Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 20, 2026

Let Him Be Our Source

“…I will go to the altar of God, to God, the Source of all my joy, I will praise You with the harp, Oh God, My God.”  Psalm 43:4 (NLT)

Have you ever tried to get blood from a turnip? Water from a rock? Maybe tried to catch lightning in a bottle?

All of these are impossible tasks-we may think someone would be crazy to try any of the above. Why are they wasting their time? What do you think they are going to get out of it? We would shake our heads and move on because we know that is an impossible feat.

I have been trying to do something like the above without even realizing it. I have been trying to get  love, security, and compassion from people instead of from God.

I would not have said I was doing that, but as I have walked through situations where I have allowed my emotions to overtake my actions, this truth has come bubbling to the surface. Actually it has come screeching out of my heart like the ugly monster it is.

Maybe you have been there too.

When I feel insecurity coming on and I want to do anything to fix it, I read this verse:  “…I will go to the altar of God, to God (alone), the SOURCE of all my joy.”

As I train my brain to live above and outside of my feelings and emotions, this verse has been invaluable to me. It answers all the questions. I am taking action – going – to Him. When I go to Him, I am avoiding going to another person to fill my cup. I am avoiding hurting another person with my unedited feelings.

Notice I am going to His altar, a place that represents my humanity and His Divinity coming together. I cannot get out of my feelings with effort or human understanding. I need His Divine power to overcome me so I can live out the fruit of the spirit regardless of my emotions, pain, or sorrow.

I am going to God alone. I am not at a point to share with anyone else yet. Remember our hearts are so  deceitful, we cannot even know what is in them (Jeremiah 17:9). This allows me to hear from the heart of God before I hear from another person.

We focused on the beginning of this verse, “I will go to the altar.” Now we move on to the last part which states, “God is the SOURCE of ALL of my joy.”  He alone is the source – the beginning, the foundation, where my joy comes from. Not just part of it, all of it. This removes any expectation from another person to fulfill any needs that they are not meant to fill.

Our needs are valid. God created us as humans with emotions, needs, and desires. He also created us to become “like a deer panting for water” (Psalm 42:1). We will never be satisfied until He is the water that quenches our thirst. He is the Source, the One who can fill our desires, heal our emotions, and provide our needs.

The last part of the verse states we will praise God with our harp.

As situations arise, we want to attack them with feelings of insecurity or pain. As our emotions begin to drown us, let us make a commitment to handle it God’s way.

What is helping me is  to go to the altar, to remember and receive my source is in Christ, which in turn helps change my heart posture. Then I desire to linger with Him and that turns to praising Him!

We have the choice. We can stand as beggars holding out our cup and asking for others to fill it, or we can allow His love to be our Source, and we become like a fountain and are able to douse others with His love.

We can sit at the feet of Jesus with peace and allow His love to be enough.

“Father, help us to run to you through this life and allow You to be our Source PERIOD. Just You and nothing or no one else.”

For His Glory

Terrie Tollerson (www.TerrieTollerson.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 19, 2026

Roller Coaster Living

“Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out. But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. They came up to Jesus and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” But they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” Luke 8:22-25

I love roller coasters. At an amusement park, I could hop from one coaster to another, all day, no issues. Sadly, the older I got, the less my new inner-ear status could handle…so, currently, I can do maybe one roller coaster ride (no loops allowed) over an entire day. As fun as being on the rides are, it’s even amusing to observe other people’s experiences. Many people squeal with delight and joy, leaning into the ups, downs, and twists. Others ride sans fear or delight—kind of a “been here, done this” attitude (especially if they’ve ridden that particular ride numerous times and know with certainty exactly what to expect along the way). For some, overreactive terror assails them, even though they are safely strapped in and know it will end in a mere 75 seconds or so—it’s as if their whole life is out of control. But the coaster’s path, speed, and duration are completely planned and orchestrated by the maker.

And when the ride is over, and the train slows to a complete stop, we’ll all get off together. Same ride, vastly different experiences.

Reading the event in the Bible when Jesus calms the storm reminded me of the roller coaster experience. In Luke’s account, Jesus says, “Let’s cross to other side of the lake.” It’s as if He said, “Strap in, boys, we’re going for a ride.” (He knew exactly that a storm was coming, by the way, its arrival and duration.) Not that this is recorded in God’s Word, but let’s use our sanctified imaginations…the wind and waves rise up…maybe James and John are whooping and wooing like bronco riders, familiar with the raging waters…Peter, also a lifelong fisherman, knew the danger and held on tightly in expectation of the boats ups and downs…perhaps for Nathanael and Philip, though, trepidation turned to terror as the storm escalated—that’s when they went running to Jesus, crying that their death was surely imminent.

Same boat, vastly different experiences.

