Burdens Released (morning reflection)
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28
It seems ironic to begin the day with a call to rest. Isn’t daytime our working, errand-running, household duties time? Yes, but to be most effective in all we do, we must begin the day by hearing our Lord say, “Come unto me” and then take Him at His word when He promises rest for the day.
Not only are our duties made lighter, but our daily burdens are released as we rest in Christ. He who knows what our day holds is acquainted with our responsibilities, and sees our burdens will sup- ply the strength to do all that’s required of us…if we first rest in Him.
“We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it. But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday’s burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it.”
John Newton
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Burdens Lifted (evening reflection)
My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:30
How was it for you today? Were your burdens released? Was God present as you went about your day? And what about tonight? Is the burden still with the Lord, or has it eased its way back onto your shoulders?
What was placed in God’s able hands today must stay there tonight. When God receives a burden, He will not return it to us for another round of anxiety. Time now to remember that all your burdens, light or heavy, are no longer yours to bear.
Rest easy tonight. The God who heard your prayer today has remembered it this evening.
“What is needed for happy effectual service is simply to put your work into the Lord’s hand, and leave it there. Do not take it to Him in prayer, saying, ‘Lord, guide me, Lord, give me wisdom, Lord, arrange for me,’ and then arise from your knees, and take the burden all back, and try to guide and arrange for yourself. Leave it with the Lord, and remember that what you trust to Him you must not worry over nor feel anxious about. Trust and worry cannot go together.”
Hannah Whitall Smith
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The above excerpt is the from the KJV Devotional in the Morning and in the Evening. Readers seeking spiritual insight will treasure this twice-daily devotional featuring Scripture verses from the King James Version of the Bible. Topics include finding joy, achieving victory, and experiencing God’s goodness.
Learn more about KJV Devotional in the Morning and in the Evening
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