I had a recent day when the world’s weight bore heavy and threatened to pull me under. I work as a teacher. I’ve loved teaching others how to sing and make music with their God-given instrument. In one of my research studies, a child called teaching “helping.” Yes, I’ve always seen teaching as helping too. As a teacher, I long to help people. But this teacher had a desperate moment when I felt I couldn’t help. Education seems such a mess right now. My physical challenges and emotional strengths tapped out that day. I couldn’t fix things. They were too big, too overwhelming, too much and I was way too weak to help anyone.
Our precious Lord gently answered my cries and helped me re-turn to His ways of contentment and compassion in my weighty moment of affliction.
Are you feeling weak in some way today too? Will you join me as I share what happened? I’m returning and resting in Jesus and His promises this week.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28 ESV).
Returning to sufficient grace in Jesus
In my all-encompassing “I can’t” emotional and physical fatigue, our Father reminded me that He yearns to give me His grace, stooping down like a teacher or parent who wants to help a little child.
The LORD waits to be gracious to you…blessed are all those who wait for him (Is. 30:18 ESV).
In the original Hebrew, He’s kneeling eye to eye with us like we’re children. Beloved in Christ, aren’t we? It’s good that we’re His little ones, dependent on His daily grace, right?
You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:1 ESV).
So, eyes lifted into the gaze of our loving Father, we first return to His undeserved grace given to us as believers in Jesus.
Justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:24 ESV).
Jesus, thy blood and righteousness
my beauty are, my glorious dress;
‘midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
with joy shall I lift up my head.
(“Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness,” von Zinzendorf, N. L., 1739, tr. Wesley, J., 1740)
We return to the One who called us to come to Him in our sin and continues the same call to His chosen children…daily. In withdrawing to the Lord in prayer and hearing our Teacher (Is. 30:20) in our adversity and affliction, He gives us strength and direction when we feel helpless and weary. Jesus modeled this for us in His earthly life, right?
Resting in Jesus when I’m weak
Bold shall I stand in thy great day;
for who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
from sin and fear, from guilt and shame.
I write to those who are in Christ. In Jesus. Dear beloved, we can rest in Jesus because we…
have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him (Rom. 8:15-17 ESV).
Jesus, be endless praise to thee,
whose boundless mercy hath for me,
for me a full atonement made,
an everlasting ransom paid.
We do indeed suffer. But Jesus has already carried the weight of this fallen world and our own sin. He has endured our Father’s righteous wrath for all of it, paying the entire debt owed and giving us His righteousness instead. This is our place of rest.
In Scripture and song, He gave me rest that evening, lighting down lightly on Jesus like a little butterfly lands on a fragrant flower. By His grace and in His power, my heart quietly turned to praise.
Praising Jesus when I’m weak
When from the dust of death I rise
to claim my mansion in the skies,
e’en then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.
In returning to Jesus and resting in our perfect and sinless Jesus, He so graciously took my weakness and reminded me of His exalted place of power, ruling and reigning over His kingdom. He reminded me that He “exalts himself to show mercy to you” (Is. 30:18 ESV). Mercy. Our Father is so merciful, tender, and compassionate to us in our affliction.
Returning and resting in Jesus, His grace and everlasting power are indeed sufficient in our weakness. We’re saved. We’re God’s beloved children. We can rise from His compassionate gaze and praise Jesus for His boundless mercy, His blood shed for us in His death, and His perfect life and perfect righteousness given to us. With joy, we can lift our heads as we look forward to being with Him in eternity.
A little note in my Bible caught my eye that night, as I arose.
“Joy = Grace observed.”
I don’t know who taught me that. But returning and resting in Jesus, by observing His grace, infused joy indescribable to me. His grace was indeed sufficient so that I was able to face my next hard day of teaching. I’m praying this little sharing has encouraged you as well.
Returning and resting in Jesus in song
In this week’s playlist, let’s sing of the person and work of Jesus as we return and rest in Jesus. This week’s playlist is filled with rest-full songs, quiet songs that remind us of His mercy and compassion in our affliction. They’re songs to help us praise God into our weakness, resting in HIS grace and strength. If it would encourage you to receive a weekly playlist that accompanies my writings, sign up here and I will send it to your email, beloved in Christ.
