Fall into the Arms of Jesus - The Crosswalk Devotional - July 26
Fall into the Arms of Jesus
By Hannah Benson
Bible Reading:
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)
Recently, the Lord challenged me to fall into His arms. At first glance, that statement may sound odd, but allow me to clarify.
What exactly does falling into the arms of Jesus mean? It’s not like I can literally fall into His arms.
On a particularly stressful afternoon, I found myself staring at a blank screen instead of working on the writing project I needed to tackle.
Honestly, I was kind of frustrated with myself. “I need to get this done”, I thought. Yet no matter how hard I tried to concentrate and move past the writer’s block, I either ended up staring at a blank screen or mindlessly scrolling through social media hoping inspiration would strike—which, by the way, never happens.
As I sat there, the Lord quietly whispered to my spirit: “I want you to spend time with Me.”
Yes, God, that would be a good idea except I needed to finish what I was doing first.
Which was what?
Oh yes.
Overcoming writer’s block and actually getting words on the page.
Ugh.
Eventually, the Holy Spirit’s prompting won out, and I closed my laptop and picked up my Bible instead.
I don’t know how to explain it, but it was as if my spirit did a trust-fall. And instantly I realized what the Lord had been trying to tell me all along. Perhaps I’d gotten so busy doing things for God that I’d forgotten to spend time with Him. Quality time is my love language. Why then would I not ensure I spent time with the One Who loves me more infinitely than I could ever know?
Yes, I have a lot of things on my plate. As the old adage says, perhaps “I’ve bitten off more than I can chew”. But what is more important than anything I could ever do?
Cultivating relationships.
With God, first and foremost, and then with others.
Loving God and others.
Serving God and others.
Sounds really simple, doesn’t it?
Simple but often difficult to live out.
I realized I’d been trying to do everything in my own strength instead of relying on the Lord. I’d been yearning to rush the journey, but God was challenging me with an alternative.
What if instead of trying to do things in my own strength, I lean on the Lord? Instead of rushing through life, what if I found joy in the journey?
What if I learned to trust His process and plan for my life instead of what I could perceive?
Intersecting Faith & Life:
I love Jesus’s invitation in Matthew 11. “Come to me.”
This is an invitation for all of us who feel weary, burdened by the sins or stresses of the world, or those of us who simply can’t carry on anymore.
Dear friend, we are not meant to carry it alone.
He has offered to carry our burdens for us. Even when the world around us is thrown into chaos or our mind is running in circles trying to remember the next thing on our to-do list, breathe. Take time to sit at His feet because true rest is found in Him.
Allow yourself to fall into the arms of Jesus, to do the best with what you have, and let the Lord take care of the rest. Maybe our house isn’t spotless by the time our guests arrive (I know. We’ve all been there *grin*.) Maybe our career paths don’t look exactly like we’d planned. Maybe it looks like everyone else has their life together.
I know it might not always feel like it, but I promise, if we come to Jesus and truly give Him our burdens, fears, and what weighs heavily on our hearts, we will be okay. How do you think the Lord might be calling you to rest in His embrace today?
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/ipopba
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