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Abide_in_Blessing_Every_Night_-_Clear_Anxiety_for_Calm_Sleep__Restful_Worshi · Abide Meditation App

• 0:07
  Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the sleep Story from Abide. I'm Chloe.
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: Thanks for joining me tonight for this bedtime story called
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Turn Worry into Worship. Tonight, we'll be looking at the
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: story of Mary and Martha found in Luke chapter ten,
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: Verses forty one to forty two. We'll be seeing through
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: their examples how we are called to turn away from
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: worrying and turn toward worshiping the Lord instead. We are
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: living in a world which is saturated with worry and anxiety.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: Some people live in a state of low grade fear
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: as a norm, and more and more people are experiencing
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: increased anxiety every day. This is not the will of
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: God for us. He wants his children to live a
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: full life with continual peace as our norm. One of
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: the names for Jesus is Prince of Peace. He came
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: to bring the peace from his kingdom down to this world.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: He means us to have life, and that life in abundance.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: The fruit that we shall soon see in the lives
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: of Mary and Martha will show us that Jesus wants
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: us to cease worrying and worship him instead, to worship
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: him and see our worries dissolve. He invites us to
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: go low as Mary did, to listen intenderly to his
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: every word, and as he comes into his proper place
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: in our lives, the worries and cares will drift away.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: In his incredible Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks directly
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: to the topic of worry. He tells us in Matthew six,
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: verse thirty three, but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore,
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: Each day has enough trouble of its own. Precious one,
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: Lets seek Jesus first tonight and experience the peace that
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: we long for in our hearts. Before we visit the
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: home of Mary and Martha and Bethany and take our
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: seat at the feet of Jesus, Let's prepare for sleep.
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: The day is coming to a close. What has been
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: done has been done. What has not been done has
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: not been done. Let it be I invite you to
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: turn off all the lights, Let your eyes grow heavy,
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: surrender to sleep as it comes to wrap you up.
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: Just as you are wrapped up in your blankets, get
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: cozy under the covers, adjust your pillow to best support
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: your hair. Completely relax, Let your whole body weight sink
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  Speaker 1: into your mattress. Breathe gently and deeply. Expel all the
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: stagnant air of the day. Let all feelings of stress
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: from the day's events pass over you and go to Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: You are not giving them over to thin air. You
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  Speaker 1: are giving them to your maker, the one who cares
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: about the most intricate details of your life. He is
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: the one who knows you better than you will ever
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: know yourself. He counts every hair on your head, He
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: collects your tears and a bottle, he feeds the sparrows.
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  Speaker 1: So how much more valuable are you? Release your cares
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  Speaker 1: to him now, as you let go of every bit
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  Speaker 1: of tension in your body, You don't have to be
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: in control. Now you are held in the loving arms
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: of your creator. Give him control and feel the anxieties
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  Speaker 1: fade from your body, from your head and face, from
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: your neck and shoulders, from your hands and feet. Keep
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: breathing as you keep releasing every area of collected strain. Then,
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: Hailworth Lord, I give you control and Exhaleworth Lord, I
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  Speaker 1: receive your peace and again Inhaleworth Lord, I give you
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: control and exhaleworth. Lord, I receive your peace. Let's begin
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  Speaker 1: our story and prayer. Oh dear Lord Jesus, I bring
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  Speaker 1: this precious child to you. They may have come to
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: this story tonight burdened with worries and cares. Thank You
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  Speaker 1: that they have come to you. You tell us in
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: the Book of Matthew, chapter eleven, verse twenty eight to thirty.
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  Speaker 1: Come to me all you are weary and burdened, and
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Lord,
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  Speaker 1: Would you take the weight off your child's weary shoulders tonight?
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  Speaker 1: May they truly find rest in you. May they experience
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: you tonight as gentle and humble and heart. I pray
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  Speaker 1: that this story would cause them to find deep rest
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: for their weary souls and your matchless name. We pray. Amen.
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: There's a potential that you have come yet tonight, burdened
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: by the worries of the world seeking peace. Well, I'm
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: here to encourage you that the Lord is here to
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: bring you peace. He's the Prince of peace, and his
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  Speaker 1: holy spirit will grow within you the fruit of peace.
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  Speaker 1: And it's not just an intellectual peace. It is a
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  Speaker 1: felt peace, a tangible peace, an experiential peace. A peace
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  Speaker 1: that you cannot feel is not the peace that our
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: Savior promises us. He paid such a high price for it.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus would not promise us the idea of peace, or
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  Speaker 1: just peace that will come in eternity, or even a
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: peace that we will experiences when situations around us mellow out. No,
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: God's peace is powerful. It can be experienced in the
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  Speaker 1: darkest times. Let's pause here to praise God for his
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  Speaker 1: true peace. Beloved Father God, You've sent your son to
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  Speaker 1: deliver us from worry and anxiety, not only in the
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  Speaker 1: next life, but also in this life. We praise you
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  Speaker 1: that you care about our souls so much that you
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  Speaker 1: want us to experience serenity and a calm mind. We
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  Speaker 1: glorify you. You are beyond good. We honor you tonight.
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  Speaker 1: We turn our hearts to worship you as you turn
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  Speaker 1: our worry into peace. Thank you, Lord. Now come along
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  Speaker 1: with me and let's go and visit the room in
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  Speaker 1: Bethany at the home of Mary Martha and Lazarus. Listen
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: as I read the story from Luke Chapter ten, verses
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: forty one and forty two from the International Standard Version. Now,
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  Speaker 1: as they were traveling along, Jesus went into a village,
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  Speaker 1: a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She
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  Speaker 1: had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the
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  Speaker 1: Lord's feet and kept listening to what he was saying.
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  Speaker 1: But Martha was worrying about all the things she had
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: to do, so she came to him and asked, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: you do care that my sister has left me to
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  Speaker 1: do all the work by myself. Don't you then tell
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  Speaker 1: her to help me? The Lord answered her, Martha, Martha,
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  Speaker 1: you worry and fuss about a lot of things, but
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  Speaker 1: there's only one thing you need. Mary has chosen what
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  Speaker 1: is better, and it is not to be taken away
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  Speaker 1: from her. Now, imagine that you are one of Jesus
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  Speaker 1: disciples traveling to Bethany to have dinner with jesus friends
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  Speaker 1: and hear him teach. The day is hot, the road
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  Speaker 1: is dusty. The sun has been shining down on you
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  Speaker 1: and the other disciples. As you have made your way
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  Speaker 1: from Jerusalem to Martha's house. You are certainly ready for
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  Speaker 1: food and water. As you enter the village, Jesus leads
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  Speaker 1: you and your companions to a small stone house. A
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  Speaker 1: woman opens the door, and Jesus smiles warmly and embraces her.
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  Speaker 1: But she looks anxious. Her hair is messy, her forehead
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  Speaker 1: is wrinkled with lines of worry. She's probably very glad
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  Speaker 1: to see Jesus, but it's not completely obvious by her appearance.
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  Speaker 1: You wonder if your visit might be more of an
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  Speaker 1: imposition than a pleasant surprise. This woman called Martha ushes
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: you all in. She counts the number of disciples as
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: you pass through. This seems to cause her even more concern.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus turns and gives you a wry smile, and you
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  Speaker 1: see the twinkle in his eye. He's always got something planned,
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  Speaker 1: and he is never even remotely concerned. You hear Martha
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  Speaker 1: go into the kitchen and mutter to herself that she
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  Speaker 1: may not have enough bread to feed everyone. Jesus greets
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  Speaker 1: his friend Lazarus with a warm embrace. He asks, with
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  Speaker 1: deep love and interest, where Mary is. He has been
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  Speaker 1: so longing to see her again. Lazarus turns to the
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  Speaker 1: stairs and calls for a sister Mary. She immediately hears
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  Speaker 1: and comes racing down the stairs. She doesn't answer her brother,
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  Speaker 1: but she simply runs to Jesus and squeezes him tightly.
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  Speaker 1: You and the others watch this, but Jesus doesn't look
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  Speaker 1: at all uncomfortable. He is grinning from ear to ear,
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  Speaker 1: and he holds her tightly too. He kisses her forehead. Presently,
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  Speaker 1: you are all sitting on the floor in the open
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  Speaker 1: area of the house. Jesus is holding you all captive
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  Speaker 1: with his incredible wisdom and knowledge. But more than that,
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  Speaker 1: the love in his voice and eyes is impossible to
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  Speaker 1: look away from. Mary sits at his feet well. She
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  Speaker 1: practically clings to his feet. Her gaze is fixed on him.
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  Speaker 1: She barely blinks because she's so captivated by him. She
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  Speaker 1: is not distracted or worried. She smiles with a joy
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  Speaker 1: that appears to brim out of her eyes. She is
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: low at the lord's feet. She is looking intently at
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  Speaker 1: his face as he teaches unearthly wisdom and tells parables
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  Speaker 1: with his customary passion and love. Even though someone observing
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  Speaker 1: Mary might think she's being lazy for not helping prepare
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  Speaker 1: a meal like her sister does, you watch her with
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  Speaker 1: increasing awe. You understand that she is putting all other matters,
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  Speaker 1: even important matters and urgent demands, second to Jesus. If
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  Speaker 1: that isn't worship, then you don't know what is. You
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  Speaker 1: keep observing her because her RESTful seat at Jesus' feet
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  Speaker 1: is teaching you about simple adoration. Even Mary's face looks radiant.
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  Speaker 1: Her eyes are sparkling as she listens to him and
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  Speaker 1: watches his kind face. You want to have such deep
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  Speaker 1: affection in your heart to Perhaps you have known Jesus
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  Speaker 1: as teacher and rabbi and master, but she is looking
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  Speaker 1: at Jesus as her all in all, her lord and king.
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  Speaker 1: You look at Jesus again with a new perspective. You
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  Speaker 1: see that Jesus' eyes are beaming with affection for his
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  Speaker 1: beloved friends. You are not just as student or follower.
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  Speaker 1: He loves you as his friend. Only the other day
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  Speaker 1: he told you and the other disciples, I don't call
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  Speaker 1: you servants any longer. Servants don't know what the Master
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  Speaker 1: is doing. But I have told you everything the Father
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  Speaker 1: has said to me. I call you my friends. You
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  Speaker 1: are thinking about his love for you, and watching Mary
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  Speaker 1: adoring him in total simplicity of heart. You notice that
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  Speaker 1: Martha still hasn't come out of the kitchen, even though
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  Speaker 1: it's been an hour or so since you arrived. You
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  Speaker 1: can hear her preparing a meal. She emerges from the
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  Speaker 1: kitchen and interrupts this precious moment, saying, Lord, you do
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  Speaker 1: care that my sister has left me to do all
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  Speaker 1: the work by myself. Don't you then tell her to
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  Speaker 1: come help me. Jesus looks with such love and tenderness
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  Speaker 1: at her and replies, Martha, Martha, you worry and fuss
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  Speaker 1: about a lot of things, but there's only one thing
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  Speaker 1: you need. Mary has chosen what is better, and it
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  Speaker 1: is not to be taken away from her. Join me
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  Speaker 1: as we turn our eyes to the Lord and praise
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  Speaker 1: him in this moment, Lord Jesus, we want you to
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  Speaker 1: have our attention. We do not want to worry or
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  Speaker 1: stress about anything. Let us instead worship you. You are
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  Speaker 1: worthy of all our time and energy and care. You
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  Speaker 1: call us to sit at your feet so that we
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  Speaker 1: may honor and praise you. Lord, turn our worry into worship.
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  Speaker 1: We come and turn our anxiety into adoration. Lord, we
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  Speaker 1: love you, Help us adore you like Mary did help
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  Speaker 1: us choose the better part, the one thing necessary, and
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  Speaker 1: your precious name, we pray. Amen. We know from scripture
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  Speaker 1: that Mary is remembered for all time for lavishing Jesus
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  Speaker 1: with an extravagant display of affection. When she broke an
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  Speaker 1: alabaster jar of expensive perfume over his feet, she esteemed
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  Speaker 1: Jesus worthy above all others to have her costly love.
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  Speaker 1: This is pointed out by Jesus to be the opposite
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  Speaker 1: of a life of worrying and fretting. These two sisters'
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  Speaker 1: lives display that in order to experience peace of mind,
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  Speaker 1: we must draw ourselves away from busyness. Come and rest
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  Speaker 1: at his feet, turn our eyes to him, and simply
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  Speaker 1: adore him. Psalm ninety five, verse six. Exhorts us, come,
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  Speaker 1: let us bow down in worship. Let us kneel before
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  Speaker 1: the Lord, our maker. For he is our God, and
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  Speaker 1: we are the people of his pasture, the flock under
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  Speaker 1: his care. As we bow down in worship and give
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  Speaker 1: him our attention and affection, we find our cares dissolve.
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  Speaker 1: We discover that our deepest needs are met in him.
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  Speaker 1: When we chase after lesser things, we ultimately find them
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  Speaker 1: empty of meaning. Like Martha. We might make a meal
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  Speaker 1: that Jesus never ordered, and we will most likely find
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  Speaker 1: it leads to worry and anxiety and burnout. Jesus invites
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  Speaker 1: us every day to come to him, to bring even
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  Speaker 1: our heavy burdens and lay them at his feet, and
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  Speaker 1: offer up our lives again as a sweet fragrance to him.
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  Speaker 1: He will give us rest for our souls. He will
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  Speaker 1: take the worries off our shoulders and give us his
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  Speaker 1: lightness in its place. Psalm sixty eight, verse nineteen in
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: the New English translation tells us the Lord deserves praise
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  Speaker 1: day after day he carries our burden, the Lord, God
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  Speaker 1: who delivers us. Our God is a god who delivers
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  Speaker 1: the Lord, the sovereign Lord can rescue from death. We
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  Speaker 1: thank you Lord, You dare deserve our praise. Day after day.
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  Speaker 1: You carry our burdens, not just once, but every day,
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  Speaker 1: not just one burden, but every burden that is weighing
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  Speaker 1: us down. Thank you Lord that whatever burden you lay
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  Speaker 1: on our shoulders is easy and light. You are a
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  Speaker 1: God who rescues us. Not only do you deliver us
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  Speaker 1: from eternal death, but you deliver us from our fears
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  Speaker 1: in this life. You are worthy of all our adoration.
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  Speaker 1: Listen as I read Matthew Chapter eleven, verses twenty eight
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  Speaker 1: to thirty in the New International version. Come to me,
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  Speaker 1: all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
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  Speaker 1: give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: from me. For I am gentle and humble and hard,
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  Speaker 1: and you will find rest for your souls. For my
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  Speaker 1: yoke is easy and my burden is light. I'll read
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  Speaker 1: it again from the Amplified Bible. Let all heaviness fall
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  Speaker 1: away as you hear the words of our Savior. Come
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  Speaker 1: to me, all you who are weary and heavily burdened
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  Speaker 1: by religious rituals that provide no peace, and I will
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  Speaker 1: give you rest, refreshing your souls with me salvation. Take
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  Speaker 1: my yoke upon you and learn from me, following me
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  Speaker 1: as my disciple, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
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  Speaker 1: and you will find rest, renewal, blessed quiet for your souls.
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  Speaker 1: For my yoke is easy to bear, and my burden
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  Speaker 1: is light, easy and light, light and easy, nothing heavy
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  Speaker 1: or ill fitting. Whatever he requires is pleasant and perfectly
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  Speaker 1: made for you. There is joy in the carrying of it.
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  Speaker 1: I invite you to become aware of the presence of
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  Speaker 1: Jesus with you now. His Holy Spirit is with you
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  Speaker 1: as you fall asleep. He is in the room with you.
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  Speaker 1: He is not far, he is not distant from you.
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  Speaker 1: He is ever present, ever near. Psalm forty six, Verse
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  Speaker 1: one reads, God is our refuge and strength, always ready
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  Speaker 1: to help in times of trouble. Precious listener, whatever troubles
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  Speaker 1: there are in your life right now, God is ready
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  Speaker 1: to rescue you. He is poised to deliver you. Listen.
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  Speaker 1: The Lord's arm is not too weak to save you,
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  Speaker 1: nor his hear too deaf to hear you call, Loving
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  Speaker 1: Father God. We lift our hearts to you again. Tonight
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  Speaker 1: we see ourselves resting nestling at your feet. We pour
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  Speaker 1: our love on you. Help us not to run to
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  Speaker 1: other things, help us not to grasp control of our
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  Speaker 1: lives and wind up demoralized. We give control to you,
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  Speaker 1: as trusting children. We want to lean on you and
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  Speaker 1: let you take over. We praise you that Jesus, your
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  Speaker 1: one and only son, came to give us newness of
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  Speaker 1: life and to take all of our anxieties upon himself. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: those cares are not ours anymore. We give them to you.
