“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27
I love autumn. It’s my favorite season. I love the colorful trees, crisp cooler “sweater weather”, and bonfires with friends! I love pumpkin spice lattes, chili cooking in the crock pot, and cuddling up in cozy blankets. As I scrolled through Facebook this morning I saw a meme that seems particularly popular this fall. It has crossed my feed may times since autumn began. It reads “The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go.” It caused me to stop to contemplate, “What things has Jesus invited me to let go of?” and “Have I accepted His invitations?”
A quick search of the internet shows that there are at least 100 Bible Verses related to letting go. How beautiful is that? God encourages us to release anxiety (Philippians 4:6), fear (2 Timothy 1:7), bitterness, anger, (Ephesians 4:31-32), and guilt (Romans 8:1) among other things. He reminds us we don’t have to lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). We can put our trust in Him. He has peace (John 14:27) and rest (Matthew 11:28-30) waiting for us.
I am going to schedule some time to just sit quietly in His presence today. Won’t you join me? Let our time begin with praise. It will remind our spirits of His power and faithfulness. Rehearse your blessings. Name his attributes. Don’t stop there. One by one let’s release to God those things that weigh us down. Speak it in the silence or write it in a letter. Then in the stillness let us listen for God to respond to our hearts. Let us Allow Him time to give us comfort, to renew His peace as He moves the burdens and holds them for us.
Letting go is possible. I was in church deeply immersed in God’s presence one Sunday morning. My heart was filled with gratitude as I sang praises to Him. My mind’s eye saw nothing but His glory. In that moment He spoke to my heart. He said “Breathe it out”. I exhaled. In an instant the anxiety I had long carried left me. It is not cliche to say we find our hope and healing in Him. We will find Him when we seek him with our whole heart (Jeremiah 29:13).
Let us seek Him now.
“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.” – Jeremiah 17:14
Blessings - Pastor Sandra
Prayer
Lord God, Thank you for loving us and for offering us peace, freedom, and rest. Help us pull away from the distractions of this world and find stillness. When we find stillness we shall find you waiting there. Lord, you are mighty, loving, faithful, and are above all things. We can trust you with our cares. We release to you our anxiety, fear, hurt, and doubt. Please carry for us that which weighs us down. Speak truth, promise, and reassurance to our hearts. Help us walk with the awareness every moment of you by our sides. Build our hope and faith that we may rest confidently in you.
