burdens – Amy Linnea

Grateful to Your Toes

Published on December 20, 2025December 20, 2025 by amylinneaLeave a comment

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you. Ezekiel 36:26-27

A Christmas Carol is a popular Christmas classic penned by Charles Dickens well over a hundred years ago.

One cannot comprehend the panic Scrooge felt as he walked with the Ghost of Christmas Future, unless one has made sinful choices such as Scrooge.

Because Scrooge was so selfish, he was blind to anything but himself.

Increasingly becoming aware of his sin only that night.

The consequences of his actions finally spoke louder to Scrooge than his fleshly habits.

Finding him in the graveyard, he sees the man’s name so ridiculed in death pages before: his own.

Falling on his face, he begs the Ghost of Christmas Future for a second chance.

Scrooge is agonized beyond anything he’s felt before.

He recognizes he is literally doomed.

Doomed forever and ever unless given a second chance.

A second chance as a changed man.

Begging the Ghost, he claims to have changed.

Begs and pleads with all his might.

He finally understands his truly bleak future written by his choices lived his entire adult life.

Stop and imagine yourself. What if that was you?

Do you have sections of your life ugly to God?

So ugly you deserve eternal damnation, too?

We all do. All of us deserve death.

But Jesus. His birth, death, and resurrection bring us hope as we place our trust in Him.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Let’s return to the question at hand: what ugly parts of your life do you still need to give to God?

Why haven’t you? What’s stopping you? Are you even bothered by them?

Scrooge wasn’t for most of his life. But when his eyes were opened, he was horrified.

Release your fleshly desires to God. Release your sinful ways, hurtful to so many.

Scrooge never cared about hurting others, but he did when he finally got it.

We don’t have the luxury of seeing future consequences of our sin.

But we do have the gift of God’s redemption. And second chances.

When Scrooge finally pried open his hands, he released his bitterness. His anger. His selfishness.

And in return he was given new eyes. And boy was he happy!

Releasing those burdens caused Scrooge to well up with joy unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Just like us, when we are forgiven by God.

Covered by Jesus, we are made new. Forgiven. Hopeful. Loved.

Bring your whole self to Jesus, this Christmas. Ask Him to show you any part you’ve neglected to give to Him.

Gather up your courage, give Him that ugly part, too, and welcome the healing He promises to bring.

Like Scrooge, you’ll be grateful all the way down to your toes.

Photos by Elin Melaas, David Abrams, Jez Timms, & Elliott B on Unsplash

Impossible Assignment

Published on May 17, 2025May 17, 2025 by amylinneaLeave a comment

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

You don’t understand, Lord.

They hurt me.

Like really bad.

They cut me down, bringing me to my knees.

As a result, I cried.

Ugly crying.

They don’t deserve my forgiveness.

I need to seek revenge somehow.

Something to get them back.

No?

You want me to forgive them?

Why?

Because You have forgiven me?

Yes, I know, but why do I have to forgive them?

I can’t.

You still want me to?

How? With Your strength?

But they hurt me. Deeply. To the core of my being, they hurt me.

You still want me to forgive them?

And give You my pain?

How will that help?

Will you right my wrongs for me?

You will eventually?

You want me to trust You?

With everything?

Even this?

Ok.

Thank you, God, for saving me, forgiving all of my sins.

Please help me to forgive others as they hurt me.

It’s an impossible assignment on my very own.

Help me to release this burdens and those in the future to You.

Help me to forgive as You have forgiven me.

Photos by Elijah Pilchard, Brooke Balentine, Grigorii Shcheglov, & Yannick Pulver on Unsplash

Lace Them Up!

Published on July 13, 2024July 11, 2024 by amylinneaLeave a comment

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called… Ephesians 4:1

Are you lacing up your tennis shoes?

Making sure they are on tight?

Double knot or single?

When you lace up your tennis shoes, you’re getting ready for something.

Something requiring walking, running, or simply going about your day.

I like to put lotion on my feet before I don my socks. You?