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  Speaker 1: We ask you to daily carry our burdens, Lord, so
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  Speaker 1: that we may be free to simply enjoy you. That
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  Speaker 1: does seem too good to be true, but that is
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  Speaker 1: the way your kingdom works. We praise you for that,
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  Speaker 1: and your son's glorious name. We pray amen. Jesus wants
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  Speaker 1: us to be like little children. Little children, like toddlers,
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  Speaker 1: do not walk around weighed down by the cares of
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  Speaker 1: this world. They don't worry about what other people think
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  Speaker 1: about them. They don't feel angst over the mistakes of
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  Speaker 1: the past. They don't overthink their next actions. They don't
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  Speaker 1: work themselves into burn out to please people. They are
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  Speaker 1: totally carefree, free to relish living an abundant life. This
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  Speaker 1: is only possible because they know they are not in control.
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  Speaker 1: They can't provide food or shelter for themselves. They can't
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  Speaker 1: pay the bills. They are totally dependent on their parents.
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  Speaker 1: This is the level of trust that our heavenly father
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  Speaker 1: wants us to have. Jesus is inviting you to release
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  Speaker 1: everything heavy and ill fitting let him replace it with lightness.
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  Speaker 1: Feel your worry turned to worship, Your anxiety turned to adoration,
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  Speaker 1: your concerns turn to calm us. This all happens when
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  Speaker 1: we turn to Jesus. One definition of worship is simply
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  Speaker 1: to turn all your attention and affection toward God. It
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: isn't an outward display that doesn't require any singing. It
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  Speaker 1: is a pasture of our hearts because, as we know,
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  Speaker 1: Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on
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  Speaker 1: the heart. As Psalm one hundred and three expresses, praise the.
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  Speaker 2: Lord my soul, all my inmost.
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  Speaker 1: Being, praise his Holy name. God always looks at our hearts.
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  Speaker 1: He sees when our heart genuinely love him. Not like
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  Speaker 1: Martha who was working to earn his love and getting
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  Speaker 1: upset and stressed, we cannot earn his love. He loves
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  Speaker 1: us totally and completely. That knowledge will inspire worship and
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  Speaker 1: affection to bubble up in our hearts. Come, let us
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  Speaker 1: bow down and worship. Let us kneel before the Lord,
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  Speaker 1: our maker. So meditate on his love and goodness, and
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  Speaker 1: worship will be the natural result. There's no straining or striving.
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  Speaker 1: Simply think on his love, on the ultimate expression of
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  Speaker 1: God's love, the Cross. As you meditate on the Cross
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  Speaker 1: and this ultimate expression of radical love from Father Son
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  Speaker 1: and Holy Spirit, for you allow your worship to arise,
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  Speaker 1: because your love is better than life. My lips will
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  Speaker 1: glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live,
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  Speaker 1: and in your name I will lift up my hands
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  Speaker 1: and let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise
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  Speaker 1: the Lord, our loving Lord God. We adore you, We
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: glorify you. There is none like you in all the
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: heavens or on the earth earth. Thank you for carrying
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: this beloved listener's burdens tonight, so that they may sleep
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: in complete peace and wake up tomorrow light and free.
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: Enable them to live their life in abundance without carrying
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: the burdens of this life. I pray that when cares
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: and concerns come along, they will look to you and
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: be radiant. May they simply surrender again and worship You
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: and watch their worries disappear. My hope is that tonight
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: you have not only heard how worry can turn to worship,
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: but also that you have actually experienced the tangible peace
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: that God promises all his holy ones. May you remain
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: in that experiential peace all through the night, and as
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: you rise in the morning light. Let's listen again to
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: the Sleep story and turn your worry into worship. Now
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: listen to another story. Listen to the rest of the
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: Sleep story and many more by downloading Abide in the
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: app store or place store. Find your place of peace
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: by joining the millions of others who have transformed their
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: lives with guided Christian meditation. On Abide Tonight, we will
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: be hearing about the unfailing love of Christ during times
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: when anxiety is great within us. We will be allowing
• 35:17
  Speaker 1: the comforting presence of His Holy Spirit to overcome all
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: fears and worries and concerns. We will be letting His
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: joy into our hearts, bringing us true consolation and peace.
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: The Bible passage that tonight's story is based on as
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: out of Psalm ninety four, verses seventeen to nineteen. Unless
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: the Lord had given me help, I would soon have
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, my
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: foot is slipping, Your unfah failing love, Lord supported me
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: when anxiety was great within me. Your consolation brought me joy.
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: The Psalmist is calling out to God when he feels
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: like everything is slipping from under his feet. All other
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: things that he trusted in now appear to be like
• 36:26
  Speaker 1: sinking sand. But he testifies that the unfailing love of
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: God came through just in time to save him and
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: deliver him from his anxieties, bringing him joy and comfort. Remember,
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: beloved listener, when you feel like anxiety is increasing, God's
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: unfailing love will hold you fast. Even when your grasp
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: of God may be weak, his grasp of you is
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: strong and secure. His love will never fail you. He
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: is a very present help in times of trouble. You
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: can count on him. His love will support you through
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: everything that this challenging life brings. Before we begin our
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: sleep story, I invite you to make yourself cozy in bed.
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: Allow your head and neck to relax completely into your
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: soft pillows. Let your eyes grow heavy and let them
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: softly close. Relax your jaw and the muscles in your face.
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: Breathe deeply and gently in and out. Inhale and exhale.
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: Feel any tension that has built up gently melt away.
• 38:17
  Speaker 1: Let go of all the tightness in your neck and shoulders,
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: your chest and torso continue scanning your body, bringing your
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: awareness to any tight sensations and let them go. Relax
• 38:40
  Speaker 1: the muscles and your shoulders and all the way down
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: your spine. Move your arms gently to release them. Wiggle
• 38:51
  Speaker 1: your fingers to release any strain. Finally, move through your
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: legs all the way to the tips of your toes. Inhale,
• 39:09
  Speaker 1: and with each exhale, you'll find that each bit of
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: stress and strain releases just a bit more. Come to stillness.
• 39:24
  Speaker 1: Bring your awareness to the presence of the Holy Spirit
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: within you and around you. He is your comforter and
• 39:35
  Speaker 1: your helper. He wants to carry your burdens so that
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: you can enter fully into his rest. As you listen
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: to the story tonight, let his comfort conquer all your fears.
• 39:54
  Speaker 1: Continue to breathe gently into the areas of tightness, so
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: that your body feels loose and limp. As you breathe
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: in and out, in and out, feel your stomach rise
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: and fall in a gentle rhythmic motion, like the ebb
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: and flow of the ocean tide. Allow your breathing to
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: settle into that pattern and join me as we start
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: in prayer. Loving Father, thank you for everything you've given
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: us in your word to soothe and comfort us. God,
• 40:40
  Speaker 1: I pray that you, who are the source of all hope,
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: will fill your precious child completely with joy and peace.
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: They are coming to you this night. They could seek
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: out other ways to bring them to sleep, but instead
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: they are coming to you to give them the rest
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: their soul needs, and that delights your heart. Your child
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: is coming to you for solace. You alone can give
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: true and lasting comfort to the weary soul. As your
• 41:24
  Speaker 1: child listens to this story tonight, may they overflow with
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: confident hope through the power of your Holy Spirit. May
• 41:36
  Speaker 1: their anxieties flee and give way to trust in you.
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: May your consolation enter in and cause their fears to scatter.
• 41:52
  Speaker 1: Let their hearts, bodies, minds, and souls be filled with
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: joy in the name of your victorious Son who conquered fear. Amen.
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: Sometimes life on this earth can be really, really hard.
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: We let worry, stress, and anxiety take over our thoughts
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: way too often. But this is when Jesus is calling
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: us deeper into his word. He wants to bring us
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: peace and comfort, and he has blessed us with so
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: many calming scriptures to which we can cling, Scriptures that
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: will soothe our weary souls and guard our hearts from
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: worry and stress. Listen as I read our passage from
• 42:55
  Speaker 1: Psalm ninety four, Verses seventeen to nineteen in the New
• 43:01
  Speaker 1: Living Translation. Unless the Lord had given me help, I
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: I said, my foot is slipping, Your unfailing love, Lord
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: supported me. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: brought me joy. Sometimes anxiety can come at us suddenly,
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: or it can be caused by situations beyond our control.
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: But no matter what the external circumstances, God's peace can
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: penetrate deeply and change us internally. Perhaps nothing changes outwardly,
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: but everything changes inwardly when His truth makes its home
• 44:02
  Speaker 1: in our hearts. Allow God to take your thoughts captive
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: and captivate your heart, replacing all anxiety with trust in him.
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: The Lord knows our hearts, and he knows that anxiety
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: can be overwhelming, and that it can be easy to
• 44:26
  Speaker 1: get lost and worries. Paul reminds us in Romans fifteen thirteen.
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: you completely with joy and peace. Because you trust in Him,
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: then you will overflow with confident hope through the power
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit. Not only should we not be fearful,
• 44:59
  Speaker 1: but we are to let our hearts, bodies, minds, and
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: souls be filled with joy. This verse is just one
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: of many saturating the Bible that are wonderful to have
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: stored in your mind or even written down somewhere. Keep
• 45:19
  Speaker 1: them always nearby so they can provide a calming effect
• 45:25
  Speaker 1: like ointment for your soul. I invite you to consider
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: your Bible as a first aid kit for your spirit,
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: because time after time God will use it to rescue
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: you from stressful situations, giving you divine help to find
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: calmness when you need it most. Let it be your
• 45:52
  Speaker 1: first choice of remedy, not a last resort when the
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: stress gets bad enough. Paul is a wonderful example of
• 46:03
  Speaker 1: trusting God in times of hardship. So let his words
• 46:09
  Speaker 1: from Second Corinthians one three to five encourage you. Blessed
• 46:16
  Speaker 1: be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
• 46:21
  Speaker 1: the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: able to comfort those who are in any trouble with
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
• 46:43
  Speaker 1: Let peace and comfort like a river wash over you,
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: cleansing you with a healing flow from all fear and anxiety.
• 46:56
  Speaker 1: It can be tempting to succumb to negativity and become
• 47:01
  Speaker 1: lost in a downward spiral. So it's important to ground
• 47:07
  Speaker 1: yourself in the truth of God's word. When anxiety feels
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: like it's creeping in on your joy, listen to the
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: very words of our beautiful Savior himself in John sixteen
• 47:24
  Speaker 1: thirty three. And everything I've taught you is so that
• 47:31
  Speaker 1: the peace which is in me will be in you,
• 47:36
  Speaker 1: and will give you great confidence as you rest in me.
• 47:41
  Speaker 1: For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows.
• 47:48
  Speaker 1: But you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world.
• 47:56
  Speaker 1: He was comforting his fearful disciples, who were probably spiraling
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: into anxiety after Jesus had told them that he was
• 48:05
  Speaker 1: going to leave them to go back to the Father's side. However,
• 48:12
  Speaker 1: it was better for Jesus to go, for he would
• 48:16
  Speaker 1: send the comforter to us to live inside us for
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: all eternity, he tells them in the Amplified Bible. But
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: I tell you the truth. It is for your advantage
• 48:34
  Speaker 1: that I go away, For if I do not go away,
• 48:38
  Speaker 1: the helper, comforter, advocate, intercessor, counselor strengthen her stand by
• 48:50
  Speaker 1: will not come to you, but if I go, I
• 48:55
  Speaker 1: will send him the Holy Spirit to you to be
• 49:00
  Speaker 1: in close fellowship with you. Because of Jesus's victory of
• 49:08
  Speaker 1: a sin and death, we now have the Comforter himself
• 49:13
  Speaker 1: abiding in us at all times and in all places.
• 49:20
  Speaker 1: Call on him at any time to make his comfort
• 49:25
  Speaker 1: and consolation real to you. He is your helper and
• 49:31
  Speaker 1: counselor Let me read Psalm ninety four, verses seventeen to
• 49:39
  Speaker 1: nineteen again, I would have been killed so many times
• 49:45
  Speaker 1: if you had not been there for me. When I
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: screamed out, Lord, I'm doomed. Your fiery love was stirred,
• 49:56
  Speaker 1: and you raced to my rescue. Whenever my busy thoughts
• 50:02
  Speaker 1: were out of control. The soothing comfort of your presence
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: calmed me down and overwhelmed me with delight. Thank you,
• 50:16
  Speaker 1: our good father and protector God, that you race to
• 50:20
  Speaker 1: our rescue. You are not slow to deliver us. You
• 50:26
  Speaker 1: hear us when we call Lord. When doubts and fears
• 50:33
  Speaker 1: fill our minds, May your comfort give us renewed hope
• 50:39
  Speaker 1: and cheer. May we experience the peace that passes human understanding,
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: and the joy that defies logic and a confidence that
• 50:52
  Speaker 1: flies in the face of difficult situations. In your Son's name,
• 50:58
  Speaker 1: we pray Amen. Jesus promises in John fourteen twenty seven peace,
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: I leave with you my peace. I give to you
• 51:15
  Speaker 1: not as the world gives. Do I give to you.
• 51:19
  Speaker 1: Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
• 51:27
  Speaker 1: Remember that He is here right now. He is here
• 51:32
  Speaker 1: to guide you. He will never leave you alone with
• 51:36
  Speaker 1: something too heavy to handle on your own. If you
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: have invited his spirit to live in you, he is
• 51:44
  Speaker 1: one with you, dwelling inside you. Therefore, you will never
• 51:51
  Speaker 1: face any challenge alone. Jesus tells us in John fourteen
• 51:57
  Speaker 1: eighteen that I will never leave you helpless or abandon
• 52:04
  Speaker 1: you as orphans. I will come back to you as
• 52:12
  Speaker 1: our good shepherd. We know from Psalm twenty three, verse four.
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort
• 52:24
  Speaker 1: of your love takes away my fear. I'll never be
• 52:29
  Speaker 1: lonely for you. Ana listen as I read the whole Psalm.
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: O you Yahweh is my best friend and my shepherd.
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: I always have more than enough. He offers a resting
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take
• 52:56
  Speaker 1: me to an oasis of peace, near the quiet brook
• 53:01
  Speaker 1: of bliss. That's where he restores and revives my life.
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: He opens before me the right path and leads me
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: along in his footsteps of righteousness, so that I can
• 53:19
  Speaker 1: bring honor to his name. Even when your path takes
• 53:24
  Speaker 1: me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never
• 53:29
  Speaker 1: conquer me, for you already have. Your authority is my
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes
• 53:42
  Speaker 1: away my fear. I'll never be lonely, for you are near.
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: You become my delicious feast. Even when my enemies dare
• 53:57
  Speaker 1: to fight, You anoint me with the fragrance of your
• 54:02
  Speaker 1: holy spirit. You give me all I can drink of
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: you until my cup overflows. So why would I fear
• 54:14
  Speaker 1: the future? Only goodness and tender love pursue me all
• 54:21
  Speaker 1: the days of my life. Then afterward, when my life
• 54:26
  Speaker 1: is through, I'll return to your glorious presence to be
• 54:31
  Speaker 1: forever with you. Lord God, I ask you to bring
• 54:38
  Speaker 1: your comfort to this precious child tonight. Let all their
• 54:43
  Speaker 1: anxiety slip away as they slip into deep, peaceful sleep
• 54:51
  Speaker 1: in the valleys of life. May your love overwhelm their hearts.
• 54:58
  Speaker 1: May the truth in your word penetrate their souls, so
• 55:03
  Speaker 1: that the cares and worries of this life will give
• 55:07
  Speaker 1: way to your joy and peace, because only your goodness
• 55:12
  Speaker 1: and tenderness will pursue them all the days of their life. Amen.
• 55:22
  Speaker 1: Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon
• 55:26
  Speaker 1: have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said,
• 55:33
  Speaker 1: my foot is slipping. Your unfailing love, Lord supported me
• 55:41
  Speaker 1: when anxiety was great within me. Your consolation brought me joy.
• 55:52
  Speaker 1: The message Bible puts it this way. Who stood up
• 55:57
  Speaker 1: for me against the wicked, who took my side against
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: evil workers. If God hadn't been there for me, I
• 56:07
  Speaker 1: never would have made it. The minute I said I'm slipping,
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: I'm falling. Your love, God took hold and held me fast.
• 56:22
  Speaker 1: When I was upset and beside myself, You calmed me
• 56:28
  Speaker 1: down and cheered me up. When you feel like you
• 56:35
  Speaker 1: might be slipping into anxiety, call on him and he
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: will catch you with his unfailing love. He will hold
• 56:46
  Speaker 1: you fast. Just trust him. Trust precious listener, trust his will,
• 56:58
  Speaker 1: trust his way, trust his nature, trust his timing. His
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: timing is perfect. His will is perfect. He is perfect.
• 57:18
  Speaker 1: He exhorts us in Psalm forty sixteen, be still and
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: know that I am God. I will be exalted among
• 57:31
  Speaker 1: the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. This
• 57:38
  Speaker 1: is an invitation from our maker to be still, to
• 57:43
  Speaker 1: be calm. When anxiety tries to make your heart and
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: mind race, be still and know that he is God,
• 58:00
  Speaker 1: and he is good, and he is in complete control.
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: Take a deep breath right now and just be still
• 58:14
  Speaker 1: in his presence. Slow down and just be with him.
