You cannot make the heart restful by stopping its beating. Certain drugs will do that, but that is not really rest.

There is sweet rest that comes from the understanding of surrendering all of us to the Lord  Home ties and family affection will not bring the rest we covet. Deliverance from trouble will not bring it. Many weary heart has said: "if this great trouble were only gone, I would have rest." But as soon as one crisis goes another comes.

The poor wounded deer on the mountainside thinks if it could only bathe in the cold mountain stream it would have rest. But the arrow is in its flesh, and there is no rest for it until the wound is healed. We shall never have God's rest and peace in our hearts until we have surrendered everything, even our work, to Christ and believe He has taken it all. Then we have to be still and trust.

It is necessary to walk in holy obedience and let God have the government on His shoulder. Paul said, "This one thing I do." There is one narrow path for us all-Christ's will and work for us.

Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

​- A. Simpson

"These things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will sure come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!"Habakkuk 2:3

Nothing great is ever accomplished without persistence and patience because, in order to be successful, your dreams must translate into work. The people who succeed in life are the people who are willing to do what they don't feel like doing. They are not mastered by their moods, they are mastered by the Master, and they establish their goals and plans according to God's will.

Eliezer was a great example of patience and persistence. We saw his patience in choosing the right woman by making a detailed plan. He didn't make a snap judgment. He wasn't impulsive. The Bible says in Genesis 24:21 (NIV), "Without saying a word, [he] watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey succeed."

Later, after he got invited to Rebekah's house for dinner, the Bible says, "The food was set before him (Eliezer), but he said, 'I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say'" (Genesis 24:33 NIV). Now personally, I would have eaten first. But this guy was focused.

What's the point? If you are going to really reach your goals in life, sometimes you have to delay gratification. You have to do the tough thing instead of the fun thing, the right thing instead of the pleasurable thing.

And the reason that's so hard is because most of us don't want to delay gratification. That's why we're in debt. Our attitude is, "I want it and I want it now." And if we can't afford it, then we put it on our credit cards.

It's important for you to learn this lesson because any goal that's worth achieving is going to have obstacles in the way. You need to have a long-term view so, when difficulties come, you can persevere knowing that you are going to get past it.

I love today's verse. It's a great reminder that God's timing is perfect and ours is not. When you find yourself in God's waiting room, just be patient and persistent. A God-given vision will always be fulfilled.

- Taken from ​http://rickwarren.org/devotional/english/it-takes-patience-and-persistence-to-reach-a-goal -

Most of us have heard the legend of Johnny Appleseed.  John Chapman (1774 to 1845) or affectionately known as Johnny Appleseed was a man from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was an American pioneer as well as a missionary who introduced apple trees to most parts of Pennsylvania as well as to West Virginia.
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He collected the discarded apple seeds from the apple cider mills and started an apple nurseries with the seeds and nurtured them until they were saplings, big enough to sell or barter for clothes and other items.

This barefoot tree-planting preacher was a welcome visitor to the settlers. They invited him into their homes, glad to hear news from the places Johnny had just been to and the stories he had to tell. Johnny also had his Bible divided up into sections and would leave one book with a settler home and then exchange it for another book when he passed through that same way again.

Though the apples from trees that are grown from seeds are seldom sweet, Johnny did not despair. He processed them into apple cider (used as a food preservative), and the trees were used to mark land boundaries.

Like Johnny, we can grab hold of the opportunities that come our way. When the doors or windows of possibilities open to us, we can enter in and partake of the blessings that God has for us and for others that we touch. Realizing an opportunity when it presents itself is just the first step, and then come all the steps that follow to bring that possibility to fruition.

James 2: 17
So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

- John W.

Think about your own life for a moment. When you have a decision to make, do you normally go with the flow—or do you pray for wisdom and weigh your decisions on the Word of God?

Every decision we make not only affects us, but the people around us. Even future generations are affected by the choices we make today. So we need to seek God's Word for guidance, and we need to heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our heart.

I think one of the main reasons some people let others make decisions for them is they don't really believe they can hear from God. They wish they could or hope they can. They wonder if they can but they're afraid they don't. I encourage you to trust yourself with God and tell Him, "God, I want to hear from You. I don't want to do anything outside Your will. So I'm going to trust that You speak to me, and I am going to trust that I can hear from You."

How to Know You're Hearing from God

Colossians 3:15 clearly tells us how. It says, And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds....

“ If you follow God's leadership, you will have peace, joy and righteousness. ”If you follow God's leadership, you will have peace, joy, righteousness, and you'll bear good fruit. What you won't be is confused and frustrated.

God never leads us to busy ourselves so much that we're stressed out all the time and have no joy. And He won't try to confuse your mind—that's the enemy's job. 

To find where your peace lies, simply ask yourself: Is there a scripture that applies to my situation? What does the Word say I should do?

Many times, God's Word sounds a lot like common sense. I encourage you to let the peace in your heart decide with finality every question that arises in your mind.

When Is It Wise to Get Counsel from a Friend?

The Bible does say there's safety in a multitude of counselors (see Proverbs 11:14). But you could ask 10 different people about your situation and end up with 10 different answers.

One thing you should ask yourself is, Am I seeking wise counsel? A lot of times, we end up asking people who don't even know what they're doing. Or they may have a selfish motive.

