Daily Buffet

In the book of Matthew, Matthew tells about how Jesus asked him to follow. If you remember, Matthew was the worst of sinners, a tax collector. Still, the creator of the world asked him to follow him

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:9-13 NIV)

Jesus still asks us to follow him today. And my question to you today is this- are you following? One of the great things about following is that when you are following you are focused on Christ and you’re not focus on what others are doing. That makes it a little bit harder to be judgmental. Let us focus on following the Christ today and with our eyes on him may other see his glory.

I love North American weather. Last week we had 9 inches of snow on the ground and today we are getting a taste of spring with heavy thunderstorms.

As I was getting ready this morning I received this text from my favorite.

Her text made me think about the protection we all have in the daily storms of our lives. The Lord says he’s our shelter if we put our trust in him. He’s the great protector. Check out this psalm from David:

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you. (Psalm 55:22, 23 NIV)

Where is your trust today?

Some days I wonder why I still continue to write this blog. It doesn’t have the highest number of readers. And, boy, there are lots of mornings when it’s work to write. However, when I think about you, and when I think about my own personal development, and when I stumble across good news like this- I wonder how can I not write!

“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 11:28-30 MSG)

Seriously, look at that. The son of God is saying watch how I do it, watch the way I use grace, watch the way being a follower of me is supposed to work. And it is awesome!

That is a paraphrase of a verse that you’re probably pretty comfortable with here

“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 NIV)

For me this morning reading it in the message and then returning to these more commonly know words really reemphasized what the Christ saying. He is providing freedom from the old structure of laws, from the man-made expectations of perfection, and from our own idea of what we are supposed to be. Instead, he is giving us a way that is full of grace and forgiveness and becomes easy and light. That, my friends, is good news and should be shouted from the mountains. How could I keep from writing!