Spirit listener

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30 Do you feel overwhelmed?  It's not the Lord who is overwhelming you.  Maybe it's you, or somebody in your life, or the devil.  But it's not God.  It's not Jesus.  It's not the Spirit. God's Spirit lightens your burdens; "His commands are not burdensome."  How does He do this?  By you coming to Him and simply telling Him what's on your mind and heart.  You know how this happens.  Have you ever talked to a really good friend, one who listens and doesn't focus on giving you advice (unless you ask for it?)  Or have you ever been to a good therapist?  A good pastor?  A good counselor?  You know how it feels to leave the presence of someone who really listens....

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13 NIV I've been seeing that hope is the key to life, at least for me right now.  If I don't believe I can expect anything good today, tomorrow, or for my life, it weakens me intensely.  I read a verse today that gives me the promise of the hope that I need to live a meaningful life.  I hope this helps you as much as it helped me. GOD IS A GOD OF HOPE God is a God of hope, a hopeful God.  A God who "knows the plans He has for us, plans for good and not evil, to give us a future and a hope."  As you have probably heard to the point of it sounding cliche, "God has a wonderful plan for your life."  He actually does.  He is hopeful about me and you because He knows the good plans he has for us.  He causes "all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpo...

"Through Him we received grace and apostleship to call all Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for His name's sake." Romans 1:5 NIV I learned something from the Spirit today.  Here it is:  Before I can fulfill my specific calling as a believer, I must fulfill the general calling of all believers.  That means you and I both have the same calling, and if we obey it, we will find our specific, individual calling.  We have the same calling as Jesus' first followers.  His Spirit gives us this call.  Here it is--the Spirit's call to you and me: "Follow me." Another way to put it would be this: "Obey me." Paul said that we, the "Gentiles," the believers who are not Jewish, are called to obey God as evidence of our faith in Christ.  Paul also said that "to whom we present ourselves slaves to obey, we are that one's slaves whom we obey, whether sin leading to death, or righteousness leading to life."  Paul t...