When you put on your tennis shoes, you are readying for something more.

You are prepared. You can now walk on legos (ouch!), in the great wide world, or simply in the yard.

Lacing up your tennis shoes is similar to preparing your heart, mind, and soul for the day ahead.

Preparing for the day, we open our Bible.

We read a devotion book (I know a great one if you need it, haha!).

We meditate on scripture.

We pray for God to fill us up with Himself afresh.

We lay our burdens again before the feet of God.

We pour out ourselves, so we can be filled with God’s mercy and strength.

When we begin our day listening to Jesus, we are ready for whatever the day holds.

And you know that could be anything up or down, as we live among a broken world.

But when you purpose to ready yourself, God will help you face whatever comes your way.

It’s like lacing up your tennis shoes.

Your feet are ready to walk on whatever.

And after spending time with Jesus, you are ready for whatever comes your way.

Spend time with Him each morning.

Read His word and pray.

And just sit.

God wants to speak to you.

And when you’re done, your laces will be all tied and ready to go for whatever God has for you this day.

Photos by Lee Campbell, Kristian Egelund, Sophia Kunkel, & Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Is It Well with Your Soul?

Published on June 15, 2024 by amylinnea1 Comment

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows, like a sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.

Tho’ Satan should buffet, tho’ trials should come, Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin- oh, the bliss of this glorious thought- My sin- not in part but in whole,
Is nailed to His cross and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh, my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trumph shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, “Even so”- it is well with my soul.

It Is Well with My Soul by Horatio G. Spafford, 1873

God created us with a body, soul, and spirit.

Our body is temporary. No surprise, but we have an expiration date.

Our soul is our mind, will, and emotions.

It’s our human side that generally drives our decisions.

Works in sync with our body.

We decide to eat poorly (our will) because we’re grumpy, and our body is affected.

Then our mind and emotions feel guilty and we pledge to do better until the next time something annoys us.

Then the cycle continues.

Our spirit is what communicates with God.

It’s what is broken when we have not given ourselves to God.

When you continually ask God to fill you with Himself, your spirit can reign over your mind and soul, transforming them according to God’s plan.

Bringing me back to my original question.

Is it well with your soul?

Your mind, will, and emotions?

You can only be well with your soul if you focus on Jesus.

If you give Him your burdens.

If you allow Him to work through you as we cannot do this on our own.

If you allow Him to give you His peace in the midst of a stormy season of life.

It is well with your soul if you can remain calm when attacks come your way.

It is well with your soul if you can continue loving others when instead they cause you harm.

It is well with your soul if you do not dwell on negative thoughts, but instead praise God even if.

The writer of the hymn, Horatio Spafford, was a Christian, who endured tragedies like Job.

First he lost his son, then his sprawling investments during the Great Chicago Fire, and finally his four daughters on a boat to Europe. Only his wife survived.

While going to rescue his wife in Europe, he wrote the words to the hymn while sailing over the spot his daughters perished.

Enduring the loss of almost everything, his focus remained on God.

His soul was well, meaning his mind, will, and emotions were fixed on God.

Only when Jesus is your single source of peace can it be well with your soul.

Not another human.

Not any circumstance.

Not even yourself.

Only Jesus.

Humans regularly fail us.

We regularly fall short.

But Jesus never has, never does, and never will.

Allow Him to be your all in all as you seek Him first and declare to all it is well with your soul.

Photos by Nani Williams on Unsplash

Plugged In

Published on May 18, 2024May 17, 2024 by amylinneaLeave a comment

For in Him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28a

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

How closely are you plugged into the Holy Spirit?

God within, who gently nudges you into His will?

When you’re plugged in, you listen to the nudge.

Actually you do more than listen; you act.

First things first.

How do you plug into God?

Reading the Bible regularly.

Praying for yourself and others, lifting your burdens to God.

Praising Him whether you feel like it or not.

Asking God to fill you up with Himself, not relying instead on your own strength.

In a nutshell: surrender.

When you surrender to God, you allow Him to use you how He sees fit.