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: Be mindful that you are exactly how God made you,
• 58:27
  Speaker 1: and he is always there to hold your hand and
• 58:32
  Speaker 1: help you overcome your fears. We read in Psalm fifty
• 58:38
  Speaker 1: six three when I am afraid, I put my trust
• 58:45
  Speaker 1: in you. It's tempting to give into fear when it
• 58:49
  Speaker 1: comes knocking. But instead, let's put our trust in the
• 58:55
  Speaker 1: Lord rather than look at the bleak circumstances around us.
• 59:03
  Speaker 1: We can stand on his word and let his consolation
• 59:07
  Speaker 1: bring us joy. As David says in Psalm fifty five
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: twenty two, cast your burdens on the Lord and he
• 59:20
  Speaker 1: will sustain you. He will never permit the righteous to
• 59:25
  Speaker 1: be moved. In another translation, David also says it like this.
• 59:36
  Speaker 1: So here's what I've learned through it all. Leave your
• 59:41
  Speaker 1: cares and anxieties at the feet of the Lord, and
• 59:46
  Speaker 1: measureless grace will strengthen you. He will watch over his
• 59:52
  Speaker 1: devoted lovers, never letting them slip or be overthrown. Let's
• 1:00:01
  Speaker 1: praise the Lord for his awe striking goodness and tenderness
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: that he reveals in scripture. Lord Jesus, your goodness is extravagant.
• 1:00:16
  Speaker 1: It's beyond anything we could ever deserve. You call us
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 1: to cast our burdens on you. We praise you for
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 1: such an unfair but stunning exchange, our fears for your peace,
• 1:00:37
  Speaker 1: our burdens for your lightness, our sorrow for your joy,
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 1: our anxieties for your consolation. We don't deserve your love,
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: but we receive it with intense gratitude and humility, and
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 1: we praise you and your wonderful name. Amen. Sometimes anxiety
• 1:01:12
  Speaker 1: can feel like sinking sand. Negative thoughts and concerns can
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 1: build and build over time and weigh you down. I
• 1:01:25
  Speaker 1: invite you to see Jesus' hand outstretched to pull you
• 1:01:30
  Speaker 1: up and set you on firm ground. Lean on him,
• 1:01:38
  Speaker 1: Lean your whole weight on him. Let him pull you
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 1: out of the sinking sand. Let him rescue you again
• 1:01:48
  Speaker 1: and again. He will rescue you as many times as
• 1:01:52
  Speaker 1: you need. He never gets tired of being your savior.
• 1:02:00
  Speaker 1: He never gets weary of loving you. Let him love
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 1: you now, and as you do, listen as I recite
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 1: the lyrics from the hymn. My hope is built on
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 1: nothing less. When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 1: on his unchanging grace. In every high and stormy gale.
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 1: My anchor holds within the veil, his oath, his covenant,
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 1: his blood supports me in the overwhelming flood. When all
• 1:02:48
  Speaker 1: around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope.
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: And stay on Christ, the solid row I stand. All
• 1:03:03
  Speaker 1: other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.
• 1:03:13
  Speaker 1: Thank you, Father God, that when the darkness of anxiety
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 1: and worry veils Christ's lovely face, we can simply rest
• 1:03:26
  Speaker 1: rest on your unchanging grace and rest in your unfailing love.
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 1: Hold us continually, Lord Anchor, us through every stormy gale
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 1: in life. You are the one the wind and seas obey.
• 1:03:49
  Speaker 1: Our souls rest in you. We put our trust in you.
• 1:03:56
  Speaker 1: If you are for us, who could be again to us,
• 1:04:02
  Speaker 1: nothing could be Thank you, Father for bringing us rest
• 1:04:07
  Speaker 1: amid the storm. Paul encourages the Philippians in chapter four,
• 1:04:16
  Speaker 1: verse six to nine, in the Good News translation, don't
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 1: worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God
• 1:04:29
  Speaker 1: for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart.
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 1: And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will
• 1:04:44
  Speaker 1: keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 1: In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 1: that are good and that deserve prayer, things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely,
• 1:05:10
  Speaker 1: and honorable. Put into practice what you learned and received
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 1: from me, both from my words and from my actions,
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 1: and the God who gives us peace will be with you.
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 1: Take this invitation for yourself. Saturate yourself in prayer so
• 1:05:39
  Speaker 1: that anxiety has no chance to creep in. Be mindful
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 1: every day to see His goodness so that you can
• 1:05:49
  Speaker 1: cultivate a heart of gratitude. Feel completely free to tell
• 1:05:56
  Speaker 1: him every detail of your life, out your honest feelings
• 1:06:02
  Speaker 1: to him, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 1: his wonderful, incomprehensible peace will guard your heart and mind.
• 1:06:16
  Speaker 1: In Christ Jesus, we praise him always. Thank you, Father God,
• 1:06:27
  Speaker 1: for your measureless love and grace. Thank you that we
• 1:06:31
  Speaker 1: get to give you our burdens and cares and receive
• 1:06:35
  Speaker 1: your peace and joy. Instead, we can hurl our anxieties
• 1:06:41
  Speaker 1: at the beautiful feet of your son. Jesus, Draw your
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 1: beloved child close tonight and give them rest, rest from
• 1:06:54
  Speaker 1: fears and worries, and confidence in your word. Your promises
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 1: are eternal. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. May you
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 1: feel the comfort of the Holy Spirit rest in you
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 1: all through the night tonight. May his consolation bring you joy.
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 1: Know that your good Father will come to your rescue.
• 1:07:27
  Speaker 1: He is faithful, He is not slow to deliver you.
• 1:07:33
  Speaker 1: He hears when you call out to him. When doubts
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 1: and fears fill your mind, his comfort will give you
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 1: renewed hope. May you experience his gift of peace that
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 1: passes understanding. He longs to bless you with his serenity
• 1:07:54
  Speaker 1: and comfort when you need it most. As you breathe
• 1:08:00
  Speaker 1: in this moment, feel him soothing your heart with his peace.
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 1: Breathe in, and as you breathe, whisper. He is my consolation.
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 1: As you breathe out whisper. He brings me joy. Again.
• 1:08:26
  Speaker 1: Breathe in He is my consolation, and breathe out He
• 1:08:34
  Speaker 1: brings me joy. Unless the Lord had given me help,
• 1:08:42
  Speaker 1: I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death
• 1:08:47
  Speaker 1: when I said, my foot is slipping. Your unfailing love,
• 1:08:53
  Speaker 1: Lord supported me when anxiety was great within me. Your
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 1: consolation brought me joy. Unless the Lord had given me help,
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death
• 1:09:15
  Speaker 1: when I said, my foot is slipping. Your unfailing love,
• 1:09:22
  Speaker 1: Lord supported me when anxiety was great within me. Your
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 1: consolation brought me joy. Let's listen again to this comforting
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 1: sleep story on the consolation of Christ. Sometimes life on
• 1:09:47
  Speaker 1: this earth can be really, really hard. We let worry, stress,
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 1: and anxiety take over our thoughts way too often. But
• 1:10:00
  Speaker 1: this is when Jesus is calling us deeper into his word.
• 1:10:06
  Speaker 1: He wants to bring us peace and comfort, and he
• 1:10:11
  Speaker 1: has blessed us with so many calming scriptures to which
• 1:10:15
  Speaker 1: we can cling, Scriptures that will soothe our weary souls
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 1: and guard our hearts from worry and stress. Listen as
• 1:10:28
  Speaker 1: I read our passage from Psalm ninety four verses seventeen
• 1:10:33
  Speaker 1: to nineteen in the New Living Translation, unless the Lord
• 1:10:39
  Speaker 1: had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in
• 1:10:43
  Speaker 1: the silence of death. When I said, my foot is slipping,
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: Your unfailing love Lord supported me. When anxiety was great
• 1:10:58
  Speaker 1: within me. Your consolation brought me joy. Sometimes anxiety can
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 1: come at us suddenly, or it can be caused by
• 1:11:13
  Speaker 1: situations beyond our control. But no matter what the external circumstances,
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 1: God's peace can penetrate deeply and change us internally. Perhaps
• 1:11:29
  Speaker 1: nothing changes outwardly, but everything changes inwardly when His truth
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 1: makes its home in our hearts. Allow God to take
• 1:11:41
  Speaker 1: your thoughts captive and captivate your heart, replacing all anxiety
• 1:11:48
  Speaker 1: with trust in him. The Lord knows our hearts, and
• 1:11:55
  Speaker 1: he knows that anxiety can be overwhelming, and that it
• 1:11:59
  Speaker 1: can be easy to get lost and worries. Paul reminds
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 1: us in Romans fifteen thirteen. I pray that God, the
• 1:12:11
  Speaker 1: source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace.
• 1:12:17
  Speaker 1: Because you trust in Him, then you will overflow with
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 1: confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Not
• 1:12:31
  Speaker 1: only should we not be fearful, but we are to
• 1:12:34
  Speaker 1: let our hearts, bodies, minds, and souls be filled with joy.
• 1:12:42
  Speaker 1: This verse is just one of many saturating the Bible
• 1:12:46
  Speaker 1: that are wonderful to have stored in your mind or
• 1:12:51
  Speaker 1: even written down somewhere. Keep them always nearby so they
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 1: can provide a calming effect like ointment for your soul.
• 1:13:04
  Speaker 1: I invite you to consider your Bible as a first
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 1: aid kit for your spirit, because time after time God
• 1:13:14
  Speaker 1: will use it to rescue you from stressful situations, giving
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 1: you divine help to find calmness when you need it most.
• 1:13:26
  Speaker 1: Let it be your first choice of remedy, not a
• 1:13:30
  Speaker 1: last resort when the stress gets bad enough. Paul is
• 1:13:36
  Speaker 1: a wonderful example of trusting God in times of hardship.
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 1: So let his words from Second Corinthians one three to
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 1: five encourage you. Blessed be the God and Father of
• 1:13:53
  Speaker 1: our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God
• 1:14:00
  Speaker 1: of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation,
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 1: that we may be able to comfort those who are
• 1:14:10
  Speaker 1: in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves
• 1:14:14
  Speaker 1: are comforted by God. Let peace and comfort like a
• 1:14:19
  Speaker 1: river wash over you, cleansing you with a healing flow
• 1:14:26
  Speaker 1: from all fear and anxiety, it can be tempting to
• 1:14:32
  Speaker 1: succumb to negativity and become lost in a downward spiral.
• 1:14:40
  Speaker 1: So it's important to ground yourself in the truth of
• 1:14:43
  Speaker 1: God's word. When anxiety feels like it's creeping in on
• 1:14:48
  Speaker 1: your joy, listen to the very words of our beautiful
• 1:14:55
  Speaker 1: Savior himself in John sixteen thirty three. And everything I've
• 1:15:04
  Speaker 1: taught you is so that the peace which is in
• 1:15:07
  Speaker 1: me will be in you, and will give you great
• 1:15:12
  Speaker 1: confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving
• 1:15:17
  Speaker 1: world you will experience trouble and sorrows. But you must
• 1:15:23
  Speaker 1: be courageous, for I have conquered the world. He was
• 1:15:31
  Speaker 1: comforting his fearful disciples, who were probably spiraling into anxiety
• 1:15:38
  Speaker 1: after Jesus had told them that he was going to
• 1:15:40
  Speaker 1: leave them to go back to the Father's side. However,
• 1:15:46
  Speaker 1: it was better for Jesus to go, for he would
• 1:15:50
  Speaker 1: send the comforter to us to live inside us for
• 1:15:57
  Speaker 1: all eternity, he tells them in the Amplified Bible. But
• 1:16:04
  Speaker 1: I tell you the truth. It is for your advantage
• 1:16:08
  Speaker 1: that I go away, For if I do not go away,
• 1:16:13
  Speaker 1: the helper comforter advocate intercessor, counselor strengthen her standby. Will
• 1:16:25
  Speaker 1: not come to you, but if I go, I will
• 1:16:30
  Speaker 1: send him the Holy Spirit to you to be in
• 1:16:35
  Speaker 1: close fellowship with you. Because of Jesus' victory of a
• 1:16:42
  Speaker 1: sin and death, we now have the Comforter himself abiding
• 1:16:49
  Speaker 1: in us at all times and in all places. Call
• 1:16:56
  Speaker 1: on him at any time to make his comfort and
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 1: consolation real to you. He is your helper and counselor.
• 1:17:10
  Speaker 1: Let me read Psalm ninety four, verses seventeen to nineteen. Again,
• 1:17:17
  Speaker 1: I would have been killed so many times if you
• 1:17:20
  Speaker 1: had not been there for me. When I screamed out, Lord,
• 1:17:26
  Speaker 1: I'm doomed. Your fiery love was stirred, and you raced
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 1: to my rescue. Whenever my busy thoughts were out of control.
• 1:17:39
  Speaker 1: The soothing comfort of your presence calmed me down and
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 1: overwhelmed me with delight. Thank you, our good father and
• 1:17:52
  Speaker 1: protector God, that you race to our rescue. You are
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 1: not slow to deliver us. You hear us when we
• 1:18:02
  Speaker 1: call Lord, When doubts and fears fill our minds, May
• 1:18:10
  Speaker 1: your comfort give us renewed hope and cheer. May we
• 1:18:16
  Speaker 1: experience the peace that passes human understanding and the joy
• 1:18:22
  Speaker 1: that defies logic, and a confidence that flies in the
• 1:18:28
  Speaker 1: face of difficult situations. In your Son's name, we pray, Amen.
• 1:18:38
  Speaker 1: Jesus promises in John fourteen twenty seven. Peace, I leave
• 1:18:45
  Speaker 1: with you my peace. I give to you not as
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 1: the world gives. Do I give to you. Let not
• 1:18:55
  Speaker 1: your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Remember
• 1:19:03
  Speaker 1: that he is here right now. He is here to
• 1:19:07
  Speaker 1: guide you. He will never leave you alone with something
• 1:19:12
  Speaker 1: too heavy to handle on your own. If you have
• 1:19:16
  Speaker 1: invited his spirit to live in you, he is one
• 1:19:19
  Speaker 1: with you, dwelling inside you. Therefore, you will never face
• 1:19:26
  Speaker 1: any challenge alone. Jesus tells us in John fourteen eighteen.
• 1:19:34
  Speaker 1: I promise that I will never leave you helpless or
• 1:19:38
  Speaker 1: abandon you as orphans. I will come back to you
• 1:19:46
  Speaker 1: as our good shepherd. We know from Psalm twenty three,
• 1:19:51
  Speaker 1: verse four. Your authority is my strength and my peace.
• 1:19:58
  Speaker 1: The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I'll
• 1:20:03
  Speaker 1: never be lonely, for you are near. Listen as I
• 1:20:09
  Speaker 1: read the whole Psalm over you. Yahweh is my best
• 1:20:15
  Speaker 1: friend and my shepherd. I always have more than enough.
• 1:20:23
  Speaker 1: He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love.
• 1:20:30
  Speaker 1: His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, near
• 1:20:35
  Speaker 1: the quiet brook of bliss. That's where he restores and
• 1:20:40
  Speaker 1: revives my life. He opens before me the right path
• 1:20:47
  Speaker 1: and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness, so
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 1: that I can bring honor to his name. Even when
• 1:20:58
  Speaker 1: your path takes me through the of deepest darkness, fear
• 1:21:03
  Speaker 1: will never conquer me, for you already have. Your authority
• 1:21:10
  Speaker 1: is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your
• 1:21:16
  Speaker 1: love takes away my fear. I'll never be lonely for
• 1:21:23
  Speaker 1: you are near. You become my delicious feast. Even when
• 1:21:30
  Speaker 1: my enemies dare to fight, You anoint me with the
• 1:21:36
  Speaker 1: fragrance of your holy spirit. You give me all I
• 1:21:41
  Speaker 1: can drink of you until my cup overflows. So why
• 1:21:48
  Speaker 1: would I fear the future? Only goodness and tender love
• 1:21:53
  Speaker 1: pursue me all the days of my life. Then afterward,
• 1:22:00
  Speaker 1: when my life is through, I'll return to your glorious
• 1:22:05
  Speaker 1: presence to be forever with you, Lord God, I ask
• 1:22:12
  Speaker 1: you to bring your comfort to this precious child. To night,
• 1:22:17
  Speaker 1: let all their anxiety slip away as they slip into deep,
• 1:22:23
  Speaker 1: peaceful sleep. In the valleys of life. May your love
• 1:22:29
  Speaker 1: overwhelm their hearts. May the truth in your word penetrate
• 1:22:35
  Speaker 1: their souls, so that the cares and worries of this
• 1:22:40
  Speaker 1: life will give way to your joy and peace, because
• 1:22:45
  Speaker 1: only your goodness and tenderness will pursue them all the
• 1:22:50
  Speaker 1: days of their life. Amen. Unless the Lord hath given
• 1:22:58
  Speaker 1: me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence
• 1:23:02
  Speaker 1: of death when I said my foot is slipping. Your
• 1:23:11
  Speaker 1: unfailing love, Lord supported me when anxiety was great within me.
