From the Pastor’s Desk

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 – ESV)

We read a lovely devotion today, August 27 th during our morning prayer time. The title of that devotion was “Difficult Hill”. The author says that in the mountains of Northern Idaho there stands a Jughandle peak, which is hard to climb, and many want to hike this trail. He says that the hike is strenuous; however, at the base of that peak lies a brook. “It’s a quiet place to drink deeply and prepare for the hard climb ahead.” The gentle brook provides the nourishment for the ambitious hiker before the journey ahead. The devotional goes on to remind us that we need to drink deeply from the well, which is God himself, before we face those difficult times of life. It is not so much that we need to drink of this well instead God himself provides this refreshment knowing that we need this nourishment.

As I heard this devotional read to us, I thought of Summer 2024 coming to an end and the month of
September marking the beginning of a new school year. The days will get shorter and nights longer. We will have lots of things to do with our children and the demands of our daily work. Some days will be good but most of the other days will be difficult and challenging. God has already provided a way out for us. God is always one step ahead of us providing for our needs even before we ask for it.

This is not the first time that God offers his people nourishment before the journey. In Exodus 16 the people are ready to take the journey into the desert and what waits for them is the Promised Land. It is often easy to overlook the small detail in verse 1 of chapter 16. This is what the scripture says, “The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.” Elim was an oasis where there was plenty for the people to eat and drink before they embarked on their journey. God knew that the journey ahead was going to be hard and brutal. He provides them relief at Elim before their journey into the desert.

In Isaiah 55:3 this is what God says to the people, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” The people then and now seek after things outside of God thinking that it will satisfy their deepest needs. They will satisfy us but only for a very short time because they are fleeting. The things that God offers are eternal and sustains us through all the demands of daily life. The offer is free with no strings attached.

This is my prayer for you and your families as you begin this new school year – make good of the offer from God. Seeking Him on a regular basis not just on Sundays but during the week. God’s faithfulness and His desire to nourish us before the long haul is beyond our understanding and God is able to provide. I pray that you will lean on him both in good and difficult times. Committing you and your families to God’s care and keeping.

Blessings on your journey,