God was giving us a
• 1:39:04
  Speaker 6: chance for a do over with llamas. Of all things,
• 1:39:10
  Speaker 6: we could call our farm good news lamas, Tom said,
• 1:39:15
  Speaker 6: we can share the good news of Jesus Christ where
• 1:39:19
  Speaker 6: we go. A few days later, I call the nursing
• 1:39:24
  Speaker 6: home in our area. They were thrilled to have us visit.
• 1:39:28
  Speaker 6: The residence's faces lit up when they saw Emily and Fabian.
• 1:39:33
  Speaker 6: I've never seen a llama in real life. One woman
• 1:39:37
  Speaker 6: said she couldn't stop petting Emily. The llamas were as
• 1:39:42
  Speaker 6: gentle as could be. We didn't talk directly about God,
• 1:39:47
  Speaker 6: and yet there was no doubt that He was there
• 1:39:51
  Speaker 6: working through us, bringing joy and laughter to people. Not
• 1:39:56
  Speaker 6: long after that, we visited a school. A boy came
• 1:40:01
  Speaker 6: up to Fabian a scowl on his face. He was
• 1:40:05
  Speaker 6: dressed all in black. Everything about him said leave me alone.
• 1:40:11
  Speaker 6: Yet he buried his head deep in Fabian's wool, holding
• 1:40:17
  Speaker 6: the llama tight for nearly twenty minutes. Fabian never tried
• 1:40:22
  Speaker 6: to pull away. He connected with this boy in a
• 1:40:26
  Speaker 6: way I never could have imagined. At the end of
• 1:40:31
  Speaker 6: our visit, a teacher told me that boy comes from
• 1:40:34
  Speaker 6: a very difficult family situation. I've never seen him show
• 1:40:39
  Speaker 6: any kind of affection. I found myself spending more and
• 1:40:44
  Speaker 6: more time with our lamas, and it wasn't just to
• 1:40:48
  Speaker 6: learn how to keep them healthy and happy. Emily still
• 1:40:53
  Speaker 6: followed Tom around like a puppy. Every night when he
• 1:40:57
  Speaker 6: came home from work, she was by the fence waiting
• 1:41:00
  Speaker 6: for him. When Emily and Fabian were nearly a year old,
• 1:41:06
  Speaker 6: the breeder told us we needed to separate them so
• 1:41:09
  Speaker 6: they wouldn't mate too young. Of course, that meant buying
• 1:41:13
  Speaker 6: two more lamas so everyone could have a friend. When
• 1:41:19
  Speaker 6: we finally began breeding them, the babies were so cute
• 1:41:23
  Speaker 6: I couldn't bear to part with them so much for
• 1:41:27
  Speaker 6: our retirement income. Every year we welcomed two or three
• 1:41:32
  Speaker 6: new lamas to the herd that became part of our family.
• 1:41:37
  Speaker 6: I heard about all the uses for Lama fiber, and
• 1:41:40
  Speaker 6: from that came an entirely new ministry. Our daughter Mitzi
• 1:41:45
  Speaker 6: started Wooly Mountain Ministry, speaking of churches and using Lama
• 1:41:50
  Speaker 6: wool and her spinning wheel to share the message of
• 1:41:54
  Speaker 6: Jesus Christ. I too, learned how to spin the fiber
• 1:41:59
  Speaker 6: into yarn perfect for knitting and crocheting. I began teaching spinning, dying,
• 1:42:05
  Speaker 6: and felting. We went to more schools and nursing homes,
• 1:42:10
  Speaker 6: festivals and parades, even the Lama Show on the Ohio
• 1:42:14
  Speaker 6: State fair Grounds, the place where it all began. Our
• 1:42:19
  Speaker 6: schedules got so busy we ultimately left our jobs to
• 1:42:23
  Speaker 6: devote more time to the ministry. The Lamas turned out
• 1:42:28
  Speaker 6: to be a wonderful retirement plan after all. To day
• 1:42:32
  Speaker 6: we have a heard of eighteen, including Emily. She's twenty
• 1:42:37
  Speaker 6: three now and still loves meeting people. People are drawn
• 1:42:42
  Speaker 6: in by the Lamas, but they also ask about the
• 1:42:45
  Speaker 6: ministry's name. What do you mean by good news? They say?
• 1:42:51
  Speaker 6: I tell them of God's love and how he wants
• 1:42:53
  Speaker 6: the best for each of us, if only we allow
• 1:42:57
  Speaker 6: ourselves to trust and go where He leads.
• 1:43:00
  Speaker 3: Us.
• 1:43:03
  Speaker 6: So God created the great sea creatures and every living
• 1:43:08
  Speaker 6: creature that moves, with which the water swore, according to
• 1:43:12
  Speaker 6: their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind.
• 1:43:18
  Speaker 6: And God saw that it was good. Judy could not
• 1:43:22
  Speaker 6: envision a future that included lamas, but God directed their steps,
• 1:43:27
  Speaker 6: and now the lovely llamas bring joy to all who
• 1:43:31
  Speaker 6: meet them. So God created the great sea creatures, and
• 1:43:37
  Speaker 6: every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm,
• 1:43:42
  Speaker 6: according to their kind, and every winged bird according to
• 1:43:46
  Speaker 6: its kind. And God saw that it was good. Lord God,
• 1:43:54
  Speaker 6: everything you made is good, from the tiniest little baby
• 1:43:58
  Speaker 6: kite to the huge jump back wail. You use all
• 1:44:03
  Speaker 6: your creatures to bring you glory. Everything points to you.
• 1:44:08
  Speaker 6: Thank you for allowing us to hear the stories of
• 1:44:11
  Speaker 6: these animal encounters that meant so much to others. Help
• 1:44:17
  Speaker 6: us to appreciate all aspects of your creation and to
• 1:44:21
  Speaker 6: praise you when we see them. I pray for this
• 1:44:26
  Speaker 6: listener as they rest now, peaceful and content, knowing that
• 1:44:33
  Speaker 6: you are with them all through the night. In Jesus' name,
• 1:44:38
  Speaker 6: I pray, Amen, thank you for joining me and hearing
• 1:44:45
  Speaker 6: these wonderful stories of God's amazing creatures. The prophet Isaiah
• 1:44:51
  Speaker 6: wrote these amazing words about what the day of the
• 1:44:54
  Speaker 6: Lord will look like. In that day, the wolf in
• 1:44:59
  Speaker 6: the life the lamb will live together. The leopard will
• 1:45:03
  Speaker 6: lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the
• 1:45:06
  Speaker 6: year lane will be safe with the lion, and a
• 1:45:11
  Speaker 6: little child will lead them all. The cow will graze
• 1:45:15
  Speaker 6: near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie
• 1:45:18
  Speaker 6: down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. Amen.
• 1:45:32
  Speaker 1: I feel like when I listen to the sleep meditations
• 1:45:35
  Speaker 1: that I have a friend next to me.