Now, it’s not recorded if all of the disciples on the boat responded the same way, or if they had different reactions to the storm as imagined above. But the facts are clear: (1) Jesus initiated the journey across the water, and He said they’d get to the other side; (2) They’ve seen Him always do what He says; and (3) Jesus was right there with them—and He was sleeping peacefully.

For believers, life is like being strapped into a roller coaster. There will be anticipatory climbs, joyous mountaintop moments, twists and turns, and rapid descents that elicit a sense of impending doom. Through it all, beloved, we don’t need to fear circumstances or man or the enemy (Psalm 118:6; Hebrews 13:6; Psalm 56:11; Matthew 10:28). After all, the facts are clear: (1) Jesus initiated our journey with Him—He saved us through His victory and will complete the work He started (Philippians 1:6); (2) Starting with the very miracle of our salvation, I know that we can all look back to see promise kept after blessing given; and (3) Jesus will never leave us or forsake us—He’s sitting right with us on the ride, through every stomach-dropping, heart-pounding, laughter-exploding moment (Deuteronomy 31:6; Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 28:20).

Ultimately, sweet friend, our ride is in the hands of the Maker. He has designed our unique adventure purposefully and perfectly for each of us (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28-30). So, let’s choose to trust Him in every season…and simply enjoy the ride.

“Lord, give me the sweet perspective of faithful trust and confidence, so that my fears are relieved, by trepidations calmed, and my joys are stayed on You—whatever the rollercoaster circumstances of my life.”

 For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Ministry

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 18, 2026

When “Off” Defines Us

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11 (ESV)

Who doesn’t love a weekend getaway? The end of a crazy work week welcomes the release of chores and normal routines in exchange for a road trip. And that’s exactly what we did last weekend. Having a change of scenery, splurging on trip food and visiting friends is exactly what we need to recharge our souls. Only problem is – it’s just a weekend trip. The clock ticks fast and before we know it we are headed home. As soon as I opened the door to our house, I was reminded there was a lot I needed to do before Monday morning.

Keeping it real here but starting my week trying to cram and catch up on my weekend list never serves me well. My whole week has felt “off.”  Attempting to recover from just a few days away from home landed me scrambling to stay on top of my schedule. Counting down the days until Friday so I can regroup and recoup my “off.” Interesting how being “off” has affected my entire week.

Ever felt “off” not because of a weekend getaway but because of a prolonged getaway from God? Yes, we’ve all probably landed there – moments when we simply excused away our relationship with Him. Busy schedules, disappointments, frustrations, distractions, false truths, unconfessed sin, doubts, bored with our routine – an endless list of ways we get “off” track. Reality is, sometimes we don’t even notice we are out of sync with God until desperation sends us to our knees.

Sweet friends even a slight sense of being “off” in our relationship with God is a wake-up call we should never ignore. It’s those little compromises that land us further away from Him than we ever imagined.

What does “off” look like:

  • Lack of hunger/passion for God’s word
  • No desire to share the gospel
  • Zeroed in on our will vs. God’s will
  • Ignoring self-examination
  • Fellowship with other believers is not important
  • Communing with God in prayer is no longer a priority
  • Settling for the old us vs welcoming God’s transformation

I think we all get the picture….having a heart not centered on the things of God throws us off balance. We easily find ourselves reacting, speaking and thinking in ways that don’t glorify God. And the longer we do life in this mode, the more we miss out on God’s best.

Love the way our God beckons and draws us back into an intimate personal relationship with Him. No matter where we land now, God’s desire is for us to get back on track and enjoy truth satisfaction and joy found only in Him. So if we find ourselves a little “off” right now let’s re-align our hearts with His and reap the blessings of walking daily in His footsteps. It’s a decision we will never regret.

“Father, thank You for welcoming us back with open arms – thank You for your amazing grace that covers all our “off” moments as You patiently wait for our return.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 15, 2026

The Best Change Ever

“…and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”  Ephesians 4:24 (ESV)

If you’re like me there are a lot of things in our closet we didn’t even wear in 2020.  In fact, comfy clothes pretty much described my attire during the quarantine. So when I went  back to working in the office, I noticed this weird trend – some of my clothes just didn’t fit like they used to fit.  Maybe you’ve been there too when the desire to put on “old” stuff just simply no longer works.

Bet we’ve all ridden the wave of our old sin nature seeking to dominate us. Great reminder tucked away in Ephesians 4:24 to put off our old self compelling us into action.  Taking off the old and embracing the new sounds inviting. When we believe in Jesus we become a new creation – one totally washed in His cleansing blood.  Purely white and free from the ugliness of our sins.  Clothed in His righteousness. Our salvation was sacrificially paid for by the Lamb of God – nothing we have to do other than choose to believe.

