Rejoicing
Dear Friends, Paul
gives us some very
good reasons why
we can rejoice. We
are not alone
because the Lord is
near and this means
that He is interested
in us and he cares
about us and He
wants to help. Paul
also teaches us that
because the Lord is
near we can be
gentle. It is easy
when we think that
everything depends
on us to boss people
around or be pushy.
Paul is teaching us
that we can be
gentle because the
Lord is near and He
helps us and we are
given the privilege of
casting our burdens on the Lord. We don’t have to carry them ourselves.
Notice that the invitation comes with an expectation of giving thanks which
means that we trust that God is good and we begin to already see the benefits
He provides for us - not least of these is forgiveness of sins and friendship with
God and the gift of His church and people. The giving of our burdens to God
leads to 2 benefits. One of these is that as we let go of trying to keep control
over our problems and hand them over to the Lord and we will find His peace
come upon us. Notice that this peace transcends all understand. It is not about
manipulating the mind or just the power of positive thinking but a tangible
experience of God’s presence touching us personally. We do however still have
a responsibility to exercise quality control over our minds. God’s peace is a gift
which God gives and this also leads us to ensure that we think about what is
pure and good. Conversely if we fill our minds with fear or untruths then it
becomes a breeding ground for anxiety ! God’s Blessing Rev David O’Mara Continue Reading..