You extend mercy to others.

You shower them with love and grace.

You become a rock on which to stand with truth.

You act unselfishly, thinking of others before your own comfort.

Recently I was a witness to the power of the Holy Spirit.

As I listened to His whisper, I simply knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what I should do.

And when I obeyed Him, the other person responded with great leaps and bounds towards love.

It was profound.

All because I listened to God.

I was available.

My choice of surrender was my only part.

My obedience opened the gates of heaven.

Yes, certainly God works all the time without us.

But He generously wants us to take part of sharing His love with others.

When God whispers, listen.

Because those gentle nudges might begin to change your corner of the big wide world.

Get ready, because it’s going to be so great!

Photos by Kelly Sikkema, Joel Muniz, & Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Always by Your Side

Published on December 9, 2023December 8, 2023 by amylinnea2 Comments

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

He’s here.

Picture Jesus sitting right here.

In the chair beside you.

He’s as near as your very breath.

He’s waiting for you to need Him.

He knows you need Him, more than you even realize, but He gives you that choice.

He knows your heart belongs to Him, but sometimes it wanders away a bit.

When your heart wanders, it seeks after things of this world instead of God.

Jesus is seeking the Father on your behalf.

Always in prayer for you.

Your needs. Your health.

Your very life.

Anticipating your sigh, He looks at you.

Love and sympathy pour from His eyes.

He sees you.

He knows you.

He has a plan for all your days.

Good things, hard things, and everything in between.

He longs to hear your heart.

To carry your burdens, big or small.

As you labor through this life, reach out to Jesus.

Tell Him your joys.

Your sorrows.

Your hopes and dreams.

By the way, He already knows them all.

Reach out to Him afresh today.

He’s right here waiting for you.

Photos by Joshua Lawrence, Andrew Shelley, eduard, & Ben White on Unsplash

Securely Held

Published on October 15, 2022October 14, 2022 by amylinneaLeave a comment

God holds you tight.

Securely.

Completely tight.

Right within Him, He holds you.

He holds your now, your past, and your future.

Navigating your path, He holds you securely.

Can’t see what’s ahead?

His hand will guide you.

Securely.

Fumbling around like there’s nothing to hold onto?

He’s right behind you, so it’s ok to let go.

Let everything go.

Let your burdens go.

One by one, place them into His capable hands.

Frustrated? Throw them down at His feet.

He doesn’t care how you do it, just give your burdens to Him.

And when you release the burdens, trust Him.

Completely.

Trust Him for your everything.

Here’s a picture of trust.

Recently, I volunteered to harness myself to a high rope, trusting not only the people, but the materials to hoist myself safely high into the air.

Panicking in mid-air, I asked to be let down closer to the ground before choosing to release myself to a safe swinging motion.

I had nothing to hold onto.

I had to let go.

That was the only option to feeling my feet once again on the safe ground.

I let go.

And I was fine.

It’s the same way with God.

Sometimes we have no vision of the future, or solid ground for our feet.

We only have God and trusting His vision for our future.

Your choice is this: to trust and let go or hang on for dear life with your own strength.

Choose to let go and let God have His way.

Yes, it might be scary, but with God next to you, there is absolutely nothing to fear.

Say no to fear and choose to let God be your everything.

I’d much rather choose God then relying on my strength alone.

But it takes guts. Real life guts.

But it’s so worth it.

Face your fears.

Face your what if’s.

Because those are nothing compared to a future with God.

Let go of what is secure and let God hold you instead.

Photos by Kayra Sercan, Elahe Motamedi, Catherine, & Ben White on Unsplash

Wide Open

Published on March 13, 2021June 13, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27

Jesus is forever our always.

Forever, Jesus is our always.

Always and forever, is Jesus to you.

To me.

To us.

He is and always will be there for you.

Always.

For all things.

Every little thing.

There is no place we can hide from His love.

There is no place away from His presence.

We simply cannot run away from Him.

He is always here, waiting for you.

In good times and bad.

When you want Him and when you don’t.