Amazing how quickly we default back to our old selves.  Without even much thought or intention, we slip back into grabbing habits and actions which never served us well.  Jealousy, covetousness, envy, pride, impurities, etc.   Not exactly what God intended when He declared us “new.”

Colossians 3 invites us to “put” to death the worldliness in us and “put” on holiness, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love.  Now that sweet friends is exactly what new looks like – reflecting the image of our God in right living and holiness.  Purposefully choosing to exchange what we used to be like for what God designed us for.

Now I have to admit grabbing old is so easy and putting on new takes great intentionality.  We truly need to depend on the Holy Spirit to empower us.  We can’t do it in our own strength, but it is doable if we rely on God and cooperate with His transforming work in us.  And our secret weapon is found in renewing our mind daily with the knowledge of our God. Immersing ourselves in scripture illuminates our thoughts and teaches us about the character of our God – the very One we are to reflect. Partnering up with a sister in the Lord who we can foster accountability with us gives us the perfect advantage over sin.

Bottom line – the best change we ever make is to accept Jesus as Savior and then allowing His Spirit to  cultivate the “new” us step by step.

“Father, while we struggle to embrace new, You are right there beside us guiding us each day and teaching us how to be more like You.”

 

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 14, 2026

Real Prayer To A Real God

“What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to Him?”    (Deuteronomy 4:7  NIV)

Whenever we pray to Him. Those were the words of Moses addressing the nation of Israel. For those of us who were taught to pray from childhood, prayer is something we can easily take for granted. As I meditated on that verse, I was struck by the realization of how privileged we are over the worshipers of false gods, we who can pray with confidence, knowing that our God hears our prayers and cares deeply about our concerns. What other god does that?

None.

The church I attended in another state had a family who immigrated to the U.S. from Guyana. These folks were formerly Hindu. In response to the teachings of missionaries in their home country, they converted to Christianity. Their conversion was genuine and vital. They became respected leaders in our church because of their holy lives and calm wisdom.

The father of this family once said to me, “You who have grown up in the Christian church don’t realize the power of God because He’s been there all the time for you. But the Hindu people we grew up with knew of His power and feared it.” They had experienced the lack of power of their deity in contrast with what they had seen from the God of the Christians.

To me, having grown up in the church, that was a surprising revelation, but I believe he was right. In the words of Moses, they did not have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to Him.

Should we who have the privilege of prayer then waste it? Tim Keller said, “The greatness of prayer is nothing but an extension of the greatness and glory of God in our lives.” It must break the heart of God when we get busy with life and neglect to spend time in prayer with Him.

We should seek maturity in our prayers. Hopefully, we have grown beyond the simple prayers we learned to say by rote from our childhood. Hopefully, we have learned to pour out our hearts to our Father with praise and thanksgiving, knowing that He will fulfill His promises.

As a footnote, I had to wonder why those Hindu people, so precious to God, who knew of His power and feared it, did not turn toward Him. Probably one of the biggest reasons was pressure from relatives and friends, who would reject them if they converted. My heart goes out to them. I pray that the Lord will give them the courage to follow Him and bring their families with them.

“Heavenly Father, we bow in awe before You and thank You for the privilege of conversing with You personally. Please forgive us for the times we have neglected to pray, and give us a hunger to spend time with You.”

 For His Glory

Cherie Harbridge Williams (www.cherieharbridgewilliams.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Prayer, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 13, 2026

Reckless Love

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ Matthew 22:37 (NLT)

If you have not heard this song, I highly recommend you listen to “Reckless Love,” by Cory Asbury. This song shouts how God will literally go to the ends of the earth for us, how He loved us before we were born, and how His love is not based on emotions.

Here’s a little sample:

There’s no shadow You won’t light up

Mountain, You won’t climb up

Coming after me

There’s no wall You won’t kick down

Lie You won’t tear down

Coming after me

 

WOW! That is powerful! We are literally worth everything to Him.

Isn’t this what everyone wants? Do you know it is estimated that there are over 100 million love songs?! (The Harvard Crimson)  So many people are searching for love and what it means to be fully loved. Yet God offers His unrequited love to us and so many of us barely even consider that real love according to our definition of what love really is.

Why is that?

Because we have reduced love to a feeling.

But love is not a feeling. Love is a commitment. Love is a choice. Love is….

“…patient and  kind, …not jealous, or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way, it is not irritable and keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.” (I Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT).

Do you know anyone who embodies all of the above characteristics? No, because it’s impossible. This is the very definition of Who God is. God is Love.

If you struggle with what real love is, you are not alone. Even King Solomon struggled with what love is.

AFTER God had appeared to Solomon TWICE, AFTER Solomon had built the Lord’s temple, AFTER he had built his own beautiful palace, AFTER God gave Solomon victory after victory in battles and a peaceful kingdom, AFTER God gave Solomon all the wisdom and wealth a person could attain, AFTER God promised a member of his family would always reign in Israel, Solomon was not content and wanted to feel love.

