…what’s been on my heart and mind lately.
THE SETTING SUN SHINES THRU NEWLY BARREN TREES,
CASTING SHADOWS ON FRESHLY FALLEN LEAVES.
REMINDING ME THAT:
JUST AS GOD TELLS THE LEAVES WHEN IT IS TIME TO LET GO,
THEY GIVE UP THEIR BEAUTY, USHERING IN A NEW SEASON
THEY WELCOME CHANGE,
AND TEACH ME I CAN DO THE SAME.
I always forget how much I love this season until it’s here, it has a special place in my heart. . . autumn has always been tainted for me because of the looming winter and having to say goodbye to summer. . . but, despite those mixed emotions, autumn brings so. much. unmistakable. beauty.
I’m so grateful that God created change and seasons.
And I love that creation shows that God can make *even* change beautiful.
I’ve always viewed spring & autumn as transition seasons: they don’t last very long and their role is to usher in the next season. . . spring brings summer and autumn welcomes winter. Because of that I’ve always felt like autumn is a season that’s hard to enjoy or settle into. The moment it comes, it’s gone. It can also be quite unpredictable (at least in North Carolina where one day it’s 75 degrees & sunny, and the next is cold, damp & cloudy.)
While the leaves fall and die I have thought to myself: “how amazing is it that God created the leaves to change color!? You know?! like. . . He could’ve made them just turn brown or simply anticlimactically fall without anything significant to show for. But no. . . He doesn’t do anything halfheartedly, He wanted to make it beautiful in the process. He wanted to make us stop & stare in awe of His handiwork.”
And maybe the thing about fall that makes us stop in our tracks to soak in the scenery for just a little while longer is the fact that we know it’ll soon be gone. . . it won’t last long and as fast as the leaves change they also fall; in a matter of weeks the trees will be bare and winter will be here. So we stop because we don’t know how much longer we have.
Similarly, there have been many seasons in my life that were shorter than I had expected and ended faster than I thought they would. Wishing I could go back to appreciate a time that’s come and gone doesn’t change that fact that it’s no longer here. While the four seasons in a year are predictable in their repeating rhythms, life’s seasons don’t hold such promise.
"you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." -James 4:14
“To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven”
-Ecclesiastes 3:1
"teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." -Psalm 90:12
Because life is so short I can appreciate the seasons that only feel like they’re here to usher in the next. I can be grateful for where I am today without feeling like I should hurry on in anticipation of the next.
"do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:34
I’m so thankful that God doesn’t make the in-between boring or dull. No! Fall shows me that He chooses to show His glory and make something truly awe-inspiring out of His creation; even as it’s dying. There’s no season so short or seemingly insignificant that God can’t bring something beautiful in the midst of it.
So, as we’re in the days of pumpkin everything, warm meals, shorter days, sweaters, and cooling temperatures I remember that there’s so much to be grateful for. . . Thanksgiving is not an activity reserved for one day, it’s something God has called us to dwell in every day and in every season. Don’t allow saying “goodbye” to a previous season or the uncertainty of the next season to rob you of the gratitude you can live in today.
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." -1 Thessalonians 5:18
If it’s hard for you to give thanks in the season you’re in, I know what that’s like, I’ve been there and have things today that are very hard to be grateful for.
But don’t let that stop you. Start small:
the smell of pine.
your family around the table.
the sound of leaves crunching under your feet.
the feeling of a warm mug clutched between your hands.
leaves displaying the most beautiful shades of red, yellow & orange.
and maybe, as you start to name them one-by-one, you’ll find yourself falling in love with a season you never expected to.
“Blessed be the name of God forever: wisdom & might are His, it is He who changes the times & the seasons.” -Daniel 2:20-21
“Yet I will praise….“
This declaration makes me think of how Job worshipped after losing everything.
