Pastor Jim Hammond | December 26, 2021
Recap:
Your daily life does not need to be filled with cares. You can find rest as you understand the rhythms of grace that God wants you to live in. He wants you to cast your cares on Him, talk to Him about everything, trust that His way is better than your way, and know that He will take care of you. This takes practice, which is why Pastor Jim has been teaching his series, Rhythms of Grace. We can learn together how to lean into God and expect His grace for how to best handle each and every moment of our days.
Dive Deeper:
Grace is a rhythm you walk in with regularity. It’s a way of life, in which you choose what is needful: God’s presence. You become yoked with heaven and allow heaven to carry the bulk of your burden as you follow the direction heaven leads.
Grace teaches you how to be in the right place at the right time. It shows you what the will of God is through an inside peace that passes understanding—not a peace of comfort as your flesh chooses an easy path, but the peace that comes as you bring your prayers and cares to God, expecting His answer. Even if His answer is difficult, you have a peace that you’re doing the right thing because it’s God’s leading in your life.
When you’re in this rhythm of grace, you learn how to pray for people. You can loose angels to protect people and push darkness off others who are struggling. You can have your heart so full of God that you find rest despite whatever is going on.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to live in your prayer closet. You’d get nothing done! Just start right where you are. You can start by taking five minutes a day to connect with God. Five minutes a day is 35 minutes week. Time will add up as you start little and slowing grow your time spent with the Lord. Add a few minutes here, a few minutes there. You’ll eventually learn to turn to God throughout every moment of your day. He’ll put you in the right place at the right time. The more you turn toward Him, the more you will want to turn toward Him.
All of this is best done when you humble yourself before our Lord. Humility allows us to set aside our plans and our ways and trust His are better.
Read More:
Matthew 11:28–30 Msg.
“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 Amp.
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.
Ecclesiastes 9:11–12 KJV
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
Genesis 24:1-20 KJV
And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: and I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: but thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest? And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter. And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: and let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
Isaiah 43:26 KJV
Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
Philippians 4:6–7 Amp.
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Discussion Questions:
1. Have you found a pattern for living that brings you closer to God?
2. What are your favorite ways to connect with our heavenly Father throughout each day?
3. What’s one additional thing you could do each day in the New Year that will bring you closer to these daily rhythms of grace?
4. How can humbling yourself before God help you cast your cares on Him?