It didn’t make sense.  Without a battle, the Israelites would take over Jericho.

Seven days, seven trumpets, the army walked around the walled town and on the final day a shout for the Lord would bring the walls down and the town would be delivered over to them.

Listening to the Lord can change everything. All of what we know is turned upside down when we listen for His direction. The battle is the Lord’s.

What if the instructions from the Holy Spirit don’t make any sense. Will you follow them anyway?

“But godliness and contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it.” 1 Timothy 6:6-7

We live in a world of normalized excess.

There is bigger and better everywhere we look.

Possessions, jobs, health, finances, and family, are among areas in which we can struggle with contentment.

A spirit of contentment looks at life with a grateful heart acknowledging our testimony and the Lord’s provision.  In opposition, the spirit of discontentment magnifies lack and obscures the Lord’s blessings.

Shift away from discontent.

• Do a David! ( Praise the Lord, write Him a psalm of your love, dance, and sing joyously).
• Revisit your past miracles and blessings.
• Live with a grateful heart.
• Keep a gratitude journal.
• Offer up a sacrifice of praise.

There is the Earthly Kingdom. It is all around you for you to see.

Invisible to the eye, another Kingdom invites you to enter in. The Kingdom of God is near.

The Kingdom of God is counter-cultural, revolutionary, transformational, light in the darkness, rest for the weary, and established in the love of Jesus Christ.

Enter into this Kingdom and you will no longer be separated from God. Escape from the struggle, the hustling, the scraping, the fear, and the fight. Enter into the rest of Jesus Christ. Say YES to Jesus!

Which Kingdom will you choose?

Earthly Kingdom                                                                                             Kingdom of God

We STRUGGLE.                                                                                                        We REST in Him.

We live for SELF.                                                                                                       We die to SELF, and live for JESUS

We walk by SIGHT                                                                                                     We walk by FAITH

We listen to “EXPERTS” (worldly wisdom).                                                        We listen to the Word of God+godly counselors

We labor with human effort to accomplish our will.                                          We rest in the Lord to accomplish His will

We lead by commanding others                                                                             We lead as a servant to others

We save all our money                                                                                              We give to receive

We hide our weaknesses                                                                                           We admit our weaknesses & live in the Lord’s strength

“..Only one thing is needed…”  Jesus said to her. (Luke 10:42)

He simply requires one thing, Jesus.  Stay near to Him, sit at the feet of the Rabbi. But the sum of my days is movement. Keep moving, gotta get things done. So much to do on a normal day.  My mind can be distracted and rush forward to thoughts of accomplishing the tasks ahead of me.

It’s clear in the story of Mary and Martha. One sister, Martha pointed out her sister’s failure to rush in to prepare the dinner.  The other sister, Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to His every word. Jesus recognized in Martha, “thou art troubled about many things..” Jesus continued “Mary has chosen the best thing, and it will not be taken away from her.”

So here it is, two possible actions to take. Jesus is asking us to choose what matters most.

I deal with my anxiety just like Martha does.  Doing, moving, and rushing forward to relieve my anxiety. This is what I lean on to ease the strain. It allows me to shift my focus away from my fears, and cover them up.  Allows me to discharge the pent-up feelings I don’t seem able to deal with or haven’t stopped to identify.

I know I should be still and rest in Him because as He reminded Martha “… Only one thing is needed.” If I can reconnect to Jesus and sit at His feet, just like Mary,  the feelings of anxiety will dissolve.

Sitting at His feet, in His presence is a struggle when I think of work that awaits me.  The illusion I adhere to is that I am the master of my days. Open up my hands Lord and help me to loosen my grip.

Can I accomplish anything without Him? Holding too tightly to my schedule leaves no room for the Holy Spirit to direct me.  Where is the space to listen and let Him be my guide?  Will I make myself master over my day or watch as He opens the steps before me?

“A man’s heart plans his course, but the Lord establishes his steps.”  All my force applied to a task cannot accomplish my desired end. So I must surrender.

In truth, I must surrender to Him every day for He is my REST and PEACE.