• 1:23:20
  Speaker 1: Your consolation brought me joy. The message Bible puts it
• 1:23:28
  Speaker 1: this way. Who stood up for me against the wicked,
• 1:23:34
  Speaker 1: who took my side against evil workers. If God hadn't
• 1:23:40
  Speaker 1: been there for me, I never would have made it.
• 1:23:44
  Speaker 1: The minute I said I'm slipping, I'm falling, Your love,
• 1:23:51
  Speaker 1: God took hold and held me fast when I was upset,
• 1:23:59
  Speaker 1: and besides made myself. You calmed me down and cheered
• 1:24:05
  Speaker 1: me up. When you feel like you might be slipping
• 1:24:11
  Speaker 1: into anxiety, call on him and he will catch you
• 1:24:16
  Speaker 1: with his unfailing love. He will hold you fast. Just
• 1:24:24
  Speaker 1: trust him. Trust precious listener, trust his will, trust his way,
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 1: trust his nature, trust his timing. His timing is perfect,
• 1:24:45
  Speaker 1: His will is perfect. He is perfect. He exhorts us
• 1:24:54
  Speaker 1: in Psalm forty sixteen. Be still and know that I
• 1:25:01
  Speaker 1: am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I
• 1:25:08
  Speaker 1: will be exalted in the earth. This is an invitation
• 1:25:13
  Speaker 1: from our maker to be still, to be calm. When
• 1:25:23
  Speaker 1: anxiety tries to make your heart and mind race, be
• 1:25:28
  Speaker 1: still and know that he is God, and he is good,
• 1:25:37
  Speaker 1: and he is in complete control. Take a deep breath
• 1:25:45
  Speaker 1: right now and just be still in his presence. Slow
• 1:25:52
  Speaker 1: down and just be with him. Be mindful that you
• 1:25:58
  Speaker 1: are exactly how God may you, and he is always
• 1:26:03
  Speaker 1: there to hold your hand and help you overcome your fears.
• 1:26:11
  Speaker 1: We read in Psalm fifty six three, when I am afraid,
• 1:26:18
  Speaker 1: I put my trust in you. It's tempting to give
• 1:26:23
  Speaker 1: into fear when it comes knocking. But instead, let's put
• 1:26:28
  Speaker 1: our trust in the Lord rather than look at the
• 1:26:34
  Speaker 1: bleak circumstances around us. We can stand on his word
• 1:26:40
  Speaker 1: and let his consolation bring us joy. As David says
• 1:26:47
  Speaker 1: in Psalm fifty five twenty two, cast your burdens on
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 1: the Lord and he will sustain you. He will never
• 1:26:58
  Speaker 1: permit the righteous to be moved. In another translation, David
• 1:27:06
  Speaker 1: also says it like this, So here's what I've learned
• 1:27:12
  Speaker 1: through it. All. Leave your cares and anxieties at the
• 1:27:17
  Speaker 1: feet of the Lord, and measureless grace will strengthen you.
• 1:27:25
  Speaker 1: He will watch over his devoted lovers, never letting them
• 1:27:30
  Speaker 1: slip or be overthrown. Let's praise the Lord for his
• 1:27:37
  Speaker 1: awe striking goodness and tenderness that he reveals in scripture.
• 1:27:45
  Speaker 1: Lord Jesus, your goodness is extravagant. It's beyond anything we
• 1:27:52
  Speaker 1: could ever deserve. You call us to cast our burdens
• 1:27:58
  Speaker 1: on you. We praise you for such an unfair but
• 1:28:04
  Speaker 1: stunning exchange our fears for your peace, our burdens for
• 1:28:14
  Speaker 1: your lightness, our sorrow for your joy, our anxieties for
• 1:28:23
  Speaker 1: your consolation. We don't deserve your love, but we receive
• 1:28:31
  Speaker 1: it with intense gratitude and humility, and we praise you
• 1:28:39
  Speaker 1: and your wonderful name. Amen. Sometimes anxiety can feel like
• 1:28:48
  Speaker 1: sinking sand. Negative thoughts and concerns can build and build
• 1:28:55
  Speaker 1: over time and weigh you down. I invite you to
• 1:29:00
  Speaker 1: see Jesus's hand outstretched to pull you up and set
• 1:29:06
  Speaker 1: you on firm ground. Lean on him, Lean your whole
• 1:29:13
  Speaker 1: weight on him. Let him pull you out of the
• 1:29:18
  Speaker 1: sinking sand. Let him rescue you again and again. He
• 1:29:24
  Speaker 1: will rescue you as many times as you need. He
• 1:29:29
  Speaker 1: never gets tired of being your savior. He never gets
• 1:29:35
  Speaker 1: weary of loving you. Let him love you now, and
• 1:29:41
  Speaker 1: as you do, listen as I recite the lyrics from
• 1:29:45
  Speaker 1: the hymn. My hope is built on nothing less. When
• 1:29:53
  Speaker 1: darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grond.
• 1:30:02
  Speaker 1: In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within
• 1:30:08
  Speaker 1: the veil, his oath, his covenant, his blood supports me
• 1:30:17
  Speaker 1: in the overwhelming flood. When all around my soul gives way,
• 1:30:26
  Speaker 1: He then is all my hope. And stay on Christ,
• 1:30:33
  Speaker 1: the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.
• 1:30:41
  Speaker 1: All other ground is sinking sand. Thank you, Father God,
• 1:30:50
  Speaker 1: that when the darkness of anxiety and worry veils Christ's
• 1:30:56
  Speaker 1: lovely face, we can simply rest rest on your unchanging
• 1:31:02
  Speaker 1: grace and rest in your unfailing love. Hold us continually,
• 1:31:11
  Speaker 1: Lord Anchor, us, through every stormy gale in life. You
• 1:31:18
  Speaker 1: are the one the wind and seas obey. Our souls
• 1:31:24
  Speaker 1: rest in you we put our trust in you. If
• 1:31:31
  Speaker 1: you are for us, who could be against us? Nothing
• 1:31:37
  Speaker 1: could be Thank you, Father for bringing us rest amid
• 1:31:42
  Speaker 1: the storm. Paul encourages the Philippians in chapter four, verse
• 1:31:51
  Speaker 1: six to nine, in the Good News translation, don't worry
• 1:31:58
  Speaker 1: about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for
• 1:32:04
  Speaker 1: what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart.
• 1:32:12
  Speaker 1: And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will
• 1:32:18
  Speaker 1: keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.
• 1:32:26
  Speaker 1: In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things
• 1:32:31
  Speaker 1: that are good and that deserve praise, things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely,
• 1:32:45
  Speaker 1: and honorable. Put into practice what you learned and received
• 1:32:51
  Speaker 1: from me, both from my words and from my actions,
• 1:32:57
  Speaker 1: and the God who gives us peace will be with you.
• 1:33:05
  Speaker 1: Take this invitation for yourself. Saturate yourself in prayer so
• 1:33:13
  Speaker 1: that anxiety has no chance to creep in. Be mindful
• 1:33:19
  Speaker 1: every day to see His goodness so that you can
• 1:33:24
  Speaker 1: cultivate a heart of gratitude. Feel completely free to tell
• 1:33:30
  Speaker 1: him every detail of your life. Pour out your honest
• 1:33:36
  Speaker 1: feelings to him, the good, the bad, and the ugly,
• 1:33:43
  Speaker 1: and his wonderful incomprehensible peace will guard your heart and mind.
• 1:33:50
  Speaker 1: In Christ Jesus, we praise him always. Thank you, Father God,
• 1:34:01
  Speaker 1: for your measureless love and grace. Thank you that we
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 1: get to give you our burdens and cares and receive
• 1:34:10
  Speaker 1: your peace and joy. Instead. We can hurl our anxieties
• 1:34:16
  Speaker 1: at the beautiful feet of your son. Jesus, Draw your
• 1:34:22
  Speaker 1: beloved child close tonight and give them rest rest from
• 1:34:29
  Speaker 1: fears and worries, and confidence in your word. Your promises
• 1:34:36
  Speaker 1: are eternal. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. May you
• 1:34:46
  Speaker 1: feel the comfort of the Holy Spirit rest in you
• 1:34:50
  Speaker 1: all through the night tonight. May his consolation bring you joy.
• 1:34:58
  Speaker 1: Know that your good Father will come to your rescue.
• 1:35:02
  Speaker 1: He is faithful, He is not slow to deliver you.
• 1:35:08
  Speaker 1: He hears when you call out to him. When doubts
• 1:35:12
  Speaker 1: and fears fill your mind. His comfort will give you
• 1:35:17
  Speaker 1: renewed hope. May you experience his gift of peace that
• 1:35:23
  Speaker 1: passes understanding. He longs to bless you with his serenity
• 1:35:29
  Speaker 1: and comfort when you need it most. As you breathe
• 1:35:34
  Speaker 1: gently in this moment, feel him soothing your heart with
• 1:35:39
  Speaker 1: his peace. Breathe in and as you breathe, whisper, He
• 1:35:48
  Speaker 1: is my consolation. As you breathe out whisper, he brings
• 1:35:55
  Speaker 1: me joy. Again, breathe in he is my consolation, and
• 1:36:07
  Speaker 1: breath out he brings me joy. Unless the Lord had
• 1:36:14
  Speaker 1: given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the
• 1:36:18
  Speaker 1: silence of death. When I said, my foot is slipping.
• 1:36:26
  Speaker 1: Your unfailing love Lord supported me when anxiety was great
• 1:36:33
  Speaker 1: within me. Your consolation brought me joy. Unless the Lord
• 1:36:42
  Speaker 1: had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in
• 1:36:46
  Speaker 1: the silence of death when I said, my foot a slipping.
• 1:36:55
  Speaker 1: Your unfailing love Lord supported me when anxiety was great
• 1:37:02
  Speaker 1: within me. Your consolation brought me joy. Join me as
• 1:37:31
  Speaker 1: we explore the nature of rest, both an art and
• 1:37:38
  Speaker 1: a gift, and a discipline as well as a delight.
• 1:37:45
  Speaker 1: The art of rest is something very dear to our
• 1:37:48
  Speaker 1: heavenly Father's heart. He enjoys rest so much that he
• 1:37:54
  Speaker 1: made it a part of his creation plan for the world.
• 1:38:00
  Speaker 1: Seven is the number of completion and even perfection in
• 1:38:05
  Speaker 1: Hebrew symbolism. So God made rest the seventh day of creation,
• 1:38:12
  Speaker 1: and it's the seventh day of our week. Thus we
• 1:38:18
  Speaker 1: will come to understand more deeply tonight, how rest can
• 1:38:23
  Speaker 1: complete our lives in some very special ways. There is
• 1:38:28
  Speaker 1: purpose in all of God's designs, and we'll be exploring
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 1: some of His purposes for rest and how we can
• 1:38:36
  Speaker 1: practice and enjoy the delightful art of resting. God's word
• 1:38:44
  Speaker 1: in Exodus thirty three, verse fourteen will be our compass
• 1:38:48
  Speaker 1: scripture tonight, leading us to the true north of rest,
• 1:38:55
  Speaker 1: the English Standard version tells us, and he says, my
• 1:39:01
  Speaker 1: presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.
• 1:39:08
  Speaker 1: We'll be learning the art of resting as we listen
• 1:39:12
  Speaker 1: to scriptures and poetry while allowing the Holy Spirit to
• 1:39:17
  Speaker 1: move on our hearts and draw us into an experience
• 1:39:23
  Speaker 1: of his rest. His presence will go with us tonight,
• 1:39:29
  Speaker 1: and he will lead us in his paths of peace.
• 1:39:35
  Speaker 1: Before we delve deeper into the art of resting, let's
• 1:39:39
  Speaker 1: truly put it into practice and get our bodies into
• 1:39:43
  Speaker 1: a state of total rest. Do whatever you need to
• 1:39:49
  Speaker 1: do to make your surroundings most RESTful and quiet and comfortable.
• 1:39:58
  Speaker 1: That may include to off the lights, drawing the curtains,
• 1:40:03
  Speaker 1: or adjusting your pillows or blankets to the best position.
• 1:40:09
  Speaker 1: When you have made yourself fully comfortable, come to stillness
• 1:40:14
  Speaker 1: and breathe. What a gift breathing is. It allows our
• 1:40:22
  Speaker 1: bodies to release all tension in a way that few
• 1:40:26
  Speaker 1: other methods do, and it's so easy. We're designed to breathe.
• 1:40:36
  Speaker 1: That makes me think that we were designed to rest
• 1:40:39
  Speaker 1: and relax. We were designed to not carry stress or
• 1:40:45
  Speaker 1: tension in our bodies long term. As you breathe out,
• 1:40:52
  Speaker 1: feel yourself breathing out the tension. The Holy Spirit may
• 1:40:58
  Speaker 1: bring thoughts to your mind that are hindering true rest.
• 1:41:03
  Speaker 1: He wants you to yield them to Him so that
• 1:41:07
  Speaker 1: nothing will hinder your total rest and relaxation. This is
• 1:41:14
  Speaker 1: a vital part of trusting in Him, So continue to
• 1:41:19
  Speaker 1: notice these thoughts and exhale. Notice any tightness and let
• 1:41:28
  Speaker 1: it go out of your body. As you breathe, notice
• 1:41:33
  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit's gentle presence coming in and bringing soothing
• 1:41:40
  Speaker 1: and peace to your mind and body. Let his love
• 1:41:47
  Speaker 1: touch your emotions and bring his rest to your heart.
• 1:41:54
  Speaker 1: Feel your stomach rise and fall gently. Feel the peace
• 1:42:00
  Speaker 1: rhythm of air coming in and going out. Nothing is
• 1:42:05
  Speaker 1: forced or harsh. This is the nature of the art
• 1:42:10
  Speaker 1: of resting. We coax our bodies into the discipline, but
• 1:42:15
  Speaker 1: we never force anything. God does so with our free will.
• 1:42:22
  Speaker 1: He coaxes us, but he will never coerce or pressure us.
• 1:42:27
  Speaker 1: He models true rest to us. Enjoy this moment of rest.
• 1:42:35
  Speaker 1: You'll find breathing a beautiful key to come back to
• 1:42:41
  Speaker 1: Let's come to God together in prayer. Wonderful Creator and Father.
• 1:42:48
  Speaker 1: We are coming to you tonight to learn the art
• 1:42:51
  Speaker 1: of resting. Teach us this discipline and delight. Teach us
• 1:42:58
  Speaker 1: not to simply rest for the sake of resting, but
• 1:43:02
  Speaker 1: to rest in you and find completion in you. Open
• 1:43:09
  Speaker 1: the eyes of our hearts to understand why you deemed
• 1:43:13
  Speaker 1: rest so important that it took up the seventh day
• 1:43:17
  Speaker 1: of creation and the seventh day of our week, just
• 1:43:22
  Speaker 1: as Jesus invited us. Help us to come to you
• 1:43:27
  Speaker 1: and learn from you tonight and rest. Help us to
• 1:43:33
  Speaker 1: give our heavy burdens to you and sit on your
• 1:43:37
  Speaker 1: knee like a small child. We are coming to you.
• 1:43:42
  Speaker 1: As you open your arms wide to receive us, Help
• 1:43:47
  Speaker 1: us feel your embrace, knowing that you will never ever
• 1:43:53
  Speaker 1: let us go. Lord, help us return to you for
• 1:43:58
  Speaker 1: rest again and again in life. We know that true
• 1:44:03
  Speaker 1: rest for our souls can only be found in you.
• 1:44:08
  Speaker 1: Nothing else will bring us lasting peace and serenity like you.
• 1:44:14
  Speaker 1: We love you, Lord. Amen. Now let's begin to explore
• 1:44:23
  Speaker 1: the art of resting in greater depth. As our verse
• 1:44:28
  Speaker 1: in Exodus thirty three tells us, rest is the delightful
• 1:44:33
  Speaker 1: fruit of His presence, which goes with us. The New
• 1:44:40
  Speaker 1: International Version translates the verse like this, the Lord replied,
• 1:44:46
  Speaker 1: my presence will go with you, and I will give
• 1:44:51
  Speaker 1: you rest, And the New Living Translation reads the Lord replied,
• 1:44:58
  Speaker 1: I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will
• 1:45:03
  Speaker 1: give you rest. Everything will be fine for you. Probably
• 1:45:10
  Speaker 1: at many points in our lives, before we received Christ
• 1:45:15
  Speaker 1: and even afterwards, we have sought this elusive state of
• 1:45:19
  Speaker 1: rest in many different places and in different ways. We
• 1:45:25
  Speaker 1: may have gone to great lengths and spent a lot
• 1:45:29
  Speaker 1: of time and money in the search for rest for
• 1:45:33
  Speaker 1: our mind and body and soul. What an irony it
• 1:45:39
  Speaker 1: is to exert so much energy in the quest for rest.