He is always standing with His arms wide open, waiting for you.

There is nothing you can do to close His arms to you.

There is nothing you can do to close His thoughts towards you.

And there is nothing you can do to separate His love from you.

All you have to do is turn towards Him, accepting His love.

Today.

Tomorrow.

The next day, and the next.

Each day, you must choose Him.

You must choose to abide in His love.

You must choose to listen to His voice, showering you with His blessings.

Since there’s no place you can hide, step out into the light.

Allow Jesus to wipe away your tears.

Allow Jesus to lift your burdens from your shoulders.

And allow Him to give you His strength.

His peace.

His joy.

Allow yourself to be loved by God.

His arms are wide open for you.

Photos by Alex Woods, Milada Vigerova, Nathan Dumlao, Ben White, & Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Come Unto Me

Published on August 15, 2020June 13, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

“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

Jesus is asking you to come to Him, giving Him your burdens.

Reading further, Jesus is asking you to come to Him, giving Him your burdens.

In exchange, He will give you rest.

Rest.

But you must come unto Him.

Boiling it down to one word, it’s an imperative command.

Not a statement or a question, but an action.

An action required of your own free will.

Jesus cannot drag you.

Your friend cannot drag you.

Your parents cannot make you.

You must come to Jesus on your own.

If you go to Him, giving Him everything, He will give you rest.

He will enable your mind to be full of Himself.

Full of peace.

It’s so easy to tell Him, “Later”.

But later always becomes much later, or maybe even never.

Why don’t we go to Him?

Because we want our way.

We want our foul mood.

It all points back to self.

God wants to make you a better version of yourself.

A way better version.

Superior, in fact, to anything you can come up with on your own.

When you go to Him, He will change you.

He will change your desires into wanting what He wants.

Continually go to Him.

On a daily basis.

Every time you find yourself in a less than stellar situation, go to Him.

Go to Him and drop it at His feet.

He will give you peace.

Perfect peace and rest.

Photos by Allef Vinicius, Kent Pilcher, Matthew T Rader, and Daria Nepriakhina on Unsplash

Today’s Redemption

Published on April 11, 2020June 11, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I know live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Jesus died for our choices.

All of them.

He died for our attitudes.

The good, the bad, even the ugly.

He died for our selfishness.

Every single bit of it is covered by Him.

By His holiness.

He died for our pain.

He died for our tears.

Good and bad, He paid for it all.

In full.

Completely.

Redemption will come when we die, but folks, it actually begins now.

As you lay your burdens down at His cross, Jesus takes them as His.

He takes them upon Himself.

He literally takes your burdens and sins as His own.

He takes it all, exchanging them for redemption.

Exchanging them for His peace.

His perfect peace.

His death provides a relationship here and now.

A real relationship with Jesus.

More than spending eternity with Him, Jesus wants His death to bring you to Himself here on earth.

When He died, the veil between heaven and earth was torn forever.

Originally, He created you for a relationship with Him.

Remember the Garden of Eden?

God talked with Adam and Eve every day.

Sin marred that forever, but Jesus’ death cancelled sin’s debt.

Jesus can now be as close as you want.

Or as far as you want.

Remember, He give us our own choice.

He wants your trust for eternity, but also your trust for today.

And tomorrow.

He wants to fill you with His perfect peace.

As you meet Him at the cross before glorious Easter morning, leave your burdens.

Let Him take them completely away.

And receive His peace.

Surrender yourself, allowing Him to fill you with His new life here and now.

For now and always.

Photos by Alicia Quan, Dylan McLeod, Rod Long, Marco Allegretti, Joseph Barrientos, & Allen Taylor on Unsplash

Watered Wood

Published on November 30, 2019June 9, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 1 Kings 18:38

What watered wood do you have on your alter?

What?

You heard me.

What wet, un-burnable wood do you have on your alter?

Meaning, what unbelievably impossible burdens do you carry?

What disastrous situations are you declaring unsolvable today?

That’s what watered wood is.

Situations that seem utterly impossible.