Keep this in mind: True counseling leads you to God; it doesn't try to run your life.

When to Follow Your Heart

If you feel something strongly in your heart, you've prayed about it and it goes along with Scripture, then follow your heart. If you feel led to make a decision that others don't like, you shouldn't have to give an unreasonable amount of explanation for what you feel led to do.

Maybe you don't know why—you just sense that's just what you're supposed to do. God has a plan, and you are part of that plan, but you won't live it if you live with the fear of man.

What do you think God is saying to you? What are you sensing from God? Ultimately, you need to take responsibility for making the decision that brings peace to your heart. If you make a mistake, it's not the end of the world. But being true to what God has put on your heart is the key to your happiness.

- Adapted from https://www.joycemeyer.org/articles/ea.aspx?article=following_peace_to_make_the_right_decisions--

The pianist sat behind a beautiful Blutner grand piano and the other musicians looked to her for a signal to begin the quartet symphony. Together, they performed flawlessly. Imagine the hours they had put in practising those compositions to sync in such harmony.

I have always admired professional musicians’ dedication and perseverance. Behind every flawless piece comes hours of gruesome practices, tears, frustration and blood sometimes, in the case of battered and blistered fingers. Musicians dedicate their time to practice because it is part of their livelihood as well as their passion.

As a Christian, do we have a similar approach? Are we dedicated to seeking God because He has become our means of support or livelihood so to speak or do we only seek God when we need Him or maybe when it is convenient? Though some days maybe tearful, frustrating and/or physically painful, would you press on?

Though the hours may be long, would you still try? Not because you are strong but because you have faith in the One who is abounding in mercy and power to save you. Imagine how sweet the communion we would enter to when we dedicate a portion of our time just for the Lord daily.

1 Chronicles 16:11
Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually.

​- Irene Soon

We often live in tomorrows, we plan mostly for the future which prevents us from savoring the present moment. We keep that fancy tea cup sets for another day or even, stationeries. We reason that we may need it someday but using it today will be a luxury. Tomorrow became an illusion as we continue to postpone it.

We may find ourselves saying, “I will take time to pray tomorrow and listen to God without getting distracted,” but finds ourselves making another promise and losing our joy for not keeping our words. Perhaps, at work, we find ourselves saying many if onlys and only by having those satisfied, we are convinced we will be happy.

Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 5: 19 – To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life is a gift from God. Its commentary for it states that life is God’s gift and a cheerful spirit is a great blessing from within, it makes employment easy and affliction lighter. This way too, we ought to accept the calling of God with cheerfulness and gladness as it is too God’s gift for us.

God has made all things and given us the ability to acquire wealth/employment, friends, families, spouse, possessions and opportunities to enter into His calling. He has enabled us to enjoy every experience with all senses He has given us for this glorifies Him as a giver of both life and enjoyment.

May we learn to make proper use of our times, savor every present moment and present ourselves to God in full presence without worrying about tomorrow or putting it off when we are able to do what we can today, whether in personal or professional life. Enjoy the lot that God has entrust us with a cheerful spirit and with this, we will remember our days with pleasure and gladness as God has intended us to.
 
Ecclesiastes 5: 19
Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil--this is a gift of God.

- Irene Soon

“Without Me you can do nothing.” Jn 15:5

We think that if we have enough willpower, we can fight off every temptation that comes our way. And sometimes it works. Here’s the problem, however. Willpower is your best friend when things go well, but often the first friend to check out when you get weary.

When you don’t want to do something, your carnal mind will give you plenty of reasons why you don’t have to. Your emotions will even join in and say, “I agree, because I don’t feel like doing it anyway.” Your mind, will, and emotions would love to run your life, but the Bible says you’re to be led by God’s Spirit. “Walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh” (Gal 5:16 AMP).

Willpower and discipline are necessary to a successful life, but willpower alone won’t be enough. Determination may get you started and keep you going for a while, but it’s never enough to bring you across the finish line. “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Zec 4:6 NKJV).

​What happens when instead of turning first to willpower, you turn to God? He releases His power into your willpower and energizes it to bring you across the finish line. That way willpower doesn’t get the credit for your success, God does. That’s why Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing.” This is one of the most important and difficult lessons you must learn if you want to enjoy the life Jesus died to give you.

http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/the-weakness-of-willpower/

If you are planning a backpack trek through the wilderness, step one is to gather everything you might need. Step two is to get rid of half of what you have gathered. Step three is to get rid of half of that.

When you realise that everything you want to take along on your two or three days of hiking will be borne along on two straps digging into your shoulder muscles, it makes you a little more judicious about what you stuff into that backpack. Travelling light may help you enjoy the view with eased up shoulders, enabling you to set up faster and rest easier.

Life could be like that too. Many of us have the tendency to go on life carrying much burden in full steam ahead. Scripture, however, tells us to walk in the Spirit and to daily cast all our cares on Jesus who cares for every details in our lives. We might fool ourselves by thinking that the more we carry and the faster we go, we are accomplishing and pleasing the Lord. In fact, the very opposite might be true.

When we over-pack our lives without taking adequate time to rest, it may look outwardly heroic but there is a frenetic quality to our work that lacks true effectiveness as we lose our ability to be fully present. By that, we lose our ability to discern what is really needed in our situation.

Matthew 11: 28 - 30
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.

- Unknown Author