• 1:45:46
  Speaker 1: What must God think of us when he sees his
• 1:45:49
  Speaker 1: children frantically pursuing this elusive quality and desperately believing many
• 1:45:55
  Speaker 1: things that are packaged to promise us peace. When all
• 1:45:59
  Speaker 1: the wan rests his delightful invention. Let's seek him and
• 1:46:08
  Speaker 1: find him as he rests, and rest with him. Something
• 1:46:14
  Speaker 1: we need to know about the art of resting is that,
• 1:46:18
  Speaker 1: since we are made in God's image, how and when
• 1:46:22
  Speaker 1: He himself rests is of utmost importance to us. Paul
• 1:46:27
  Speaker 1: knew this and wrote in Ephesians five that we must
• 1:46:33
  Speaker 1: imitate the Father. Since you are God's dear children, you
• 1:46:39
  Speaker 1: must try to be like him. Your life must be
• 1:46:44
  Speaker 1: controlled by love, just as Christ loved us and gave
• 1:46:49
  Speaker 1: his life for us as a sweet, smelling offering and
• 1:46:54
  Speaker 1: sacrifice that pleases God. Let us be imitated of the
• 1:47:00
  Speaker 1: Father by being imitators of Jesus, because in order to
• 1:47:06
  Speaker 1: find the Father, we look at the Son. And in fact,
• 1:47:12
  Speaker 1: the famous verse where Jesus invites us to come to
• 1:47:15
  Speaker 1: him and rest is the same place that he tells
• 1:47:19
  Speaker 1: us that he has come to reveal the Father. We
• 1:47:23
  Speaker 1: can learn from this that one main attribute of the
• 1:47:27
  Speaker 1: Father that Jesus wants to show us is rest. Let
• 1:47:33
  Speaker 1: me read the passage to you now from Matthew six
• 1:47:36
  Speaker 1: in the New Living Translation. At that time, Jesus prayed
• 1:47:41
  Speaker 1: this prayer, Oh Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, thank
• 1:47:49
  Speaker 1: you for hiding these things from those who think themselves
• 1:47:53
  Speaker 1: wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father,
• 1:48:00
  Speaker 1: it pleased you to do it this way. My Father
• 1:48:04
  Speaker 1: has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the
• 1:48:09
  Speaker 1: son accept the Father, and no one truly knows the
• 1:48:14
  Speaker 1: Father accept the Sun and those to whom the son
• 1:48:19
  Speaker 1: chooses to reveal him. Then Jesus said, come to me,
• 1:48:26
  Speaker 1: all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
• 1:48:31
  Speaker 1: and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you.
• 1:48:37
  Speaker 1: Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle
• 1:48:41
  Speaker 1: at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
• 1:48:46
  Speaker 1: For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden
• 1:48:50
  Speaker 1: I give you is light. Rest and breathe as his
• 1:48:58
  Speaker 1: red letter words seek into your soul. Can you hear
• 1:49:03
  Speaker 1: the rest in his voice? Can you sense the peace
• 1:49:08
  Speaker 1: in his tone? He is praying to the Father for you,
• 1:49:15
  Speaker 1: so that you may tangibly experience his rest by becoming
• 1:49:21
  Speaker 1: childlike and trusting and carefree. Let your knowledge of Jesus
• 1:49:29
  Speaker 1: show you the Father. Let the gentle and lowly Savior
• 1:49:36
  Speaker 1: prop you up on his knee, and thus disclose the
• 1:49:40
  Speaker 1: nature of your heavenly Dad. As the Father rested after creation,
• 1:49:47
  Speaker 1: he likewise calls us to rest like father, like son.
• 1:49:53
  Speaker 1: What unity and what bliss I found in such rest?
• 1:50:00
  Speaker 1: The writer of Hebrews had this revelation of rest, and
• 1:50:04
  Speaker 1: we read in chapter four, verse ten, for whoever has
• 1:50:08
  Speaker 1: entered God's rest has also rested from his works, as
• 1:50:14
  Speaker 1: God did from his Or another translation puts it because
• 1:50:20
  Speaker 1: those who enter into Salvation's rest lay down their labors
• 1:50:24
  Speaker 1: in the same way that God entered into a sabbath
• 1:50:28
  Speaker 1: rest from his Let us consider that Father God ordained
• 1:50:35
  Speaker 1: rest in creation to create space in the garden to
• 1:50:40
  Speaker 1: walk with Adam. Rest was the avenue to oneness and
• 1:50:45
  Speaker 1: friendship with his beloved children. So it was then and
• 1:50:52
  Speaker 1: so it is today. No wonder the devil is so
• 1:50:57
  Speaker 1: intent on disrupting our rest, both mental and physical. But
• 1:51:04
  Speaker 1: instead of waging war against Satan through striving, our method
• 1:51:09
  Speaker 1: of warfare is simply to come to God like small children.
• 1:51:14
  Speaker 1: His arms are always open wide, just like the prodigal son.
• 1:51:21
  Speaker 1: Our Father is always waiting for our return, watching the
• 1:51:26
  Speaker 1: horizon to see us coming back to his embrace. Poet
• 1:51:34
  Speaker 1: William Cooper from the eighteenth century penned a beautiful poem
• 1:51:39
  Speaker 1: called Retirement from his collection of only hymns. Rest and
• 1:51:46
  Speaker 1: listen as I read this artistic expression of rest in
• 1:51:51
  Speaker 1: his words. Far from the world, Oh Lord, I flee
• 1:51:59
  Speaker 1: from strife and tumult, Far from scenes where Satan wages
• 1:52:05
  Speaker 1: still his most successful war. The calm retreat the silent
• 1:52:13
  Speaker 1: shade with prayer and praise, Agree and seem by thy
• 1:52:21
  Speaker 1: sweet bounty maid for those who follow Thee. There, if
• 1:52:28
  Speaker 1: thy spirit touch the soul and grace her mean abode, Oh,
• 1:52:35
  Speaker 1: with what peace and joy and love she communes with
• 1:52:42
  Speaker 1: her God. There like the nightingale. She pours her solitary lays,
• 1:52:50
  Speaker 1: nor asks a witness of her song, nor thirsts for
• 1:52:54
  Speaker 1: human praise. Author and guardian of my life, Sweet fount
• 1:53:02
  Speaker 1: of light, divine and all endearing names in one my Savior.
• 1:53:10
  Speaker 1: I am Thine. What thanks I owe THEE? And what
• 1:53:15
  Speaker 1: love a boundless, endless store shall echo through the realms above,
• 1:53:24
  Speaker 1: when time shall be no more. Continue to breathe in
• 1:53:31
  Speaker 1: and out letting this age old wisdom. Touch your soul.
• 1:53:37
  Speaker 1: You are the lords, and he is yours. He gives
• 1:53:42
  Speaker 1: us RESTful union with Him that we can enjoy both
• 1:53:47
  Speaker 1: now and forever, an eternity hand in hand with our Father,
• 1:53:57
  Speaker 1: just as William Cooper touched upon. There's calm, retreat and
• 1:54:02
  Speaker 1: a silent shade where we must flee from the tumult
• 1:54:05
  Speaker 1: of Satan's strife. True rest happens when we retreat with God.
• 1:54:13
  Speaker 1: It was the same for Moses. Let me read some
• 1:54:16
  Speaker 1: of the preceding verses from our scripture in Exodus thirty three.
• 1:54:21
  Speaker 1: I'll read from verse seven to fourteen in the Voice translation.
• 1:54:27
  Speaker 1: Rest and breathe as I read the holy Word of
• 1:54:30
  Speaker 1: God over you, and let his spirit reveal truth. Moses
• 1:54:38
  Speaker 1: used to take a tent and put it up far
• 1:54:41
  Speaker 1: away from the camp. He referred to it as the
• 1:54:44
  Speaker 1: meeting tent. Everyone who sought the eternal One would go
• 1:54:50
  Speaker 1: out to the meeting tent, which was located well outside
• 1:54:53
  Speaker 1: the camp. When the people heard that Moses was going
• 1:54:57
  Speaker 1: out to the tent, they would get up and stand
• 1:55:01
  Speaker 1: at the entrance of their own tents and watch him
• 1:55:04
  Speaker 1: until he had gone inside. When Moses entered the tent,
• 1:55:09
  Speaker 1: the cloud pillar descended to the tense entrance, and the
• 1:55:14
  Speaker 1: eternal would talk with Moses. When the people witnessed the
• 1:55:18
  Speaker 1: cloud pillar standing at the meeting tense entrance, they would
• 1:55:23
  Speaker 1: stand and bow and worship at the entrance of their
• 1:55:27
  Speaker 1: own tents. The Eternal One spoke with Moses face to face,
• 1:55:35
  Speaker 1: just as a friend speaks to another friend. After they
• 1:55:39
  Speaker 1: were done, Moses would come back to camp, but his
• 1:55:43
  Speaker 1: young assistant, Joshua, the Son of None, would remain behind.
• 1:55:49
  Speaker 1: Moses said to the Lord, look, you tell me lead
• 1:55:54
  Speaker 1: these people, but you haven't yet told me whom you
• 1:55:57
  Speaker 1: will send to accompany me. Yet you tell me I
• 1:56:02
  Speaker 1: know you by name, and you have gained my trust
• 1:56:06
  Speaker 1: and blessing. If I have gained your trust and blessing,
• 1:56:12
  Speaker 1: reveal your way to me so that I can truly
• 1:56:15
  Speaker 1: know you, and so that I may gain your favor.
• 1:56:22
  Speaker 1: Remember that this nation is your covenant people. The Eternal
• 1:56:28
  Speaker 1: One replied, My presence will travel with you, and I
• 1:56:34
  Speaker 1: will give you rest. Notice that the Bible tells us
• 1:56:40
  Speaker 1: that Moses often took a tent and pitched it far
• 1:56:44
  Speaker 1: away from the camp, far away from the interruptions and
• 1:56:49
  Speaker 1: busyness of the Israelites. This meeting tent was set apart
• 1:56:56
  Speaker 1: for his time alone with God. And even though where
• 1:57:00
  Speaker 1: God says only six verses later that you cannot see
• 1:57:05
  Speaker 1: my face, for no one may see me and live.
• 1:57:09
  Speaker 1: We do read that Moses spoke face to face with
• 1:57:12
  Speaker 1: God like a friend would. This is remarkable, the power
• 1:57:19
  Speaker 1: of retreating and resting, returning to the Father and resting
• 1:57:25
  Speaker 1: in him. Through seeking him, we may find him, and
• 1:57:32
  Speaker 1: through finding him, we may love him more. Let us
• 1:57:37
  Speaker 1: seek places of rest and refuge during our day, not
• 1:57:42
  Speaker 1: only as we come to sleep at night. If the
• 1:57:46
  Speaker 1: bed is the only place where we seek rest. We
• 1:57:50
  Speaker 1: don't usually give God our best when we're exhausted and groggy.
• 1:57:57
  Speaker 1: The intimacy God wants and the secrets that he desires
• 1:58:01
  Speaker 1: to share may not be entrusted to us. Let us
• 1:58:08
  Speaker 1: give him the first fruits of our day, the best
• 1:58:12
  Speaker 1: part of our day, just as he commanded the Israelites
• 1:58:16
  Speaker 1: to sacrifice to him their best lambs and goats. Let
• 1:58:21
  Speaker 1: us not give the Living God, our holy and sovereign Lord,
• 1:58:28
  Speaker 1: second best. Let us make space in our day to
• 1:58:35
  Speaker 1: rest with him. As Isaiah spoke God's words in Chapter thirty,
• 1:58:40
  Speaker 1: verse fifteen, this is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy
• 1:58:45
  Speaker 1: One of Israel, says. Only in returning to me and
• 1:58:50
  Speaker 1: resting in me will you be saved in quietness and confidence.
• 1:58:58
  Speaker 1: As your strength, come in quietness, come in confidence. Return
• 1:59:09
  Speaker 1: to him and rest in him. The art of resting
• 1:59:17
  Speaker 1: is founded upon resting in him. We cannot rest apart
• 1:59:23
  Speaker 1: from him. There is no other sanctuary like his presence.
• 1:59:29
  Speaker 1: There is the famous passage from Saint Augustine's Confessions, in
• 1:59:33
  Speaker 1: which Saint Augustine states, you have made us for yourself,
• 1:59:39
  Speaker 1: oh Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests
• 1:59:45
  Speaker 1: in you. Precious one, become aware of his presence right now.
• 1:59:54
  Speaker 1: Feel the gentleness of his love, Sense the sweetness of
• 2:00:01
  Speaker 1: his kindness. Delight in his rest, just as Adam and
• 2:00:09
  Speaker 1: Eve delighted in his rest, and eden hand in hand,
• 2:00:15
  Speaker 1: side by side, face to face, sweet rest. Hear the
• 2:00:25
  Speaker 1: echo of Jesus' gentle words, beckoning again and again, come
• 2:00:32
  Speaker 1: to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I
• 2:00:37
  Speaker 1: will give you rest. Take his promise seriously, precious one,
• 2:00:45
  Speaker 1: When you come to him, he will most certainly give
• 2:00:49
  Speaker 1: you rest. He will take your burdens away, and he
• 2:00:54
  Speaker 1: will remove your weariness. Join me as we praise him
• 2:01:00
  Speaker 1: for this gift of rest. Oh Father God, thank you
• 2:01:06
  Speaker 1: for revealing yourself through Jesus. Thank you, that his words
• 2:01:11
  Speaker 1: and his life tell us how you want to relate
• 2:01:15
  Speaker 1: to us. You are beckoning us to come to you
• 2:01:20
  Speaker 1: as we are and rest in you. Thank you for
• 2:01:24
  Speaker 1: showing us how Moses met with you face to face,
• 2:01:28
  Speaker 1: so that we can do likewise. Thank you that he
• 2:01:32
  Speaker 1: modeled the balance of seeking your presence in solitude and
• 2:01:38
  Speaker 1: knowing that your presence went with him wherever you led him.
• 2:01:43
  Speaker 1: Help us set aside distractions every day that hinder our
• 2:01:48
  Speaker 1: rest in you. Help us to pitch our tent of
• 2:01:53
  Speaker 1: meeting whatever that looks like for us, and cause us
• 2:01:58
  Speaker 1: to speak face to face with you, because you are
• 2:02:03
  Speaker 1: our best friend. May your presence go with us, and
• 2:02:08
  Speaker 1: may we go with your presence. You have our hearts, Lord,
• 2:02:14
  Speaker 1: and we surrender to you again and again, and the
• 2:02:19
  Speaker 1: wonderful name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Imagine the day
• 2:02:28
  Speaker 1: the Lord God wrested from his work in creation. He
• 2:02:32
  Speaker 1: had been illuminating the darkness with his glorious light, stretching
• 2:02:38
  Speaker 1: out the expanse of the sky like unrolling a scroll.
• 2:02:46
  Speaker 1: Then he had been diving down to craft the intricate
• 2:02:49
  Speaker 1: details of the great deep sea, sponges and coral reefs,
• 2:02:56
  Speaker 1: oak trees and promeliads. Then he had been flinging galaxies
• 2:03:04
  Speaker 1: and stars into existence, placing the planets in our solar
• 2:03:09
  Speaker 1: system into perfect order, and then, working his way up
• 2:03:15
  Speaker 1: to his zenith, he formed every living animal, from octopi
• 2:03:20
  Speaker 1: and skylarks to reindeer and field mice, and lastly, as
• 2:03:28
  Speaker 1: his crowning glory of creative artwork mankind. After such a
• 2:03:37
  Speaker 1: collection of sheer masterpieces, the only thing that was left
• 2:03:43
  Speaker 1: was rest. Breathe deeply, as you imagine how God must
• 2:03:50
  Speaker 1: have taken one long exhale of satisfaction and delight. A
• 2:03:59
  Speaker 1: What leisure to see his good world filled with such
• 2:04:03
  Speaker 1: beauty and peace, no striving and no strife, no turmoil,
• 2:04:11
  Speaker 1: and no tears. What a place to rest and commune
• 2:04:19
  Speaker 1: with his creation, To speak face to face with Adam
• 2:04:25
  Speaker 1: and Eve, his children created perfectly in his image, to
• 2:04:31
  Speaker 1: enjoy rich communion and companionship with him, to experience with
• 2:04:38
  Speaker 1: him the unadulterated joy of mutual love and friendship. What
• 2:04:45
  Speaker 1: a place to rest. Everything was complete, nothing was left undone.
• 2:04:54
  Speaker 1: Just enjoyment and rest were his desire for the rest
• 2:04:59
  Speaker 1: of eternity. And though Satan and sin interrupted that master plan,
• 2:05:07
  Speaker 1: we are headed there again, and He is making this
• 2:05:11
  Speaker 1: challenging detour back to his heart something beautiful. He is
• 2:05:18
  Speaker 1: always creating beauty from ugliness, joy from pain. He is
• 2:05:25
  Speaker 1: giving us spaces to come back to Him and rest
• 2:05:30
  Speaker 1: with him and enjoy fellowship with him every moment of
• 2:05:34
  Speaker 1: the day. If we accept the invitation, his presence is
• 2:05:41
  Speaker 1: not only around us now, his spirit inhabits us more
• 2:05:49
  Speaker 1: than Moses. We can truly say that his presence goes
• 2:05:54
  Speaker 1: with us. It's even better than what Adam and E
• 2:05:59
  Speaker 1: is experienced hand in hand with God. Because now God
• 2:06:05
  Speaker 1: is on the inside of us. We can praise him
• 2:06:10
  Speaker 1: for this. He can turn the worst circumstances for our good.