In Job 1:21 he proclaims:
“The Lord gave & the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job’s words teach me that worship is not an emotion or feeling, but it is more a choice: a decision to trust, bless, and worship God and proclaim His faithfulness when nothing makes sense and you have more questions than answers.
2020 has been quite a year. . . with so much chaos in the world it’s easy to get caught up in the confusion and allow the cares of this life to rob us of the peace we have in Jesus. (Philippians 4:5b-7 “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“)
It’s important, now more than ever before, that we keep our hearts and minds rooted in God’s love and in His Word. I think James says it perfectly in James 5:8 when he encouraged believers: “You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” This means that it’s easy for our hearts to be carried away, but we are instructed to establish our hearts on the firm foundation of Jesus.
For me, trust in God is one of the first things that is shaken when troublesome times come. The enemy will always try to rob us of our confidence in Christ and cause us to question His character and faithfulness. When I relinquish my trust it allows fear, anxiety, worry, and doubt to invade my heart and mind. It has been that way since the beginning of time ― in the garden, the serpent caused Eve to question God’s Word and made her think that God was not trustworthy when he said: “Has God surely said???” (Genesis 3:1) The serpent caused Eve to doubt God’s Word and tempted her to trust in herself instead of God.
When I find myself struggling to trust God I always find encouragement in reading and meditating on His Word and in reading the words of other believers who have testimonies of trusting in the Lord’s goodness in the midst of trials.
Those who have proclaimed, in the middle of the storm: “yet I will praise.”
In times like these, may we be those that are meditating on God’s Word, trusting in Him, and allowing Him to establish our hearts.
Below are some of my favorite quotes and verses to read in times of discouragement, worry, or doubt. I pray they remind you of how faithful, good, and trustworthy our Lord is ― He is worthy of our confidence, faith, and trust. May we resolve to worship and trust Jesus, whatever may come.
"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." ― Corrie Ten Boom
“I would sooner walk in the dark and hold hard to a promise of my God, than trust in the light of the brightest day that ever dawned. To trust God in the light is nothing, but to trust Him in the dark - that is faith." ― Charles Spurgeon
"When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer." ― Corrie Ten Boom
"When I try, I fail. When I trust, He succeeds." ― Corrie Ten Boom
But I trust in Your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in Your salvation.
Psalm 13:5
In You, Lord my God,
I put my trust.
Psalm 25:1
But I trust in You,
Lord; I say,
“You are my God.”
Psalm 31:14
When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
Psalm 56:3
I will say of the Lord,
“He is my refuge & my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalm 91:2
You who fear Him,
trust in the Lord—
He is their help & shield.
Psalm 115:11
Blessed is the one
who trusts in the Lord.
Proverbs 16:20b
Stop trusting in mere humans,
who have but a breath in their nostrils.
Why hold them in esteem?
Isaiah 2:22
In that day they will say,
“Surely this is our God;
we trusted in Him,
and He saved us.
This is the Lord,
we trusted in Him;
let us rejoice
& be glad in His salvation.”
Isaiah 25:9
This is what the Sovereign Lord,
the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance & rest
is your salvation,
in quietness & trust
is your strength“
Isaiah 30:15
The Lord is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in Him.
Nahum 1:7
But blessed is the one
who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in Him.
Jeremiah 17:7
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
& lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him,
and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Those who know Your Name
trust in You, for You, Lord,
have never forsaken
those who seek You.
Psalm 9:10
Some trust in chariots
and some in horses,
but we trust in the name
of the Lord our God.
Psalm 20:7
The Lord is my Strength & my Shield;
my heart trusts in Him,
& He helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise Him.
Psalm 28:7
In God, whose word I praise
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?
Psalm 56:4
They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast,
trusting in the Lord.
Psalm 112:7
Let the morning bring me word
of Your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in You.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
Psalm 143:8
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord Himself,
is my strength & my defense;
He has become my salvation.
Isaiah 12:2
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You,
because they trust in you.
Isaiah 26:3
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord, the Lord Himself,
is the Rock eternal.
