Come!

Today the words of the verse, "Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." has been on my mind a lot. 

Maybe He is trying to tell me something and I need to listen. Maybe it is because I am so weary with the heavy amount of responsibilities that I have had this week. Whatever the reason, I know that He is calling me at this moment to rest in Him and He will care for  me.

This week has been crazy with the busyness of processing the fruit from one tree-- a peach tree that stands in our back yard bearing fruit year after year. Some years we will get about 3 bushels from that tree alone, but not this year!  We had at least twice that amount in spite of the fact that someone stole all of the fruit from the peach tree in the front yard while we were away at church on Sunday.

They stole all of the peaches from our tree! 

You know, there are people like that who take advantage of our spiritual fruit tree as well. We are to bear fruit for the Master. Sometimes people take advantage of our kindness, our gentleness, long-suffering, patience, goodness, etc. Sometimes they take and take from our tree until we are completely spent. That is where Jesus says, "Come unto me. I will give you rest."  

In the natural world wintertime is for the trees and other plants to rest so they can bear forth more fruit the next season. It is when the Savior trims off that which is not like Him so we can be at our best for Him. However, the rest is an essential part of the fruit-bearing cycle.  You have to take time to recharge your batteries...time to rest. 

Just think about those who claim to be His own and are out doing what they think will please Him. They are doing good works without the faith. However, if they are not taking the time to rest in Him and allow Him to restore and refill them, they are going on their own strength. They may have started out well, but when they lose focus and try to force their own growth, what they do will be counted as hay, wood, and stubble.

"Come to Me!" Jesus says. "And I will give you rest. What a thought!

The peaches took a wintertime of rest and withstood the winds and heavy rains, thunderstorms and the heat of the summertime. All of that combined together for their good ...and the fruit is luscious, juicy, and sweet!

After all of the hard work of summertime and autumn, there will be a wintertime of rest.

Jesus says, "Come."  It doesn't matter what kind of storm that you have faced. You are not alone. He is right there with you. 

One day, He will say, "Thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joys of thy rest...and those who have endured the storms that came their way all of the while bearing sweet fruits of His Spirit will join Him in the Eternal Resting Place forever and ever! 

Thanks for reading,

Donna McHugh

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall

This morning in my time with God, we talked about mirrors.  I know that sounds like a strange subject for prayer time, but it was the what He wanted to talk to me about today.  He told me that the longer I walk with Him, the more my image will become His image in the mirror of life. The more I reflect His image in Me, the more desirable the traits that I have to other people. 

Not only will my outward appearance reflect His image, so my heart will as well. We do not have to stay the same! We can change! We can reflect a different image than we have in the past. We can change from someone who was once unacceptable into someone who is pleasant. What do I mean by that?  Simply put, there is something called the Grace of God that can change even the worst among us. 

When we get up in the morning, we are not ready to face the world immediately.  We need to shower, comb our hair, and  make ourselves as presentable as possible. That fixes up the outside for the day, but what about the inside?  Spending time with God in the morning helps us to groom spiritually for the day. It is His time to talk to us...groom us, if you will so that we will be reflecting His Image throughout our day. 

We cannot hide who we really are inside. He already knows what we are like. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. We do not have to wear a mask to hide anything. He is faithful to show us where we need some grooming. He is the One who does the polishing and shining, not us. When we call on Him and allow Him to remove the unpleasant blemishes in our lives we will reflect His image more clearly.

Other mirrors (that are not His) will distort our image. Some may make us tall and thin, short and fat or whatever. Others may think we should do things their way and they try hard to convince you that their way is the only right way to think or act.  No one knows another's heart fully...only God knows what is inside of each of us. God's image is the only true image to reflect. When another's mirror is before us, the results can be disastrous! That is why we need to measure up to His standards and not get sidetracked into what others think. 

God's mirror is never cloudy, distorted or opaque. His mirror is clear and clean, showing the heart as it really is. Sometimes it is uncomfortable to see what He sees inside of us, but when we groom what He is asking us to straighten up, the beauty will shine through. People will notice the changes in your life.  After all, He is the Great Beautician. Even though we may be battle-scarred and weary, we are all beautiful in His sight.  He made us just the way we are...in His image...reflecting His image from our mirror! 

Thanks for reading.

Donna McHugh