April 25, 2019
It’s not a contest to see how tired or weary you can get. This race is long enough that all will be tired many times at many points. There’s no worth in trying to prove your stamina to Me or others by carrying your own burdens and tiring yourself out. There will be many times to struggle and push, but there also need to be many times to rest. Take your rest, My dear one; lay down your burdens. Relax and rest in My arms. Let Me carry you for a while. You’ve done much for Me, and I know you will do so again, but let Me hold you now and replenish your strength.
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Joy! There is such joy in heaven over the saved souls that you bring into My kingdom. With all the other beauties and intricacies of My realm that I’ve revealed to you, never forget that nothing brings such joy and gladness and happiness to every corner of My kingdom as does a lost soul coming to know Me, and permanently fixing their place in the Book of Life. There is no greater joy. Oh, how those of you who have sent these many, many souls to Me will shine—you will be glorious; you will shine as the stars for eternity!
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If you could see the beauties that await you, the perfection of My plan for your life, the magnificence of your destiny, and the intricate order of your life, you would never worry so much about the trials of this life or spend so much time burdened with many fears and cares. Your life is in My hands. Your life belongs to Me. I will not let anything touch you that is not going to someday seem beautiful and pure when you see it from My perspective. There is no reason to fear the future; it is safely in My hands.
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Worrying about a problem won’t get you anywhere; taking action—whether in prayer or deed—is all that really matters. So when you come to the end of what you can do for a problem or situation, don’t keep thinking about it and using up needless energy. Just let Me take the action that only I can. Either you can help something or you can’t. And if you can’t, it’s just another chance for Me to show My power.
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It’s sometimes easy to feel that what you’ve sacrificed here is lost forever. Sometimes you even forget some of your sacrifices, and maybe you think that I have forgotten them as well. But one day when you’re home in heaven, I’m going to show you every sacrifice that you ever made for Me on earth. I’m going to take you through the display of all that you gave up and laid aside for Me, and next to each item you will see and receive the full reward for each one.
Right now‚ you do receive rewards for the things that you have sacrificed. There are many ways that I bless you and reward you and give back to you on earth in return for all that you have given to Me. But no matter how greatly I have repaid you so far‚ you can rest assured that your repayment for each sacrifice has yet to be made in full. Only upon entry to heaven will you receive the complete package of reward and repayment that I have set aside for you.
One day, once life’s journey is done, you will receive the full prize and blessing that each of your sacrifices has earned you.
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It’s not impossible to find that perfect peace and rest that My Word talks about. “I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Me, because he trusteth in Me.” What is perfect peace? Perfect peace is when little things don’t disrupt your focus on Me; when problems, dilemmas, setbacks, and interferences don’t even jolt your connection of faith and trust in Me.
Perfect peace is when you find yourself in the midst of great confusion, persecution, perilous times, hectic schedules, or frantic circumstances, and yet you are stable and calm in your assurance of My protection, My perfect control, and My hand in your life and situation. Perfect peace is when nothing can come between your faith and Me. Perfect peace is when your mind is locked on My channel and cannot be moved.
How do you get that perfect peace? It says it very clearly right there in the verse: “because he trusteth in Me.” Show your trust in Me through casting your cares on Me. And as you do, I will keep you in perfect peace.
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My love, it’s going to be okay. I know there are things that are bothering you right now. You have worries and fears about certain aspects of your life and your future, and it’s hard for you to put these things completely in My hands. You feel that you have to hold on to these concerns to some degree in order to ensure that they are taken care of or seen to. But you see, the more you hold on to them, the less power I have over them.
If you truly want Me to take care of these difficulties‚ then you need to truly let go of them. Just give them to Me right now. Commit them to Me. Tell Me that you don’t want to hold on to them anymore; you don’t want to worry about them. Tell Me that you’re going to trust Me to work them out. Remember‚ I will perfect those things that concern you.
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Have you ever stopped to listen to the silence? Have you ever stopped just to be quiet? Not quiet in prayer, or quiet in hearing from Me, but just to be quiet? Quietness is a virtue, and it takes practice to perfect this art of stillness and calm. But it’s so beneficial. This quietness teaches you stillness of mind, because your mind must be quiet, too, for you to really enjoy that state of quiet calm.
Be still. Listen to the silent wind, the quiet breeze. Calm your mind; let it be still and without thought. Enjoy a quiet moment with Me every so often; let My stillness teach you how to be calm and quiet before Me.
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It’s so important that you take time to think about Me and meditate on Me each day, even if it’s only for a few moments. This pausing to reflect on My face, to think about My promises, to remind yourself of My deep love for you, and to communicate with Me heart to heart strengthens and encourages your spirit for the little fights you will encounter that day. This sweet little communion connects us and it helps you to remember who’s really in control and who’s really got to do it all. Try to take this time each day, even if for only a few moments.
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One day I am going to break through the thin veneer of your sky and shower My radiance, brilliance‚ magnificence, and majesty upon the earth. Angels will herald My second coming, just as they did My first. The air will be filled with the sound of the trumpet. You will hear the praises of the saints and the angels as they peer from heavenly curtains to watch My bride’s beautiful return. You will hear music‚ the most beautiful sounds you have ever heard.
And in that moment‚ when you see Me coming through the clouds with such strength and beauty, our eyes will lock and you will hear Me speak to your heart personal words just for you. Your life on earth will suddenly seem short-lived, as you rise to embrace Me and to enter heaven. You will know then‚ in that twinkling of an eye, that it was so worth it all.
One glimpse of My face and all your sorrows will be forever erased. One glimpse of My glory and greatness will overwhelm you into complete rapture.
Originally published October 2006. Excerpted and republished April 2019.
Read by Maria Fontaine. Music by Michael Dooley.
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