• 2:06:18
  Speaker 1: This can encourage our hearts to obey his words. In
• 2:06:21
  Speaker 1: Isaiah thirty, we can return to Him and rest in
• 2:06:26
  Speaker 1: him and find our daily salvation. We can come to
• 2:06:32
  Speaker 1: him and trust him like children. We can turn from
• 2:06:40
  Speaker 1: our own ways like the prodigal son and run back
• 2:06:44
  Speaker 1: to the Father. He will make all things right, and
• 2:06:51
  Speaker 1: we can look forward to unadulterated bliss and perfect rest
• 2:06:56
  Speaker 1: with Him and glory forever and ever. Be encouraged to
• 2:07:03
  Speaker 1: continue seeking Him and learning the art of resting Let's
• 2:07:10
  Speaker 1: praise him, Oh Father, God, wonderful creator, You make all
• 2:07:19
  Speaker 1: things well. Your gift of rest to us is something
• 2:07:23
  Speaker 1: we long to reach for and live out every day.
• 2:07:29
  Speaker 1: Let us seek you and find you as we rest
• 2:07:34
  Speaker 1: in you. Let us not seek false forms of rest.
• 2:07:39
  Speaker 1: Your rest is perfect and it is necessary to experiencing
• 2:07:44
  Speaker 1: deep and loving unity with you. Help us pitch our
• 2:07:51
  Speaker 1: tentive meeting every day and give you our best. Thank
• 2:07:57
  Speaker 1: you for your presence that goes with us. What delight
• 2:08:02
  Speaker 1: can be ours each day as we sense your sweet
• 2:08:06
  Speaker 1: spirit going with us. In your son's precious name, Amen,
• 2:08:15
  Speaker 1: continue to enjoy this peace, beloved child. May you feel
• 2:08:22
  Speaker 1: his presence with you, and may he give you rest.
• 2:08:30
  Speaker 1: Let's listen again to this sleep story about the art
• 2:08:34
  Speaker 1: of resting. As our verse in Exodus thirty three tells us,
• 2:08:42
  Speaker 1: rest is the delightful fruit of his presence, which goes
• 2:08:47
  Speaker 1: with us. The New International version translates the verse like this,
• 2:08:55
  Speaker 1: The Lord replied, my presence will go with you, and
• 2:09:00
  Speaker 1: I will give you rest, and the New Living Translation
• 2:09:05
  Speaker 1: reads the Lord replied, I will personally go with you, Moses,
• 2:09:12
  Speaker 1: and I will give you rest. Everything will be fine
• 2:09:17
  Speaker 1: for you, probably at many points in our lives, before
• 2:09:24
  Speaker 1: we received Christ, and even afterwards, we have sought this
• 2:09:29
  Speaker 1: elusive state of rest in many different places and in
• 2:09:34
  Speaker 1: different ways. We may have gone to great lengths and
• 2:09:39
  Speaker 1: spent a lot of time and money in the search
• 2:09:43
  Speaker 1: for rest for our mind and body and soul. What
• 2:09:49
  Speaker 1: an irony it is to exert so much energy in
• 2:09:52
  Speaker 1: the quest for rest. What must God think of us
• 2:09:58
  Speaker 1: when he sees his children in frantically pursuing this elusive
• 2:10:02
  Speaker 1: quality and desperately believing many things that are packaged to
• 2:10:07
  Speaker 1: promise us peace, when all the while rest is his
• 2:10:13
  Speaker 1: delightful invention. Let's seek him and find him as he rests,
• 2:10:22
  Speaker 1: and rest with him. Something we need to know about
• 2:10:26
  Speaker 1: the art of resting is that, since we are made
• 2:10:30
  Speaker 1: in God's image, how and when He himself rests is
• 2:10:34
  Speaker 1: of utmost importance to us. Paul knew this and wrote
• 2:10:40
  Speaker 1: in Ephesians five that we must imitate the Father. Since
• 2:10:47
  Speaker 1: you are God's dear children, you must try to be
• 2:10:51
  Speaker 1: like him. Your life must be controlled by love, just
• 2:10:57
  Speaker 1: as Christ loved us and gave his life for us
• 2:11:02
  Speaker 1: as a sweet, smelling offering and sacrifice that pleases God.
• 2:11:09
  Speaker 1: Let us be imitators of the Father by being imitators
• 2:11:13
  Speaker 1: of Jesus, because in order to find the Father, we
• 2:11:18
  Speaker 1: look at the son. And in fact, the famous verse
• 2:11:24
  Speaker 1: where Jesus invites us to come to him and rest
• 2:11:28
  Speaker 1: is the same place that he tells us that he
• 2:11:30
  Speaker 1: has come to reveal the Father. We can learn from
• 2:11:34
  Speaker 1: this that one main attribute of the Father that Jesus
• 2:11:39
  Speaker 1: wants to show us is rest. Let me read the
• 2:11:44
  Speaker 1: passage to you now from Matthew six in the New
• 2:11:47
  Speaker 1: Living Translation. At that time, Jesus prayed this prayer, Oh Father,
• 2:11:56
  Speaker 1: Lord of heaven and Earth, thank you for hiding these
• 2:12:01
  Speaker 1: things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and
• 2:12:06
  Speaker 1: for revealing them to the childlike Yes, Father, it pleased
• 2:12:12
  Speaker 1: you to do it this way. My Father has entrusted
• 2:12:16
  Speaker 1: everything to me. No one truly knows the son accept
• 2:12:21
  Speaker 1: the Father, and no one truly knows the Father accept
• 2:12:26
  Speaker 1: the son and those to whom the son chooses to
• 2:12:30
  Speaker 1: reveal him. Then Jesus said, come to me, all of
• 2:12:37
  Speaker 1: you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I
• 2:12:42
  Speaker 1: will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let
• 2:12:48
  Speaker 1: me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart,
• 2:12:53
  Speaker 1: and you will find rest for your souls. For my
• 2:12:57
  Speaker 1: yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give
• 2:13:02
  Speaker 1: you as light, rest and breathe. As his red letter
• 2:13:09
  Speaker 1: words seep into your soul. Can you hear the rest
• 2:13:15
  Speaker 1: in his voice? Can you sense the peace in his tone?
• 2:13:22
  Speaker 1: He is praying to the Father for you, so that
• 2:13:26
  Speaker 1: you may tangibly experience his rest by becoming childlike and
• 2:13:33
  Speaker 1: trusting and care free. Let your knowledge of Jesus show
• 2:13:40
  Speaker 1: you the Father. Let the gentle and lowly Savior prop
• 2:13:47
  Speaker 1: you up on his knee, and thus disclose the nature
• 2:13:51
  Speaker 1: of your heavenly Dad. As the Father rested after creation,
• 2:13:57
  Speaker 1: he likewise calls us to rest like Father, like son.
• 2:14:04
  Speaker 1: What unity and what bliss are found in such rest?
• 2:14:11
  Speaker 1: The writer of Hebrews had this revelation of rest, and
• 2:14:15
  Speaker 1: we read in chapter four, verse ten, for whoever has
• 2:14:19
  Speaker 1: entered God's rest has also rested from his works, as
• 2:14:24
  Speaker 1: God did from his or another translation puts it because
• 2:14:30
  Speaker 1: those who enter into Salvation's rest lay down their labors
• 2:14:35
  Speaker 1: in the same way that God entered into a sabbath
• 2:14:38
  Speaker 1: rest from his Let us consider that Father God ordained
• 2:14:46
  Speaker 1: rest in creation to create space in the garden to
• 2:14:50
  Speaker 1: walk with Adam. Rest was the avenue to oneness and
• 2:14:56
  Speaker 1: friendship with his beloved children. So it was then, and
• 2:15:02
  Speaker 1: so it is today. No wonder the devil is so
• 2:15:08
  Speaker 1: intent on disrupting our rest, both mental and physical. But
• 2:15:14
  Speaker 1: instead of waging war against Satan through striving, our method
• 2:15:19
  Speaker 1: of warfare is simply to come to God like small children.
• 2:15:25
  Speaker 1: His arms are always open wide, just like the prodigal son.
• 2:15:31
  Speaker 1: Our father is always waiting for our return, watching the
• 2:15:37
  Speaker 1: horizon to see us coming back to his embrace. Poet
• 2:15:45
  Speaker 1: William Cooper from the eighteenth century penned a beautiful poem
• 2:15:50
  Speaker 1: called Retirement from his collection of only hymns. Rest and
• 2:15:57
  Speaker 1: listen as I read this artistic stick expression of rest
• 2:16:01
  Speaker 1: in his words, far from the world, Oh Lord, I
• 2:16:08
  Speaker 1: flee from strife and tumult, far from scenes where Satan
• 2:16:15
  Speaker 1: wages still his most successful war. The calm retreat the
• 2:16:24
  Speaker 1: silent shade, with prayer and praise, Agree and seem by
• 2:16:31
  Speaker 1: thy sweet bounty maid for those who follow thee. There,
• 2:16:39
  Speaker 1: if thy spirit touch the soul and grace her mean abode, Oh,
• 2:16:46
  Speaker 1: with what peace and joy and love she communes with
• 2:16:53
  Speaker 1: her God? There, like the nightingale. She pours her solitary lays,
• 2:17:00
  Speaker 1: nor asks a witness of her song, nor thirsts for
• 2:17:05
  Speaker 1: human praise. Author and guardian of my life, Sweet fount
• 2:17:12
  Speaker 1: of light, divine and all endearing names in one my Savior.
• 2:17:21
  Speaker 1: I am thine. What thanks I owe THEE? And what
• 2:17:26
  Speaker 1: love A boundless, endless store shall echo through the realms above,
• 2:17:34
  Speaker 1: when time shall be no more. Continue to breathe in
• 2:17:41
  Speaker 1: and out letting this age old wisdom. Touch your soul.
• 2:17:48
  Speaker 1: You are the lords, and He is yours. He gives
• 2:17:53
  Speaker 1: us RESTful union with Him that we can enjoy both
• 2:17:58
  Speaker 1: now and forever, an eternity hand in hand with our Father,
• 2:18:07
  Speaker 1: just as William Cooper touched upon. There is a calm
• 2:18:11
  Speaker 1: retreat and a silent shade where we must flee from
• 2:18:15
  Speaker 1: the tumult of Satan's strife. True rest happens when we
• 2:18:21
  Speaker 1: retreat with God. It was the same for Moses. Let
• 2:18:26
  Speaker 1: me read some of the preceding verses from our scripture
• 2:18:29
  Speaker 1: in Exodus thirty three. I'll read from verse seven to
• 2:18:33
  Speaker 1: fourteen in the Voice translation. Rest and breathe as I
• 2:18:40
  Speaker 1: read the Holy Word of God over you, and let
• 2:18:43
  Speaker 1: his spirit reveal truth. Moses used to take a tent
• 2:18:50
  Speaker 1: and put it up far away from the camp. He
• 2:18:54
  Speaker 1: referred to it as the Meeting tent. Everyone who sought
• 2:18:58
  Speaker 1: the Eternal One would go out to the meeting tent,
• 2:19:02
  Speaker 1: which was located well outside the camp. When the people
• 2:19:07
  Speaker 1: heard that Moses was going out to the tent, they
• 2:19:10
  Speaker 1: would get up and stand at the entrance of their
• 2:19:13
  Speaker 1: own tents and watch him until he had gone inside.
• 2:19:18
  Speaker 1: When Moses entered the tent, the cloud pillar descended to
• 2:19:22
  Speaker 1: the tense entrance, and the Eternal would talk with Moses.
• 2:19:28
  Speaker 1: When the people witnessed the cloud pillar standing at the
• 2:19:31
  Speaker 1: meeting tents entrance, they would stand and bow and worship
• 2:19:37
  Speaker 1: at the entrance of their own tents. The Eternal One
• 2:19:42
  Speaker 1: spoke with Moses face to face, just as a friend
• 2:19:47
  Speaker 1: speaks to another friend. After they were done, Moses would
• 2:19:51
  Speaker 1: come back to camp, but his young assistant, Joshua, the
• 2:19:56
  Speaker 1: son of Nun, would remain behind. Moses said to the Lord, look,
• 2:20:03
  Speaker 1: you tell me lead these people, but you haven't yet
• 2:20:07
  Speaker 1: told me whom you will send to accompany me. Yet
• 2:20:11
  Speaker 1: you tell me. I know you by name, and you
• 2:20:15
  Speaker 1: have gained my trust and blessing. If I have gained
• 2:20:21
  Speaker 1: your trust and blessing. Reveal your way to me, so
• 2:20:25
  Speaker 1: that I can truly know you, and so that I
• 2:20:29
  Speaker 1: may gain your favor. Remember that this nation is your
• 2:20:35
  Speaker 1: covenant people. The Eternal One replied, My presence will travel
• 2:20:42
  Speaker 1: with you, and I will give you rest. Notice that
• 2:20:50
  Speaker 1: the Bible tells us that Moses often took a tent
• 2:20:54
  Speaker 1: and pitched it far away from the camp, far away
• 2:20:59
  Speaker 1: from the interruptions and busyness of the Israelites. This meeting
• 2:21:05
  Speaker 1: tent was set apart for his time alone with God.
• 2:21:10
  Speaker 1: And even though God says only six verses later that
• 2:21:15
  Speaker 1: you cannot see my face, for no one may see
• 2:21:18
  Speaker 1: me and live, we do read that Moses spoke face
• 2:21:22
  Speaker 1: to face with God like a friend would. This is remarkable,
• 2:21:29
  Speaker 1: the power of retreating and resting, returning to the Father
• 2:21:35
  Speaker 1: and resting in him. Through seeking him, we may find him,
• 2:21:43
  Speaker 1: and through finding him we may love him more. Let
• 2:21:48
  Speaker 1: us seek places of rest and refuge during our day,
• 2:21:53
  Speaker 1: not only as we come to sleep at night. If
• 2:21:57
  Speaker 1: the bed is the only place where we seek rest,
• 2:22:00
  Speaker 1: we don't usually give God our best when we're exhausted
• 2:22:06
  Speaker 1: and groggy. The intimacy God wants and the secrets that
• 2:22:11
  Speaker 1: he desires to share may not be entrusted to us.
• 2:22:18
  Speaker 1: Let us give him the first fruits of our day,
• 2:22:22
  Speaker 1: the best part of our day. Just as he commanded
• 2:22:26
  Speaker 1: the Israelites to sacrifice to him their best lambs and goats.
• 2:22:32
  Speaker 1: Let us not give the Living God, our holy and
• 2:22:37
  Speaker 1: sovereign Lord, second best. Let us make space in our
• 2:22:45
  Speaker 1: day to rest with him. As Isaiah spoke God's words
• 2:22:49
  Speaker 1: in Chapter thirty, verse fifteen, this is what the Sovereign Lord,
• 2:22:55
  Speaker 1: the Holy One of Israel, says. Only in return to
• 2:23:00
  Speaker 1: me and resting in me, will you be saved. And
• 2:23:06
  Speaker 1: quietness and confidence is your strength. Come in quietness, come
• 2:23:16
  Speaker 1: and confidence. Return to him and rest in him. The
• 2:23:26
  Speaker 1: art of resting is founded upon resting in him. We
• 2:23:32
  Speaker 1: cannot rest apart from him. There is no other sanctuary
• 2:23:37
  Speaker 1: like his presence. There is a famous passage from Saint
• 2:23:42
  Speaker 1: Augustine's Confessions in which Saint Augustine states, you have made
• 2:23:48
  Speaker 1: us for yourself, oh Lord, and our heart is restless
• 2:23:54
  Speaker 1: until it rests in you. Precious one, become aware of
• 2:24:01
  Speaker 1: his presence right now, Feel the gentleness of his love,
• 2:24:10
  Speaker 1: sense the sweetness of his kindness, Delight in his rest,
• 2:24:18
  Speaker 1: just as Adam and Eve delighted in his rest in Eden,
• 2:24:23
  Speaker 1: hand in hand, side by side, face to face, sweet rest,
• 2:24:35
  Speaker 1: hear the echo of jesus gentle words, beckoning again and again,
• 2:24:42
  Speaker 1: come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and
• 2:24:48
  Speaker 1: I will give you rest. Take his promise seriously, precious one,
• 2:24:56
  Speaker 1: When you come to him, he will most certainly give
• 2:25:00
  Speaker 1: you rest. He will take your burdens away, and he
• 2:25:04
  Speaker 1: will remove your weariness. Join me as we praise him
• 2:25:11
  Speaker 1: for this gift of rest. Oh Father God, thank you
• 2:25:17
  Speaker 1: for revealing yourself through Jesus. Thank you that his words
• 2:25:22
  Speaker 1: and his life tell us how you want to relate
• 2:25:26
  Speaker 1: to us. You are beckoning us to come to you
• 2:25:30
  Speaker 1: as we are and rest in you. Thank you for
• 2:25:35
  Speaker 1: showing us how Moses met with you face to face,
• 2:25:39
  Speaker 1: so that we can do likewise. Thank you that he
• 2:25:43
  Speaker 1: modeled the balance of seeking your presence in solitude and
• 2:25:48
  Speaker 1: knowing that your presence went with him wherever. You let him.
