“Come and rest with Me.”

I care deeply for you, My child.  There is nothing that you feel or experience that I don’t also experience as I carry you through life.  My hand is upon you, and nothing will take you away from My love.  Quietly wait on Me, and you will feel my nearness.  You will hear Me whisper into your soul, and My peace will descend upon you.

My little one, there is a hiding place you can find in Me.  The shadow you see over you is the shadow of My wings.  It is not a shadow of confusion, but a shadow of My hiding place where I will place you next to My heart.  For I have taken you from troubled waters and brought you up on high to rest in My presence.  No matter how dark the night and how fierce the trial, My kiss of mercy will keep and protect you.

No one says in My presence, “I am afraid.”  It is never heard in My glory, “I am poor.”  For I have given you all things that will strengthen your life and prepare you for eternity.  In My presence all cry, “Glory.”  Come into the shelter of My shadow, where all My lovers are washed, robed, crowned, and seated with Me.  I care deeply for you and nothing can disturb you in the hiding place of My glory.  Come and rest with Me.”

[Excerpt From I Hear His Whisper: 52 Devotions (The Passion Translation) by Brian Simmons]

THE POWER OF GENTLENESS

THE POWER OF GENTLENESS

Do you remember the old fable about the contest between the wind and the sun?  It seems they got into an argument over which one of them was the most powerful.

An elderly man in a tattered coat came walking down the path.  The wind challenged the sun to see which one of them could get the man’s coat off.

Confident in his own strength, the wind went first.  He began blustering and blowing with all his might, ripping at the edges of the tattered coat.  But the poor old man ducked his head, hunched his shoulders, and pulled the coat more tightly to his chest.

When at last the mighty wind gave up, it was the sun’s turn to shine.  The sun slipped out from behind the clouds and beamed down on the old man so gently—and warmly— that the man immediately removed his coat and folded it over his arm.

This story always reminds me of the truth of Proverbs 15:1: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”  In our relationships with others, we often take an aggressive posture.  Like the blustering wind, we try to win the point—or the argument—by overpowering and intimidating the other person.  We blast him or her with the full force and strength of our sharpest words.  But seldom does this approach produce the results we’re looking for.  Often we achieve the exact opposite!

The Scripture tells us there is a better way.  Whether we’re giving or receiving constructive criticism, settling an argument, or addressing a sensitive situation, we’d do well to remember the wisdom of Proverbs 15:1 and the power of a “gentle answer.”

Take It To Heart!

Can you think of a problem or circumstance in your life that was exacerbated by harsh words?

How could it have been handled differently?

What about a situation where a gentle answer saved the day?

Pray that God will give you gentle answers for the difficult people and circumstances that come into your life today.

Read James 3:3-18. Write down the areas that you need to work on.

Taken from : Take it to Heart by Christin Ditchfield