– Scripture:

Next Jesus let fly on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way. “Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.” Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.” Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

                             Matthew 11:20–30 MSG

Key Verse – Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

 – Reflection:

              The Unforced Rhythms of Grace

We’re all built by the same creator. And we’re built by him to “come home” every so often. This coming home is meaningful to the lives we’re meant to live. God’s built us to need and receive his loving care. He’s built us to be restored by him. The thing is, many of us men don’t know how to come home. We’re each designed to do it uniquely, so it takes some discovery. Few of us do that. If we do discover how, though, and if we begin to come home regularly, we live in a condition of abundance. We get filled up—and are able to overflow onto others, onto spouses, children, friends, and people in need. We can give, for we’ve first received. We’re able to love and serve as we were meant to. We can be who we were created to be and do the work we were made to do. When we neglect the task of discovery, if we fail to learn how to come home, we operate instead in a condition of depletion. We tend to try to pull what we (think we) need from other people. We tend to try to take from them rather than overflow onto them.

Where do we go from here?

Make a list of a few things, things you truly love doing. Avoid obligations or things you “love” because other people might think you’re cool for doing them. List things that move your heart, calm your heart, or make it beat fast. List things that restore you, excite you, connect you to God, and truly allow you to worship him in the doing. Once you have your list, commit to inserting those things generously into your daily, weekly, monthly calendar.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for the week of restoration last week. Thank you for keeping us safe and giving us a path to walk. Father, the joy we feel this morning as we get ready for our day, we know is freely given by you. I am happy to come to you with everything I am. Thank you for the grace and mercy you pour out on us each and every day. Amen.