• 2:25:54
  Speaker 1: Help us set aside distractions every day that hinder our
• 2:25:59
  Speaker 1: rest in you. You help us to pitch our tent
• 2:26:04
  Speaker 1: of meeting whatever that looks like for us, and cause
• 2:26:08
  Speaker 1: us to speak face to face with you, because you
• 2:26:13
  Speaker 1: are our best friend. May your presence go with us,
• 2:26:18
  Speaker 1: and may we go with your presence. You have our hearts, Lord,
• 2:26:25
  Speaker 1: and we surrender to you again and again in the
• 2:26:30
  Speaker 1: wonderful name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Imagine the day
• 2:26:39
  Speaker 1: the Lord God wrested from his work in creation. He
• 2:26:43
  Speaker 1: had been illuminating the darkness with his glorious light, stretching
• 2:26:49
  Speaker 1: out the expanse of the sky like unrolling a scroll.
• 2:26:56
  Speaker 1: Then he had been diving down to craft the trick
• 2:27:00
  Speaker 1: at details of the great deep sea sponges and coral reefs,
• 2:27:07
  Speaker 1: oak trees, and fromeliads. Then he had been flinging galaxies
• 2:27:14
  Speaker 1: and stars into existence, placing the planets in our solar
• 2:27:19
  Speaker 1: system into perfect order, and then, working his way up
• 2:27:25
  Speaker 1: to his zenith, he formed every living animal, from octopi
• 2:27:31
  Speaker 1: and skylarks to reindeer and field mice, and lastly, as
• 2:27:39
  Speaker 1: his crowning glory of creative artwork mankind. After such a
• 2:27:48
  Speaker 1: collection of sheer masterpieces, the only thing that was left
• 2:27:53
  Speaker 1: was rest. Breathe deeply, as you imagine how God must
• 2:28:01
  Speaker 1: have taken one long exhale of satisfaction and delight. Ah,
• 2:28:10
  Speaker 1: what pleasure to see his good world filled with such
• 2:28:14
  Speaker 1: beauty and peace, no striving and no strife, no turmoil,
• 2:28:22
  Speaker 1: and no tears. What a place to rest and commune
• 2:28:30
  Speaker 1: with his creation, To speak face to face with Adam
• 2:28:35
  Speaker 1: and Eve, his children created perfectly in his image, to
• 2:28:42
  Speaker 1: enjoy rich communion and companionship with him, To experience with
• 2:28:49
  Speaker 1: him the unadulterated joy of mutual love and friendship. What
• 2:28:56
  Speaker 1: a place to rest. Everything was complete, nothing was left undone.
• 2:29:05
  Speaker 1: Just enjoyment and rest were his desire for the rest
• 2:29:10
  Speaker 1: of eternity. And though Satan and Sin interrupted that master plan,
• 2:29:17
  Speaker 1: we are headed there again, and He is making this
• 2:29:22
  Speaker 1: challenging detour back to his heart something beautiful. He is
• 2:29:29
  Speaker 1: always creating beauty from ugliness, joy from pain. He is
• 2:29:36
  Speaker 1: giving us spaces to come back to him and rest
• 2:29:41
  Speaker 1: with him and enjoy fellowship with him every moment of
• 2:29:45
  Speaker 1: the day. If we accept the invitation, his presence is
• 2:29:52
  Speaker 1: not only around us now, his spirit inhabits us more
• 2:30:00
  Speaker 1: than Moses. We can truly say that his presence goes
• 2:30:04
  Speaker 1: with us. It's even better than what Adam and Eve
• 2:30:10
  Speaker 1: experienced hand in hand with God. Because now God is
• 2:30:16
  Speaker 1: on the inside of us. We can praise him for this.
• 2:30:23
  Speaker 1: He can turn the worst circumstances for our good. This
• 2:30:29
  Speaker 1: can encourage our hearts to obey his words. In Isaiah thirty,
• 2:30:34
  Speaker 1: we can return to him and rest in him and
• 2:30:38
  Speaker 1: find our daily salvation. We can come to him and
• 2:30:44
  Speaker 1: trust him like children. We can turn from our own
• 2:30:51
  Speaker 1: ways like the prodigal son and run back to the Father.
• 2:30:57
  Speaker 1: He will make all things right, and we can look
• 2:31:02
  Speaker 1: forward to unadulterated bliss and perfect rest with him and
• 2:31:08
  Speaker 1: glory forever and ever. Be encouraged to continue seeking him
• 2:31:15
  Speaker 1: and learning the art of resting. Let's praise him. Ah, Father, God,
• 2:31:26
  Speaker 1: wonderful creator, You make all things well. Your gift of
• 2:31:33
  Speaker 1: rest to us is something we long to reach for
• 2:31:37
  Speaker 1: and live out every day. Let us seek you and
• 2:31:42
  Speaker 1: find you as we rest in you. Let us not
• 2:31:47
  Speaker 1: seek false forms of rest. Your rest is perfect and
• 2:31:53
  Speaker 1: it is necessary to experiencing deep and loving unity with you.
• 2:32:00
  Speaker 1: Help us pitch our tentive meeting every day and give
• 2:32:05
  Speaker 1: you our best. Thank you for your presence that goes
• 2:32:09
  Speaker 1: with us. What delight can be ours each day as
• 2:32:16
  Speaker 1: we sense your sweet spirit going with us. In your
• 2:32:20
  Speaker 1: Son's precious name, Amen, continue to enjoy this peace, beloved child,
• 2:32:31
  Speaker 1: May you feel His presence with you, and may He
• 2:32:36
  Speaker 1: give you rest. Tonight we'll be looking at the story
• 2:33:02
  Speaker 1: of Mary and Martha found in Lurke chapter ten, verses
• 2:33:07
  Speaker 1: forty one to forty two. We'll be seeing through their
• 2:33:12
  Speaker 1: examples how we are called to turn away from worrying
• 2:33:17
  Speaker 1: and turn toward worshiping the Lord instead. We are living
• 2:33:24
  Speaker 1: in a world which is saturated with worry and anxiety.
• 2:33:29
  Speaker 1: Some people live in a state of low grade fear
• 2:33:32
  Speaker 1: as a norm, and more and more people are experiencing
• 2:33:37
  Speaker 1: increased anxiety every day. This is not the will of
• 2:33:42
  Speaker 1: God for us. He wants his children to live a
• 2:33:48
  Speaker 1: full life with continual peace as our norm. One of
• 2:33:56
  Speaker 1: the names for Jesus is Prince of Peace. He came
• 2:34:02
  Speaker 1: to bring the peace from his kingdom down to this world.
• 2:34:08
  Speaker 1: He means us to have life, and that life in abundance.
• 2:34:15
  Speaker 1: The fruit that we shall soon see in the lives
• 2:34:17
  Speaker 1: of Mary and Martha will show us that Jesus wants
• 2:34:21
  Speaker 1: us to cease worrying and worship him instead, to worship
• 2:34:28
  Speaker 1: him and see our worries dissolve. He invites us to
• 2:34:36
  Speaker 1: go low as Mary did to listen intently to his
• 2:34:42
  Speaker 1: every word, and as he comes into his proper place
• 2:34:47
  Speaker 1: in our lives, the worries and cares will drift away.
• 2:34:56
  Speaker 1: In his incredible Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks directly
• 2:35:01
  Speaker 1: to the topic of worry. He tells us in Matthew six,
• 2:35:06
  Speaker 1: verse thirty three. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
• 2:35:15
  Speaker 1: and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore,
• 2:35:20
  Speaker 1: do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow we'll worry about itself.
• 2:35:27
  Speaker 1: Each day has enough trouble of its own, precious one.
• 2:35:35
  Speaker 1: Let's seek Jesus first tonight and experience the peace that
• 2:35:40
  Speaker 1: we long for in our hearts. Before we visit the
• 2:35:46
  Speaker 1: home of Mary and Martha and Bethany and take our
• 2:35:50
  Speaker 1: seat at the feet of Jesus, Let's prepare for sleep.
• 2:35:57
  Speaker 1: The day is coming to a close. What has been
• 2:36:02
  Speaker 1: done has been done. What has not been done has
• 2:36:07
  Speaker 1: not been done. Let it be I invite you to
• 2:36:15
  Speaker 1: turn off all the lights, let your eyes grow heavy,
• 2:36:22
  Speaker 1: surrender asleep as it comes to wrap you up. Just
• 2:36:27
  Speaker 1: as you are wrapped up in your blankets, get cozy
• 2:36:32
  Speaker 1: under the covers, adjust your pillow to best support your
• 2:36:36
  Speaker 1: head completely relax. Let your whole body weight sink into
• 2:36:47
  Speaker 1: your mattress. Breathe gently and deeply, expel all the stagnant
• 2:36:57
  Speaker 1: air of the day. Let all feelings of stress from
• 2:37:03
  Speaker 1: the day's events pass over you and go to Jesus.
• 2:37:12
  Speaker 1: You are not giving them over to thin air. You
• 2:37:16
  Speaker 1: are giving them to your maker, the one who cares
• 2:37:20
  Speaker 1: about the most intricate details of your life. He is
• 2:37:25
  Speaker 1: the one who knows you better than you will ever
• 2:37:28
  Speaker 1: know yourself. He counts every hair on your head. He
• 2:37:37
  Speaker 1: collects your tears in a bottle. He feeds the sparrows.
• 2:37:43
  Speaker 1: So how much more valuable are you? Release your cares
• 2:37:49
  Speaker 1: to him. Now, as you let go of every bit
• 2:37:53
  Speaker 1: of tension in your body, you don't have to be
• 2:37:58
  Speaker 1: in control. Now you are held in the loving arms
• 2:38:03
  Speaker 1: of your creator. Give him control and feel the anxieties
• 2:38:11
  Speaker 1: fade from your body, from your head and face, from
• 2:38:16
  Speaker 1: your neck and shoulders, from your hands and feet. Keep
• 2:38:25
  Speaker 1: breathing as you keep releasing every area of collected strain.
• 2:38:32
  Speaker 1: Then Hailworth Lord, I give you control and exhalworth, Lord,
• 2:38:41
  Speaker 1: I receive your peace. And again Inhalworth Lord, I give
• 2:38:50
  Speaker 1: you control and exhaleworth Lord, I receive your peace. Let's
• 2:39:03
  Speaker 1: begin our story and prayer. Oh dear Lord Jesus, I
• 2:39:09
  Speaker 1: bring this precious child to you. They may have come
• 2:39:14
  Speaker 1: to this story tonight burdened with worries and cares. Thank
• 2:39:20
  Speaker 1: You that they have come to you. You tell us
• 2:39:24
  Speaker 1: in the Book of Matthew, chapter eleven, verse twenty eight
• 2:39:27
  Speaker 1: to thirty. Come to me, all you who are weary
• 2:39:34
  Speaker 1: and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my
• 2:39:40
  Speaker 1: yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am
• 2:39:45
  Speaker 1: gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest
• 2:39:51
  Speaker 1: for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my
• 2:39:56
  Speaker 1: burden is light. Lord, Would you take the weight off
• 2:40:02
  Speaker 1: your child's weary shoulders tonight? May they truly find rest
• 2:40:08
  Speaker 1: in you. May they experience you tonight as gentle and
• 2:40:15
  Speaker 1: humble in heart. I pray that this story would cause
• 2:40:20
  Speaker 1: them to find deep rest for their weary souls. And
• 2:40:26
  Speaker 1: your matchless name. We pray. Amen. There's a potential that
• 2:40:35
  Speaker 1: you have come here tonight burdened by the worries of
• 2:40:39
  Speaker 1: the world seeking peace. Well, I'm here to encourage you
• 2:40:45
  Speaker 1: that the Lord is here to bring you peace. He's
• 2:40:52
  Speaker 1: the Prince of Peace and his Holy Spirit will grow
• 2:40:57
  Speaker 1: within you the fruit of peace. And it's not just
• 2:41:02
  Speaker 1: an intellectual peace. It is a felt piece, a tangible peace,
• 2:41:09
  Speaker 1: an experiential peace, a piece that you cannot feel. Is
• 2:41:16
  Speaker 1: not the peace that our Savior promises us. He paid
• 2:41:21
  Speaker 1: such a high price for it. Jesus would not promise
• 2:41:27
  Speaker 1: us the idea of peace, or just peace that will
• 2:41:31
  Speaker 1: come in eternity, or even a peace that we will
• 2:41:36
  Speaker 1: experience when situations around us mellow out. No, God's peace
• 2:41:45
  Speaker 1: is powerful. It can be experienced in the darkest times.
• 2:41:56
  Speaker 1: Let's pause here to praise God for his true peace.
• 2:42:02
  Speaker 1: Beloved Father, God, you sent your son to deliver us
• 2:42:08
  Speaker 1: from worry and anxiety, not only in the next life,
• 2:42:14
  Speaker 1: but also in this life. We praise you that you
• 2:42:19
  Speaker 1: care about our souls so much that you want us
• 2:42:23
  Speaker 1: to experience serenity and a calm mind. We glorify you.
• 2:42:33
  Speaker 1: You are beyond good. We honor you tonight. We turn
• 2:42:39
  Speaker 1: our hearts to worship you as you turn our worry
• 2:42:44
  Speaker 1: into peace. Thank you, Lord. Now, come along with me
• 2:42:55
  Speaker 1: and let's go and visit the room in Bethany at
• 2:42:59
  Speaker 1: the home of Mayor Martha and Lazarus. Listen as I
• 2:43:07
  Speaker 1: read the story from Luke, chapter ten, verses forty one
• 2:43:10
  Speaker 1: and forty two from the International Standard version. Now, as
• 2:43:16
  Speaker 1: they were traveling along, Jesus went into a village. A
• 2:43:22
  Speaker 1: woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had
• 2:43:27
  Speaker 1: a sister named Mary, who sat down at the Lord's
• 2:43:30
  Speaker 1: feet and kept listening to what he was saying. But
• 2:43:36
  Speaker 1: Martha was worrying about all the things she had to do,
• 2:43:40
  Speaker 1: so she came to him and asked, Lord, you do
• 2:43:45
  Speaker 1: care that my sister has left me to do all
• 2:43:47
  Speaker 1: the work by myself. Don't you then tell her to
• 2:43:52
  Speaker 1: help me? The Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, you worry
• 2:44:00
  Speaker 1: and fuss about a lot of things, but there's only
• 2:44:06
  Speaker 1: one thing you need. Mary has chosen what is better,
• 2:44:12
  Speaker 1: and it is not to be taken away from her. Now,
• 2:44:20
  Speaker 1: imagine that you are one of Jesus disciples traveling to
• 2:44:24
  Speaker 1: Bethany to have dinner with jesus friends and hear him teach.
• 2:44:30
  Speaker 1: The day is hot, the road is dusty. The sun
• 2:44:36
  Speaker 1: has been shining down on you and the other disciples.
• 2:44:40
  Speaker 1: As you have made your way from Jerusalem to Martha's house,
• 2:44:45
  Speaker 1: you are certainly ready for food and water. As you
• 2:44:51
  Speaker 1: enter the village. Jesus leads you and your companions to
• 2:44:55
  Speaker 1: a small stone house. A woman opens the door, and
• 2:45:00
  Speaker 1: Jesus smiles warmly and embraces her. But she looks anxious.
• 2:45:07
  Speaker 1: Her hair is missy, her forehead is wrinkled with lines
• 2:45:11
  Speaker 1: of worry. She's probably very glad to see Jesus, but
• 2:45:18
  Speaker 1: it's not completely obvious by her appearance. You wonder if
• 2:45:23
  Speaker 1: your visit might be more of an imposition than a
• 2:45:26
  Speaker 1: pleasant surprise. This woman called Martha ushes you all in.
• 2:45:36
  Speaker 1: She counts the number of disciples as you pass through.
