HOW DO YOU FEEL? (part-11)

DO YOU FEEL YOU ARE STUMBLING THROUGH LIFE WITH NO DIRECTION?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their
synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and
healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds,
he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and
helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
(Matthew 9:35-36)

MEDITATION:
Folk singer Bob Dylan had a song years ago named,
    “Like A Rolling Stone”
In that song were these lyrics,
    “How does it feel, how does it feel? To be on your own, with
      no direction home. A complete unknown, like a rolling stone”

Do you ever have a feeling that you are alone and have no direction
in your life? Without Jesus in our life, we can be very much like a
‘rolling stone’ with ‘no direction home’. In order to invite Jesus into
our daily lives, we need to meet Him where He is, and not where we
have defined Him to be.

The scriptures tell us that He was found in the synagogues. Doesn’t it
make sense that we should look for Him in the same place today? In
the past, people built synagogues as a place for worship and, even though
they may not have known it, it was also a place where they could find Jesus.

Sure, He walked among the people as well, but we know to look for
Him in the churches of today. Too many people have been duped by
Satan and created their own form of worship. Anytime we create our
own form of worship, we are treading on thin ice, because we can
unknowingly be turning our backs to the only One who can give us
direction for our lives.

Why do we need Jesus in our lives? We need Him because He truly
cares about people (including those who want nothing to do with Him).
The scriptures tell us that He sees the helpless condition of the people
who are without guidance. He has compassion and wants to help those
who are floundering around trying to develop their own stability in life.

Jesus knows the frustration we experience as we search for ways to ‘steady’
our lives. He knows our frustration can cause us to become victims of any
number of things that can damage us, and those around us. Some claim
they ‘just want to be happy’, and yet they fail to develop a close relationship
with the One who provides the foundation for happiness.

As happiness continues to elude them and their frustration increases, they
often try to numb their minds with foreign substances, they engage in illicit
relationships, or they gravitate to all kinds of other things that lead them
away from the Lord.

Look at the offer Jesus has given to all people.
    “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)

He says,
    “Come”
    (He doesn’t say, “Go your own way”).
He says,
    “I will give you rest”
    (Isn’t that what we want more than anything else?)
He says,
    “Learn from Me”
    (Jesus is ready to teach us how to find
    happiness when we allow Him to direct our paths)

Notice that He says,
    “Take my yoke upon you”
    That is significant because it relates to those who used oxen
    for plowing fields. They would ‘yoke’ an older oxen to a younger
    oxen. Why? So the younger one would ‘learn’ from the older one
    how to pull the plow, and which direction to go.

In order to ‘yoke’ ourselves with Jesus, we need to spend time with
Him, on His terms, not ours. When we are ‘yoked’ to Jesus, we ‘learn’
from Him, and we can find ‘rest for our souls’ (that’s His promise to us).

ACTION:
Do you feel you are just wandering through life with no purpose or
direction? You may have a good job, a nice home, a good family and
yet you feel something is missing. Take the offer from Jesus and allow
Him to add direction to your life. Not direction from the world’s point
of view, but a new direction that is much more important, beneficial,
and rewarding.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for the promises in Your Word. I am
tired and frustrated from trying to pursue rest and happiness using
my own ideas. I realize that only You can provide the guidance and
direction I need in my life. Help me to cast aside my own ideas of
how to develop a relationship with You, and teach me to freely yield
myself to what Your Word tells me are the keys to having a close
relationship with You. I am tired of striving to find You through my
own methods that are built on satisfying my own selfishness. Help
me to sacrifice whatever prevents me from drawing nearer to You.”

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