Michael Freer John 14:27 “I leave you peace; My peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don’t let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” Matthew 11:29-30 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” When I was a kid growing up on the South Side of Allentown, we use to play in what was called The Sand Pits. It’s roughly where Cumberland Gardens is now. It was a natural sand quarry. One Summer day a few older boys, myself and my buddy Michael Freer, were swinging on an old Rope swing. We would swing out as far as we could. Right when we could get no higher, at the very top of the arch, we would let go and land in the soft sand. It was a blast of fun! We must had done it like 25 times each. Swing out, drop, and scamper up the path to the top of the cliff to the starting spot. Michael was sort of a bit of a chicken, but he finally decided to give it a try. Just like the rest of us, he swung out and let go into the sand. About half way back up the path, he started screaming! When I looked, he was enveloped in a cloud of bees! All afternoon we climbed that path. All along we must have been bothering and stirring them up! Poor Michael took the full brunt of their anger. Because of our doing, he was stung 37 times as I recall, that day. I never forgot the lessons I learned that day. Aside from God being Merciful to unthinking young boys, there was one more. Have you ever had the stresses of a day or a week suddenly explode for some seemingly small reason? Like a pin in a balloon, it explodes shocking those around you and even yourself? I sure have. When it happens, it’s because we forgot the lesson Michael Freer discovered, our reading reminds us of it as well. His yoke hip Peace is exchanged for our load of cares and stress. Such a simple trade, yet so easy to forget. For me, personally, the most difficult scripture to obey in all the bible is John 15:5, Without me you can do nothing. The hardest precept to put into practice is Abide in me John 15:6. We place undue demands on ourselves, ones He is literally asking for. We swallow the stress, letting it build, until we can no longer handle it. Finally the smallest care, concern or question comes, and it’s all unleashed. Every day, to even the most spiritually mature, Jesus stands, arms extended, offering us HIS peace, His yoke if we will simply abide and rest IN Him. Let’s Pray: Jesus, You are the lover of my soul. You are the Prince of Peace. And You are a trader! Every day You want to trade our worries and care for Your peace. It’s mans nature to think he can do all on his own, but to do so only leads to stress. Help us to give it all to You… every day. In Your holy Name, we pray, Amen. Brought to you with Love by Living Witness Ministries. Please feel free to share, this as an outreach to others.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 02:36:51 +0000
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