• 2:45:40
  Speaker 1: This seems to cause her even more concern. Jesus turns
• 2:45:46
  Speaker 1: and gives you a wry smile, and you see the
• 2:45:49
  Speaker 1: twinkle in his eye. He's always got something planned, and
• 2:45:54
  Speaker 1: he's never even remotely concerned. You hear Martha go into
• 2:46:02
  Speaker 1: the kitchen and mutter to herself that she may not
• 2:46:05
  Speaker 1: have enough bread to feed everyone. Jesus greets his friend
• 2:46:12
  Speaker 1: Lazarus with a warm embrace. He asks, with deep love
• 2:46:18
  Speaker 1: and interest, where Mary is. He has been so longing
• 2:46:24
  Speaker 1: to see her again. Lazarus turns to the stairs and
• 2:46:29
  Speaker 1: calls for a sister Mary. She immediately hears and comes
• 2:46:34
  Speaker 1: racing down the stairs. She doesn't answer her brother, but
• 2:46:40
  Speaker 1: she simply runs to Jesus and squeezes him tightly. You
• 2:46:46
  Speaker 1: and the others watch this, but Jesus doesn't look at
• 2:46:50
  Speaker 1: all uncomfortable. He is grinning from ear to ear, and
• 2:46:56
  Speaker 1: he holds her tightly too. He kisses her head. Presently.
• 2:47:05
  Speaker 1: You are all sitting on the floor in the open
• 2:47:08
  Speaker 1: area of the house. Jesus is holding you all captive
• 2:47:13
  Speaker 1: with his incredible wisdom and knowledge. But more than that,
• 2:47:18
  Speaker 1: the love in his voice and eyes is impossible to
• 2:47:23
  Speaker 1: look away from. Mary sits at his feet well. She
• 2:47:31
  Speaker 1: practically clings to his feet. Her gaze is fixed on him.
• 2:47:38
  Speaker 1: She barely blinks because she's so captivated by him. She
• 2:47:44
  Speaker 1: is not distracted or worried. She smiles with a joy
• 2:47:49
  Speaker 1: that appears to brim out of her eyes. She is
• 2:47:54
  Speaker 1: low at the lord's feet. She is looking intently at
• 2:47:59
  Speaker 1: his face as he teaches unearthly wisdom and tells parables
• 2:48:04
  Speaker 1: with his customary passion and love. Even though someone observing
• 2:48:10
  Speaker 1: Mary might think she's being lazy for not helping prepare
• 2:48:13
  Speaker 1: a meal like her sister does, you watch her with
• 2:48:17
  Speaker 1: increasing awe. You understand that she is putting all other matters,
• 2:48:25
  Speaker 1: even important matters and urgent demands, second to Jesus. If
• 2:48:32
  Speaker 1: that isn't worship, then you don't know what is. You
• 2:48:38
  Speaker 1: keep observing her because her RESTful seat at Jesus' feet
• 2:48:43
  Speaker 1: is teaching you about simple adoration. Even Mary's face looks radiant,
• 2:48:52
  Speaker 1: her eyes are sparkling as she listens to him and
• 2:48:56
  Speaker 1: watches his kind face. You want to have such deep
• 2:49:02
  Speaker 1: affection in your heart too. Perhaps you have known Jesus
• 2:49:07
  Speaker 1: as teacher and rabbi and master, but she is looking
• 2:49:14
  Speaker 1: at Jesus as her all in all, her lord and king.
• 2:49:22
  Speaker 1: You look at Jesus again with a new perspective. You
• 2:49:27
  Speaker 1: see that jesus eyes are beaming with affection for his
• 2:49:31
  Speaker 1: beloved friends. You are not just as student or follower.
• 2:49:39
  Speaker 1: He loves you as his friend. Only the other day
• 2:49:45
  Speaker 1: he told you and the other disciples, I don't call
• 2:49:50
  Speaker 1: you servants any longer. Servants don't know what the Master
• 2:49:55
  Speaker 1: is doing. But I have told you everything the Father
• 2:50:00
  Speaker 1: has said to me. I call you my friends. You
• 2:50:07
  Speaker 1: are thinking about his love for you, and watching Mary
• 2:50:12
  Speaker 1: adoring him in total simplicity of heart. You notice that
• 2:50:18
  Speaker 1: Martha still hasn't come out of the kitchen, even though
• 2:50:23
  Speaker 1: it's been an hour or so since you arrived. You
• 2:50:27
  Speaker 1: can hear her preparing a meal. She emerges from the
• 2:50:33
  Speaker 1: kitchen and interrupts this precious moment, saying, Lord, you do
• 2:50:41
  Speaker 1: care that my sister has left me to do all
• 2:50:43
  Speaker 1: the work by myself. Don't you then tell her to
• 2:50:48
  Speaker 1: come help me. Jesus looks with such love and tenderness
• 2:50:54
  Speaker 1: at her and replies, Martha, Martha, you worry and for
• 2:51:02
  Speaker 1: us about a lot of things, but there's only one
• 2:51:07
  Speaker 1: thing you need. Mary has chosen what is better, and
• 2:51:13
  Speaker 1: it is not to be taken away from her. Join
• 2:51:20
  Speaker 1: me as we turn our eyes to the Lord and
• 2:51:22
  Speaker 1: praise him in this moment, Lord Jesus, we want you
• 2:51:29
  Speaker 1: to have our attention. We do not want to worry
• 2:51:34
  Speaker 1: or stress about anything. Let us instead worship you. You
• 2:51:40
  Speaker 1: are worthy of all our time and energy and care.
• 2:51:47
  Speaker 1: You call us to sit at your feet so that
• 2:51:51
  Speaker 1: we may honor and praise you. Lord, turn our worry
• 2:51:57
  Speaker 1: into worship, and turn our anxiety into adoration. Lord, we
• 2:52:07
  Speaker 1: love you, Help us adore you, like Mary did, help
• 2:52:13
  Speaker 1: us choose the better part, the one thing necessary, and
• 2:52:21
  Speaker 1: your precious name, we pray Amen. We know from scripture
• 2:52:30
  Speaker 1: that Mary is remembered for all time for lavishing Jesus
• 2:52:34
  Speaker 1: with an extravagant display of affection. When she broke an
• 2:52:39
  Speaker 1: alabaster jar of expensive perfume over his feet, she esteemed
• 2:52:47
  Speaker 1: Jesus worthy above all others to have her costly love.
• 2:52:54
  Speaker 1: This is pointed out by Jesus to be the opposite
• 2:52:58
  Speaker 1: of a life of worrying and fretting. These two sisters'
• 2:53:03
  Speaker 1: lives display that in order to experience peace of mind,
• 2:53:09
  Speaker 1: we must draw ourselves away from busyness. Come and rest
• 2:53:14
  Speaker 1: at his feet, turn our eyes to him, and simply
• 2:53:19
  Speaker 1: adore him. Psalm ninety five, verse six. Exhorts us, come,
• 2:53:30
  Speaker 1: let us bow down in worship. Let us kneel before
• 2:53:36
  Speaker 1: the Lord, our maker. For he is our God, and
• 2:53:42
  Speaker 1: we are the people of his pasture, the flock under
• 2:53:46
  Speaker 1: his care. As we bow down and worship and give
• 2:53:54
  Speaker 1: him our attention and affection, we find our cares dissolve.
• 2:54:02
  Speaker 1: We discover that our deepest needs are met in him.
• 2:54:09
  Speaker 1: When we chase after lesser things, we ultimately find them
• 2:54:14
  Speaker 1: empty of meaning. Like Martha, we might make a meal
• 2:54:19
  Speaker 1: that Jesus never ordered, and we will most likely find
• 2:54:25
  Speaker 1: it leads to worry and anxiety and burn out. Jesus
• 2:54:33
  Speaker 1: invites us every day to come to him, to bring
• 2:54:37
  Speaker 1: even our heavy burdens and lay them at his feet,
• 2:54:42
  Speaker 1: and offer up our lives again as a sweet fragrance
• 2:54:47
  Speaker 1: to him. He will give us rest for our souls.
• 2:54:56
  Speaker 1: He will take the worries off our shoulders and give
• 2:55:00
  Speaker 1: us his lightness in its place. Psalm sixty eight, verse
• 2:55:08
  Speaker 1: nineteen in the New English translation tells us the Lord
• 2:55:14
  Speaker 1: deserves praise day after day carries our burden, the Lord,
• 2:55:22
  Speaker 1: God who delivers us. Our God is a god who
• 2:55:26
  Speaker 1: delivers the Lord, the sovereign Lord can rescue from death.
• 2:55:37
  Speaker 1: We thank you Lord, You dare deserve our praise. Day
• 2:55:43
  Speaker 1: after day. You carry our burdens, not just once, but
• 2:55:49
  Speaker 1: every day, not just one burden, but every burden that
• 2:55:57
  Speaker 1: is weighing us down. Thank you Lord that whatever burden
• 2:56:02
  Speaker 1: you lay on our shoulders is easy and light. You
• 2:56:08
  Speaker 1: are a God who rescues us. Not only do you
• 2:56:13
  Speaker 1: deliver us from eternal death, but you deliver us from
• 2:56:18
  Speaker 1: our fears in this life. You are worthy of all
• 2:56:24
  Speaker 1: our adoration. Listen as I read Matthew Chapter eleven, verses
• 2:56:32
  Speaker 1: twenty eight to thirty in the New International version. Come
• 2:56:39
  Speaker 1: to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and
• 2:56:44
  Speaker 1: I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you
• 2:56:50
  Speaker 1: and learn from me, grind, gentle, and humble in heart,
• 2:56:56
  Speaker 1: and you will find rest for your souls. For my
• 2:57:01
  Speaker 1: yoke is easy and my burden is light. I'll read
• 2:57:09
  Speaker 1: it again from the Amplified Bible. Let all heaviness fall
• 2:57:14
  Speaker 1: away as you hear the words of our Savior. Come
• 2:57:22
  Speaker 1: to me, all you who are weary and heavily, burdened
• 2:57:28
  Speaker 1: by religious rituals that provide no peace, and I will
• 2:57:33
  Speaker 1: give you rest, refreshing your souls with my salvation. Take
• 2:57:39
  Speaker 1: my yoke upon you and learn from me, following me
• 2:57:45
  Speaker 1: as my disciple, For I am gentle and humble in heart,
• 2:57:52
  Speaker 1: and you will find rest, renewal, blessed quiet for your souls.
• 2:58:00
  Speaker 1: For my yoke is easy to bear, and my burden
• 2:58:04
  Speaker 1: is light, easy and light, light and easy, nothing heavy
• 2:58:17
  Speaker 1: or ill fitting. Whatever he requires is pleasant and perfectly
• 2:58:24
  Speaker 1: made for you. There is joy in the carrying of it.
• 2:58:31
  Speaker 1: I invite you to become aware of the presence of
• 2:58:34
  Speaker 1: Jesus with you now His Holy Spirit is with you
• 2:58:40
  Speaker 1: as you fall asleep. He is in the room with you.
• 2:58:48
  Speaker 1: He is not far, he is not distant from you.
• 2:58:54
  Speaker 1: He is ever present, ever near. Some verse one reads.
• 2:59:02
  Speaker 1: God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help
• 2:59:08
  Speaker 1: in times of trouble. Precious listener, whatever troubles there are
• 2:59:16
  Speaker 1: in your life right now, God is ready to rescue you.
• 2:59:22
  Speaker 1: He is poised to deliver you. Listen. The Lord's arm
• 2:59:29
  Speaker 1: is not too weak to save you, nor is hear
• 2:59:33
  Speaker 1: too deaf to hear you call, Loving Father God. We
• 2:59:42
  Speaker 1: lift our hearts to you again. Tonight. We see ourselves
• 2:59:48
  Speaker 1: resting nestling at your feet. We pour our love on you.
• 2:59:55
  Speaker 1: Help us not to run to other things, Help us
• 3:00:00
  Speaker 1: not to grasp control of our lives and wind up demoralized.
• 3:00:06
  Speaker 1: We give control to you, as trusting children. We want
• 3:00:12
  Speaker 1: to lean on you and let you take over. We
• 3:00:17
  Speaker 1: praise you that Jesus, your one and only son, came
• 3:00:24
  Speaker 1: to give us newness of life and to take all
• 3:00:28
  Speaker 1: of our anxieties upon himself. Yes, those cares are not
• 3:00:34
  Speaker 1: ours anymore. We give them to you. We ask you
• 3:00:39
  Speaker 1: to daily carry our burdens, Lord, so that we may
• 3:00:44
  Speaker 1: be free to simply enjoy you. That does seem too
• 3:00:49
  Speaker 1: good to be true, but that is the way your
• 3:00:52
  Speaker 1: kingdom works. We praise you that and your son's glorious name.
• 3:01:00
  Speaker 1: We pray amen. Jesus wants us to be like little children.
• 3:01:11
  Speaker 1: Little children, like toddlers, do not walk around weighed down
• 3:01:16
  Speaker 1: by the cares of this world. They don't worry about
• 3:01:22
  Speaker 1: what other people think about them. They don't feel angst
• 3:01:26
  Speaker 1: over the mistakes of the past. They don't overthink their
• 3:01:31
  Speaker 1: next actions. They don't work themselves into burn out to
• 3:01:35
  Speaker 1: please people. They are totally carefree, free to relish living
• 3:01:45
  Speaker 1: an abundant life. This is only possible because they know
• 3:01:51
  Speaker 1: they are not in control. They can't provide food or
• 3:01:55
  Speaker 1: shelter for themselves. They can't pay the bills. They are
• 3:02:04
  Speaker 1: totally dependent on their parents. This is the level of
• 3:02:09
  Speaker 1: trust that our heavenly father wants us to have. Jesus
• 3:02:17
  Speaker 1: is inviting you to release everything heavy and ill fitting
• 3:02:23
  Speaker 1: let him replace it with lightness. Feel your worry turn
• 3:02:28
  Speaker 1: to worship, your anxiety turned to adoration, your concerns turn
• 3:02:36
  Speaker 1: to calmness. This all happens when we turn to Jesus.
• 3:02:46
  Speaker 1: One definition of worship is simply to turn all your
• 3:02:50
  Speaker 1: attention and affection toward God. It isn't an outward display
• 3:03:00
  Speaker 1: that doesn't require any singing. That is a pasture of
• 3:03:03
  Speaker 1: our hearts, because as we know, man looks on the
• 3:03:08
  Speaker 1: outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. As Psalm
• 3:03:16
  Speaker 1: one hundred and three expresses, praise.
• 3:03:20
  Speaker 2: The Lord my soul, all my inmost being, praise his
• 3:03:27
  Speaker 2: Holy name.
• 3:03:32
  Speaker 1: God always looks at our hearts. He sees when our
• 3:03:36
  Speaker 1: hearts genuinely love him. Not like Martha who was working
• 3:03:42
  Speaker 1: to earn his love and getting upset and stressed, we
• 3:03:48
  Speaker 1: cannot earn his love. He loves us totally and completely.
• 3:03:56
  Speaker 1: That knowledge will inspire worship and of afection to bubble
• 3:04:01
  Speaker 1: up in our hearts. Come, let us bow down in worship.
• 3:04:11
  Speaker 1: Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker. So meditate
• 3:04:18
  Speaker 1: on his love and goodness, and worship will be the
• 3:04:21
  Speaker 1: natural result. There's no straining or striving. Simply think on
• 3:04:29
  Speaker 1: his love, on the ultimate expression of God's love, the Cross.
• 3:04:39
  Speaker 1: As you meditate on the Cross and this ultimate expression
• 3:04:43
  Speaker 1: of radical love from Father, Son and Holy Spirit for you,
• 3:04:49
  Speaker 1: allow your worship to arise. Because your love is better
• 3:04:57
  Speaker 1: than life. My lips will glorify you. I will praise
• 3:05:03
  Speaker 1: you as long as I love, and in your name
• 3:05:08
  Speaker 1: I will lift up my hands and let everything that
• 3:05:14
  Speaker 1: has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, our loving
• 3:05:25
  Speaker 1: Lord God. We adore you, We glorify you. There is
• 3:05:33
  Speaker 1: none like you in all the heavens or on the earth.
• 3:05:39
  Speaker 1: Thank you for carrying this beloved listener's burdens tonight, so
• 3:05:44
  Speaker 1: that they may sleep in complete peace and wake up
• 3:05:50
  Speaker 1: tomorrow light and free. Enable them to live their life
• 3:05:56
  Speaker 1: in abundance without carrying the burdens of this life. I
• 3:06:02
  Speaker 1: pray that when cares and concerns come along, they will
• 3:06:07
  Speaker 1: look to you and be radiant. May they simply surrender
• 3:06:12
  Speaker 1: again and worship You and watch their worries disappear. My hope,
• 3:06:22
  Speaker 1: is it tonight you have not only heard how worry
• 3:06:26
  Speaker 1: can turn to worship, but also that you have actually
• 3:06:30
  Speaker 1: experienced the tangible peace that God promises all his holy ones.
• 3:06:37
  Speaker 1: May you remain in that experiential peace all through the
• 3:06:41
  Speaker 1: night and as you rise in the morning light. Let's
• 3:06:48
  Speaker 1: listen again to this sleep story and turn your worry
• 3:06:53
  Speaker 1: into worship. Now listen to another story. Listen to the
• 3:07:00
  Speaker 1: rest of the sleep story and many more by downloading
• 3:07:05
  Speaker 1: Abide in the app Store or play store. Find your
• 3:07:10
  Speaker 1: place of peace by joining the millions of others who
• 3:07:14
  Speaker 1: have transformed their lives with guided Christian meditation on Abide.