That’s because they are.

Utterly impossible.

In your strength.

But not in God’s.

God doesn’t care if your wood on the alter is soaked.

He’ll still send the fires of heaven to burn it up.

Accepted.

God does not care just how big your burden is.

Because He is always bigger still.

Always.

Remember Elisha’s altar when he was proving God’s superiority against the enemy’s false gods?

He bet God would burn his sacrifice even with the extreme amounts of water.

Remember, fire and water don’t mix.

And God came through.

He was more than enough, burning everything in an instant.

And He’ll do the same with you.

He’ll take your burden, your seemingly impossible situation and take care of it.

Completely.

But only if you trust Him.

Allow Him to work.

Allow Him by giving everything to Him.

Then watch Him work it all out.

Completely.

Photos by Ramiz Dedaković, Gregory DALLEAU, Joshua Earle, & Nathan Lindahl on Unsplash

Simplicity

Published on January 5, 2019June 9, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, He saved me. Psalm 116:6

I’m struck at how simple our faith needs to be.

Just plain simple.

We make Christianity so darn complicated.

We become experts, insistent on our own interpretation of things.

We condemn ourselves from standards of perfection.

We become puddles of insecurity through our lack of faith.

We compare ourselves with the giants of our faith.

We mess up.

We listen to the lies of Satan whispering in our ear.

We bow to the idols of our flesh.

All of this heaps buckets of guilt and condemnation.

Usually topped with feeling our faith is not large enough.

Thinking we must do even more!

Let’s go back to the simplicity of faith in God.

Jesus said we must have faith like a small child.

Just know God is God and He is in control.

That is enough.

We don’t have to perform beyond that.

We don’t have to top anything.

We don’t need to prove our faith to anyone, including ourselves.

Place your trust in God.

Child-like trust.

Claim that.

Then relax and trust that He is good.

He works all things out in His perfect way.

His ways are above yours and mine.

Shrug off the man-made burdens of our faith and simply believe.

We don’t have to know everything about God and His ways to trust Him.

You can choose, though, to keep trusting in yourself instead of God.

He’s given us that choice.

However,

God has not and will not ever let you down if you keep trusting Him.

Simply trust, believe, and rest.

And like a little child, take your peace.

Photos by Johannes Plenio, Marjorie Bertrand, & Melissa Askew on Unsplash

Sit Still

Published on May 12, 2018June 8, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Psalm 73:26

We all know what to do.

What God wants us to do.

We are supposed to give Him our burden and trust He will take care of everything.

That’s easy for the first second.

Alright, maybe for the first few seconds.

But what then?

We begin to doubt.

We get upset.

And before you know it, we’ve scooped up the burden once again, placing it back on our shoulders.

It’s so easy to give our burdens to God.

What’s hard is not taking them back.

What’s hard is not beginning to doubt God’s goodness and faithfulness.

It’s hard to keep trusting His way when you don’t see any movement on His part.

Instead, what should we do after placing our burden into God’s hands?

Pray.

Pray and trust.

Pray, trust, and refuse to participate with doubt and worry, because they are not your friends.

Sit back and trust, eagerly anticipating how God Himself will solve your issue.

He has promised to dot every i and cross every t.

He is in every situation.

Present.

With you.

So instead of willingly picking your burden back up due to doubt and worry, instead smile as God keeps your burden and relax, knowing He will pull through for you.

Completely.

Photos by Christin Hume ,Annie Spratt ,Erik Odiin , & Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Abide With Me

Published on April 14, 2018April 14, 2018 by amylinneaLeave a comment

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.

Lord, the evening is here.

Literally and figuratively.

I am surrounded by dark thoughts.

Lies are sweeping into my head.

No one knows, but You, Lord.

You know my anxious thoughts.

Stay with me.

Right here.

Endure with me without yielding.

Because I can’t without You.

~~~~~~~~~~
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see—
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Lord, You never change.

You are always the same.

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Forever.

I can count on You every moment of every day.

There is nothing in this world that compares to You.

While I am surrounded by the cares of this world, I am reminded You are here.

Your patient care fills my every need.