Isaiah 26:4
May the God of hope fill you with all
joy & peace as you trust in Him,
so that you may overflow
with hope by the power
of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13
“Cast your burden on the Lord,
& He will sustain you.”
Psalm 55:22a
With all that is happening in our nation and in the hearts of people I’ve struggled with finding the words to describe this season and how my soul has felt. As I pray I’ve frequently found myself at a loss for words…there’s so much that needs prayer but all that seems to come out is: “Oh Jesus, we need You. Only You.” There’s a soul ache and heaviness that I haven’t known exactly how to process.
So as I was reading Psalm 55 and asking Jesus to help me surrender what is beyond my comprehension the word BURDEN is verse 22 stood out to me.
“That’s it. That’s what I haven’t been able to find the word for — burdened.”
So I had to examine my heart and ask: am I choosing to carry a burden that Jesus has commanded me to surrender to Him?
When faced with a burden, I have a choice: either to carry it myself and rely on my own strength OR I can choose to cast my burden on Jesus and allow HIM to carry it. And when He carries it, He also sustains me.
In order for the LORD to sustain me, I MUST cast my burden onto Him.
So I must ask the question: If I’m not casting my burden onto Jesus, then what is sustaining me?
The word sustain comes from sustenance; and when I think of sustenance I think of something that is necessary for my survival, I think of a place where I go for provision, rest, nourishment, strength, encouragement, endurance, perseverance…without sustenance I would not be able to continue because I would no longer have what is necessary.
The Hebrew definition of sustain is to contain, maintain, support, hold in, and restrain. I love the imagery that description brings. Because while the enemy seeks to destroy, unravel, rob, and divide us; Jesus is the one holding us, keeping us, and sustaining us.
So I ask myself: what am I relying on for sustenance?
Myself? My strength, ability, resources & energy? Or God’s?
I want to allow the One who created me, the One who knows my needs before I do, to sustain me. He is the only One who can sustain me:
When I don’t have the answers.
When it doesn’t make sense.
When I don’t understand.
When it’s overwhelming.
When it seems hopeless.
When the weight is crushing.
I’m so grateful that He’s not surprised or overwhelmed by my burdens.
Instead, He WANTS them.
If the weight of the burden you’re carrying feels like it’s gonna crush you, cast it onto the shoulders of your Almighty Heavenly Father. You were never designed to carry the weigh of it anyway.
God knew we would be burdened so He gave us verses like Psalms 55:22 and 1 Peter 5:7 says: “casting all your care [worry/anxiety] upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Jesus cares for you like no one else in the world ever will.
Don’t avoid the burden or act like you can carry it! Cast it on Him!
When I’m burdened with something I frequently have to cast it on the Lord multiple times, because too often, I pick it back up… but the word “cast” means throw, hurl, or fling. It’s not a half-hearted, light, nonchalant “toss” it’s an utterly COMPLETE & TOTAL SURRENDER with no hope of retrieval…
We can attempt to avoid the burden and the consequent exhaustion that carrying it brings… but it’s there, sooner or later you’re going to have to face it.
And then, once you face it, you will have to determine: am I going to keep carrying this and acting like I’m “strong enough” or am I going to cast it onto the Lord?
For a long time I thought of this word “casting” as an avoidance, an “easy way out,” or an “escape” of what was burdening me. But as I’ve asked Jesus (and continue to ask Him) how to cast my burdens onto Him I’m learning that casting my burden is a choice to surrender what is beyond my comprehension and control. When I cast the burden on Him it allows me to not crumble under the weight of what I cannot control so He can sustain me for what He has called me to.
The burden doesn’t change but WHO’S carrying it does. It doesn’t mean that I neglect the burden as if it doesn’t exist or excuse it, but I realize that ultimately God is the only one strong enough to carry it. I cannot hold it up myself.
And, once I grasp that, I am free to walk in His sustaining strength.
