Vicki's Wednesday Word

  Matthew 11:28-29 New Living Translation 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Do you wonder what Jesus meant when he says to “take my yoke upon you” in this passage? We know that a yoke was a contraption that hooked an animal up to a plow or some kind of cart, often in tandem. In one sentence he says come to him to get a break from exhaustion and in the very next to take on his yoke, a whole different kind of burden. I think the next verse helps to clarify. “ 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Jesus wants us to “hook” up to him and relieve us of all the worries and fears of this life. Instead, he wants to give us purpose and hope for a better way to live. We are all faced with the stresses of everyday life. Some are as a result of the natural w...

  Hebrews 4:8-13 NLT 8 Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. 9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. 11 So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. 12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. It may appear that I spend my contemplative time dwelling on the loving, merciful nature of God the Father. Rest assured, the aspects of God described in this passage are never far from my thoughts. The all-powe...

  Ephesians 2:4-10 NLT 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. It really is simple. The love and the mercy God has for his creation is so great. It is a grace so ...

  John 15:5-11 New Living Translation 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! There is a comfort and a reassurance that comes only from knowing that you are loved, really loved. It is like being wrapped in a warm and cozy blanket. It is like be...

Psalm 66:16-20 16 Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. 17 For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. 18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. 19 But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. 20 Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me. This passage from the Psalms is a foreshadowing of what Jesus taught us to be the model prayer. First comes praise of The Father and the admission that his merciful and powerful guidance is essential. Admitting that you have made mistakes is key to making an honest connection. The writer testifies that he experienced that connection, he felt that God was listening and paid attention. Through this communication with God, the psalmist felt the love of God around him. Wouldn’t it be great if God would just send us a note, outlining what direction we should take in any situat...

  Psalm 121: 1-4     New Living Translation A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. 1 I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! 3 He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. 4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.   In 1973, I played Mother Superior in our high school production of “Sound of Music.” I have a vivid memory of me in a make-believe habit! That is the very first thing that pops into my mind when I hear this passage because that was one of my lines. It was from the King James version, “I will lift up mine eyes to the hills—From whence cometh my help?” My character was counseling Maria, who was trying to make sense of her feelings for the Baron and what she thought was her path. The good Mother Superior was so right. When you don’t know which way to turn, it will do no good at all to...

  1 JOHN 4:10 – 12 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. “Surely,” John says. It is just that plain and simple. We were created for love. The idea is that we would love each other in the very same manner that we are loved by Our Creator. We were created to love and watch over the earth and seas and all that God created. We were, above all, created to love God. Since we opened the door to guilt and shame and greed and sin, it has been much harder to fulfill that basic purpose. Our time is dominated by self. Our energy is drained by pre-occupation with our own lives and our own inner circle. If there is anything left over, we may feel a twinge for our fellow man. This is the sad state of affairs ...