~~~~~~~~~~
I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I need you every moment.

You made me strong, but Your strength is stronger.

Only You can foil the enemy’s plans for me.

I can stand only with Your strength pulsing through my veins.

Your constant guidance carries me throughout each day.

In days of happiness and sadness, You never change.

You are always here.

~~~~~~~~~~
I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness;
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Who should I fear with You at my side?

You, who died for me and raised to life again?

What can man possibly do to me?

The cares of this world are nothing compared to You.

They might weigh me down, but when I give my burdens back to You, I triumph still.

I win only with You by my side.

Thank you for patiently bearing my burdens, walking with me every day.

~~~~~~~~~~
Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Remind me of what is really important.

You died for me.

You care deeply for me.

Your ways are higher than mine.

You have my best interest first and foremost.

I am in Your thoughts.

Your presence lifts the pressing darkness away.

You scatter it into a million pieces.

Your light and presence fill the room with peace.

And my heart rests, because You have and will always abide forever with me.

Hymn by Henry F. Lyte, 1847

Photos by Dapo Oni , Jake Gard , Aleksandr Eremin , John Mark Arnold , Tyler Lastovich & Ben White on Unsplash

What a Friend

Published on January 20, 2018June 8, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend.” James 2:23

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear.
And what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.

Friends bear each other’s griefs.

Yes, we excitedly share our joys, too; however, when life smacks us in the face, we run to our friends for comfort.

Jesus is our ultimate friend.

He not only bears our griefs, but also all of our sins.

When we carry everything to God in prayer, our soul remains at peace.

Oh, what peace we often forfeit; Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

And when we don’t?

When we decide to carry our own burdens, neglecting to share them with God?

The pain stays.

It intensifies.

It becomes all consuming.

And all of this is completely unnecessary if we only remember to give everything to Him.

Not only remember, but actually do it.

Give everything to Him.

Trust it all to His capable hands.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Life is not perfect.

Certainly far from it, actually.

Why are we ever discouraged?

God holds everything in His precious hands.

His hands, which created everything, are waiting to take our burdens.

Trials, temptations, or trouble should all go straight to Him.

Wait and see how He will solve it.

Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Jesus knows our every thought.

He hears your whispers.

He dries your tears.

He holds you in the dark of night.

He loves to share your joy.

Because He knows you better than any friend on this earth, take everything to God in prayer.

Photos by Ben White on Unsplash

Solved

Published on December 30, 2017June 8, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Hebrews 13:6

I see you.

I saw you yesterday.

When a situation arose, I got your attention.

I was hoping you would react how we’ve practiced.

When the moment came, you did well.

You were momentarily upset, but quickly changed to anticipation.

Anticipation for how I would arrive, dotting every i, crossing every t.

I saw you relax into My capable arms.

Surrendering everything back to me.

I was so proud of you.

But then the doubts and lies crept back.

They snuck around, whispering into your ear.

And before long, you had taken the burden back from Me.

Frankly, you didn’t hesitate.

You chose to trust the lies instead of Me.

Robbing you of your peace.

The peace I had given to you.

My peace.

After your pity party ended, how did you feel?

I wish I could take any shred of pain or sorrow you carry.

Remember, I can.

But you must not only give Me your burdens, but leave them.

Completely leave them.

You must trust Me.

Then you’ll keep your peace.

I’m here.

Here to stay.

But it’s your choice.

I’m proud of you.

Just because you’re My child.

I solved your situation.

Even with you holding the burden.

I solved it and I always will.

Your journey will be peaceful if you let Me carry you.

Next time a situation arises, anticipate My intervention.

Watch and wait to see what I will do.

And steady your heart.

But when you place your hand in Mine, don’t let go.

Because I never will.

Photos by Saksham Gangwar & Bryan Minear on Unsplash

Leave It

Published on February 10, 2016June 6, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22

How many burdens do you keep?

Or…

How many burdens do you take back after you give them away to God?

