The Upper Room devotional reflection for Tuesday, April 26, 2022 comes to us from Tony Lotito of Virginia
25 At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 27 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:25-30 NIV
“Trust the Harness!”
Many years ago I took a rock climbing course at a local college. The instructor put me in a harness and instructed me to climb to the top of the wall. He told me upon reaching the top to then lean back in the harness and rappel back down the wall. The instructor emphasized that I must trust the harness to prevent my falling. He warned me not to hold on to the wall but to lean back and surrender all of my weight to the harness. But instead of trusting the harness, I knocked up against the wall with my left shoulder. By transferring my weight from the harness to my shoulder, I injured myself.
I believe this same concept holds true in our lives as Christians. Christ wishes for us to trust him, completely surrendering our lives to him. By doing so we will find the peace that can come to us only from turning our lives over to his will. My lack of trust in my harness caused physical injury; but our failure to trust our lives completely to Christ will result in spiritual injury, depriving us of the peace and rest that Christ offers.
Friends –
Rock Climbing doesn’t seem like fun to me, but Tony Lotito’s harness seems like a good way to begin understanding God’s loving, peaceful presence in our lives. When we forget that God’s protecting grace never leaves us, we can loose our way, but when we trust God’s grace, we can truly find peacefulness for our lives.
--Pastor bea
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, today we pray for the strength and the will to trust you and to surrender our lives to you. Amen.
--Tony Lotito
Prayer Focus:
Rock Climbers
Thought for the Day:
Jesus is the only way to true peace.