August 24, 2019 Our Daily Bread Devotional : Topic - You Have to Relax!

--> Note :- Are you born again? You are never going to win the battle against the devil if you are not born again. I plead with you to give your life to Jesus today because the longer you stay in sin and remain unsaved, the more hardened your nature becomes against the purpose and the way God wants you to be for His purpose. To give your life to Jesus now, say this prayer: “Father, I come to You in the name of Jesus. I know that I am a sinner and I cannot save myself but Jesus died for me and shed His blood that I might be saved. Today, I accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. Jesus, I ask You to come into my heart, be my Lord, wash me with Your blood and make me whole. I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord. Thank You for saving me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.” I congratulate you and welcome you to the family of God if you have sincerely said that prayer. Now you are fit to discover, know and walk in your destiny. Call our helpline on +2348037252124, Join Our Daily Whatsapp Devotionals Group : +2347033046607 for Daily Devotionals, crucial discipleship and counselling.s"
August 24, 2019 Our Daily Bread Devotional : Topic - You Have to Relax!


Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.


Today's ScripturePsalm 116:1–9 (NIV)

Insight

It’s said that those who’ve come close to death become more acutely aware of the value of life and the imperative of walking right before God. In this psalm, the unnamed psalmist thanks Him for delivering him from the jaws of death (116:3, 8). Assured of God’s
sovereignty over his life even in death, he writes, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants” (v. 15). Given another chance at life, the psalmist gratefully asked: “What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me?” (v. 12 nlt). In response, he dedicated his “extended” years to a life of service to God out of thanksgiving for His goodness (vv. 13–19). He resolved to “walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth!” (v. 9 nlt). Hezekiah and Jonah offered similar prayers of thanksgiving after their lives were spared (Isaiah 38:10–20; Jonah 2:1–9).
“You must relax,” pronounces a doctor crisply in Disney’s Rescuers Down Under,attempting to treat the injured albatross Wilbur, a reluctant patient. “Relax? I am relaxed!” a clearly not relaxed Wilbur responds sarcastically as his panic grows. “If I were any more relaxed, I’d be dead!”

Can you relate? In light of the doctor’s dubious methods (such as a chainsaw dubbed an “epidermal tissue disruptor”), Wilbur’s misgivings seem justified. But the scene is funny because it captures how we tend to feel when we’re panicking—whether or not what we’re facing is actually life-threatening.

When we’re terrified, encouragement to relax can feel ridiculous. I know when I feel life’s terrors piling up around me, and when painful “cords of death” (Psalm 116:3) tighten my stomach into knots, my every instinct is to fight back, not to relax.

And yet . . . more often than not, my panicked attempts to fight back only tighten anxiety’s vice-grip, leaving me crippled by fear. But when I, albeit reluctantly, allow myself to feel my pain and lift it up to God (v. 4), something surprising happens. The knot inside me relaxes a bit (v. 7), and a peace I can’t understand rushes through me.

And as the Spirit’s comforting presence surrounds me, I understand a bit more the truth at the heart of the gospel: we fight best when we surrender into the powerful arms of God (1 Peter 5:6–7).

Reflect & Pray

What struggles do you think of as “cords of death” in your life? How could you grow in surrendering to God’s love and care in the hard times?
God, help us surrender our desperate attempts at control and let go of the burdens we weren’t meant to bear to find rest in Your grace and goodness.
August 24, 2019 Our Daily Bread Devotional : Topic - You Have to Relax! August 24, 2019 Our Daily Bread Devotional : Topic - You Have to Relax! Reviewed by Muyiwa Abodunrin (Muyilight) on August 24, 2019 Rating: 5

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