When you lay your burden down, giving it to God,

don’t pick it back up.

We are not made to carry them.

We are sheep.

But our Shepherd is made for the job.

He’s willing and happy to do it.

But we have to make a choice.

To lay the burden down.

And leave it at the foot of the cross.

Jesus might not carry it like you think He should.

Don’t ask for it back.

When your mind thinks of that burden, you begin to think of ways to fix it.

That, my friends, is scooping the burden back up.

Every time your thoughts return to that burden, give it back to God.

Thank Him for fixing it for you.

Tell Him you can’t wait to see How he solves it.

He will let you know.

Promise.

If you instead, keep musing over that issue,

the burden will climb back onto your shoulders.

Worry and fear will once again join you.

So stop.

Give them to God and stop those thoughts in their tracks.

Smile, knowing God’s in control.

And He has your best in mind.

Photos by Yan Berthemy & Catherine on Unsplash

Personally Yours

Published on July 27, 2015June 6, 2023 by amylinnea2 Comments

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

Make a list of your blessings.

I know you can, even if you are in the deep dark pit.

Physically write them down.

You’ll need to refer to the list often until you can remember them on your own.

If you honestly believe you have zero blessings in your life, if you can’t see the beauty past your own nose, just look harder.

You can start small: sunshine, flowers in the spring, hot coffee, the beach, newspaper on my doorstep, my grandmother’s quilt, pearl earrings, the color pink.

See, it’s not so hard.

Write down things that make you smile.

That’s how you know.

When you are down in the dumps, look at your list.

Jog your memory of how God has blessed you.

His faithfulness to you is written all over your blessings.

And remember all those details too?

Of How He’s been there for you in daily life?

Have you written them down as well?

These two lists will help you when you are pulled down into the pit of worry or despair.

In those moments, pull out your blessings or details list.

The process of worry will begin to reverse in your mind.

Little smiles will erupt on your face as you choose to remember God’s faithfulness.

That in turn will provide peace for your future.

God’s faithfulness to you needs to be continually on your mind.

And then, worries which creep into your brain, will become less and less.

The effects of worry will slowly die away.

Purpose your mind and surrender daily to God, choosing to remember His faithfulness.

It’s there for you to take.

To notice.

But you have to reach for it.

And when you do, He will be faithful always.

To the very end.

Photos by Glenn Carstens-Peters & Cathryn Lavery on Unsplash

Sovereign

Published on May 31, 2015June 5, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

God is sovereign.

Over all things.

The definition of sovereign includes these words: supreme permanent authority.

Well, that about covers it, doesn’t it?

God has supreme (total) authority (power) and it’s never going away (permanent, here forever).

He holds the world in His hands.

Now you can breathe.

Deeply.

Focus on this: God is never leaving.

He’s constant.

He holds the universe.

Yet He longs to help you.

Everyday.

With everything.

He wants you to give Him all of your burdens, big and small.

Examples?

Well, my large burdens include the children and where I should teach.

Too much to carry on my own.

Small burdens include transportation for kids going everywhere, holiday planning, and the sudden intense need for milk (who forgot to tell me we were low?).

Small burdens can easily morph into boulders if you’re not careful to give them immediately to God.

You’ll simply crumble under the weight!

So if God is sovereign, He’ll fix our burdens, right?

Well, yes and no.

When you give those troubles to God, He’ll take over and increase your dependence on Him.

He will give you just the right amount of strength, wisdom and peace, because you know He is sovereign and taking care of business.

Will He immediately solve your problems?

Probably not.

He might because He can, but He also might use this time in your life to refine your heart.

To make you holy.

Because God is sovereign, He knows best what do with your burdens.

That knowledge should give you peace beyond measure.

God has your back.

He knows the beginning from the end.

Trust Him to finish what He has started.

And enjoy the journey as best as you can, resting in the knowledge of God’s love and concern for you.

Because He is sovereign over YOU.

Photos by Nighthawk Shoots, Ben White, & CJ Dayrit on Unsplash

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