April 25, 2024

Lay It Down

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I’ve been lookin’ till my eyes are tired of lookin’
Listenin’ till my ears are numb from listenin’
Prayin’ till my knees are sore from kneelin’ on the bedroom floor
I know that you know that my heart is achin’
I’m running out of tears and my will is breakin’
I don’t think that I can carry the burden of it anymore
All of my hopes and my dreams and my best-laid plans
Are slowly slippin’ through my folded hands

So I’m gonna lay it down
I’m gonna learn to trust You now
What else can I do
‘Cause everything I am depends on You
And if the sun don’t come back up
I know Your love will be enough
I’m gonna let it be, I’m gonna let it go,
I’m gonna lay it down

I’ve been walkin’ through this world like I’m barely livin’
Buried in the doubt of this hole I’ve been diggin’
But You’re pullin’ me out
I’m finally breathin’ in the open air
This room may be dark but I’m finally seein’
There’s a new ray of hope, and now I’m believin’
That the past is past, and the future’s beginning to look brighter now
Oh, cause all of my hopes and my dreams and my best-laid plans
Are safe and secure when I place them in Your hands 

Singer / Songwriter – Jaci Velasquez
* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ * 

Each of us has burdens and cares and concerns…some days it seems they are more than we can bear.  To think you can walk through this life without them is to deny the Truth.  However, they are not ours to carry and bear on our own. Throughout the Scriptures, we are told that the Lord will bear them for us.

Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day,
even the God Who is our salvation! Selah
Psalm 68:19

Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me,
because I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30

The burdens, the concerns, the cares of this life can turn into worries, doubts, fears if we do not bring them to our Father letting Him take care of them. We are to humbly recognize our great need for our Great God, and all that He has promised to do for us, because He cares for us.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God
so that at the proper time He may exalt you,
casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6 and 7

Let’s listen to Jesus’ admonition and promises in Matthew chapter 6:

Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?
And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?
And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.
Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these.
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?
For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.
But seek first of all His kingdom and His righteousness, and then all these things will be given you besides.
So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

Jesus’ words are full of action for us to take…but not the action of taking care of ourselves. Rather, our Lord and Master tells us to–

  • stop being perpetually uneasy
  • look at (and consider) the birds of the air
  • consider the lilies of the field
  • do not worry and be anxious
  • seek (first of all) His kingdom
  • <again> do not worry or be anxious

These are not always easy to do…but they are what we are to do in obedience. The choice, moment by moment, is ours (yours and mine)—will we stop… look…consider…not worry or be anxious…but seek His kingdom OR will we worry, doubt, have anxiety and fear.

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ *

I am praying for you that TODAY you will choose to trust and say, “I’m gonna let it be, I’m gonna let it go, I’m gonna lay it down…in Jesus’ powerful name, amen.” (Will you pray that for me, too?  I’d be so appreciative!)

 

Is There Something You Need to Let Go to Have a Life of Balance Physically, Mentally and Spiritually?

let it goDo you eat healthy and exercise, yet struggle with consistency?  Do you struggle to overcome anxiety from the stresses in your life?  If so, have you thought that it may not be the external circumstances such as time, schedules, business, or other people, but your thoughts and emotions about the situation?

To have a consistent exercise and healthy eating program as well as not allow stress to overrule your life, I encourage you to stop for a moment and tackle what could be the root:

Is there something you need to LET GO
in order to have a life of balance
physically, mentally and spiritually?

Your Exercise

“I used to exercise every day, now I can’t seem to find the time or energy!”   Sound familiar?  Think back to what may have been different when you did exercise regularly.  Now, how are things different today?  You may be trying to follow an exercise program that is no longer conducive to your lifestyle.  Is it time to LET IT GO and develop a routine that works for you now?  I recently had a client say she now has a program that “fits her lifestyle.”  Yea!  By letting go of certain expectations, she is now exercising consistently.

God’s word says in Isaiah 43:18Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

Look ahead and plan a new program that is fresh and works for you now.

Your Food

Do you ever say, “I know what I should do, but I just can’t seem to do it.”  Could it be there is an underlying emotion that you have ignored that is the root cause for what triggers you to make unhealthy eating decisions?  For example, is it time to for you to LET GO of

  • The need to gain approval of others which leads to insecurity
  • What others have said to or about you in your past which is hidden through food
  • The fear of imperfection or gaining weight which leads to not eating at all

How comforting and encouraging to remember that God, our Creator,  says in Psalm 139:14 that we are “wonderfully made.”  When we focus on what HE says about us, it can bring comfort, peace, and confidence that meets our deepest need.  We, as women, must come to the place where we not only know, but BELIEVE, what God says about each of us.

Your Mental Well-being

I remember when I came to the point where I realized the root cause of most of my stress was my own way of thinking.  To manage my stress, I exercised and ate healthy, but why did I let things get to me sometime?  Root cause…trying to control every situation in my life.  I had to LET GO of some things.  So that you can have a life of complete well being and manage your stressful situations, is it time for you to LET GO of

  • The way you think things should be done
  • The way you think the schedule should be
  • Expectations of yourself or others

As David says in Psalm 31:14-15, we are to give our everything including our time to God and trust Him with it.  But I trust you, O Lord, I Say, you are my God.  My times are in your hands.

In one of my favorite books, Let It Go by Karen Ehman, the first chapter (entitled “God Called and He Wants His Job Back”) really hit me where I needed it.  She reminds us it is not our job to manipulate or micro-manage the circumstances around us.  We are to change our attitude and trust God for with our time, circumstances, and those who are closest to us.

My kids love the movie Frozen and are constantly singing the song “Let it Go.”  I have to say, it is a great upbeat lyric—they seem to sing it right when I need to hear it.  Check it out.  It may be refreshing and give you a little tune you can’t get out of your head as a reminder, just like me.   <Sorry!>

For today, think about the possibilities of what it could be like if you left the past, focused on what God says about you, and gave up trying to control every situation in your life.

What can you LET GO to have a life of balance physically, mentally and spiritually?

In Good Health,

Crystal