1 Kings 11 begins with, “Now King Solomon LOVED many foreign women…The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods. YET Solomon insisted on LOVING them anyway.” (1 Kings 11:1-2NLT, emphasis mine).

Solomon was fooled by the feeling, the notion, the euphoria of what love is. If Solomon could be fooled, we can be too.

Love is a God who gave His most precious gift, His Son, to us. Why? So that we would never have to be apart from Him. That is love.

Love is a God who will chase us, find us, and never leave us, no matter what has happened or what choices we have made. That is love.

Love is a God who promises that He can ‘redeem the years the locusts have eaten,’ whether because of our choices or someone else’s choices. That is love.

Love is a God who promises, even in this fallen world, that if we honor Him with our lives, we will receive crowns in Heaven. That is love.

Love is a God who never shames or condemns us, even when we willingly decide to walk against His best for us. His arms extend to us as He dusts us off, helps us stand again, and walks with us. That is love.

Love is designing us, knowing us, and loving us before we were born. Then never wavering from that. That is love.

Love is knowing the very worst thing we have ever done and continuing to love us in spite of it. That is love.

Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking we need a feeling or a moment in this life when we have been showered with the ultimate love of the perfect Being.

Our earthly relationships are just a bonus. We are already loved with a “Reckless Love.”

Embrace it and let His love be enough. Believe it, receive it, and bask in it.

“Father, help us live like we are loved by the King of Kings, oh, because WE ARE!

For His Glory

 

Terrie Tollerson (www.TerrieTollerson.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Love

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 12, 2026

Look Up, Let Go

“Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” Psalm 55:22

Distraction. It’s all around us. Maybe you’re a news junkie getting caught up in the political vitriol, or you doomscroll your socials through the day to see what other people are up to (i.e., to judge yourself as “more than” or “less than”). Perhaps each morning you hesitantly get on the scale in order to determine if today will be “good” or “bad.” Our family members are sick. Friends suffer unfathomable loss. Gas and food prices keep going up. Wars rage on. Do you feel your heart rate elevate?

Even if, as a believer, your sole focus is on your church life and spiritual family (avoiding panicking talking heads), this realm does not escape the drama that is our broken world. After all, although our brothers and sisters in Christ are new creations and fully justified, they (we all) are not fully sanctified, but fighting the good fight against the fallen flesh. So, there’s illness, loss, and disagreements here too. We even watch some in the church use other believers for their own gain under the guise of being “on the mat” in want of others carrying them to Jesus…when, in reality, they’re simply seeking enablement of their sinful behaviors.

Yep. Everywhere we look—from the body of death we believers carry around (Romans 7:24) to the walking dead (that is, the unsaved) around us, to the bodies of dead Christians in Nigeria—we can easily get consumed by it all, overcome by anxiety, fear and anger.

“Good grief,” you’re probably thinking. “Why are you being such a Debbie Downer, Julianne?” Well, this is actually my point. Sweet friend, since Adam handed over dominion of this world to the enemy, Satan’s sole purpose is to crush us—mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually. He aims to keep us from recognizing our need for reconciliation with God. Or, if we’ve already surrendered to Jesus, the Accuser will do his level best to keep us from walking with the Holy Spirit in holy obedience. He hates God, and he hates you…hence, the news, social media, brokenness, and self-condemnation.

But, praise God, Satan has been defeated by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! As believers, we walk with our Savior in victory through this dark world toward Home. The secret, beloved, is to wake up each day and remember this magnificent fact. When we look to Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith, we can stand in awe of Him—fixed on His beautiful face, allowing everything else to fade. In His glorious light, our fears wither (1 John 4:15-18). We can cast our cares on Him because He cares for us and won’t let us be shaken (1 Peter 5:6-7; Psalm 55:22). We can hand over our righteous anger because vengeance is His (Romans 12:19).

So, instead of looking down at the screen or around at the chaos, let’s look up to the Lord—a constant, moment-by-moment necessity. And as we set our eyes on Him, let’s open our grasp of all-things-heavy-laden and hand them over to Him (Matthew 11:28-29). He still has the whole world in His hands, and He’s got you. And me. We just need to trust Him with the mess and know, without a doubt, that He is working all things together for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28).

“Oh Lord, it’s so easy to get caught up in the things of this world and be distracted from what really matters—Your glory, Your beauty, the awe of Your Providence. Help me turn my eyes to You and hand over what weighs me down on my race toward Home.”

 

For His Glory

 

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Freedom, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 11, 2026

Firmly Anchored

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”  Romans 15:13 (ESV

In a world that consistently seems to be growing darker, we all long for hope. Not just any hope because the world’s hope is fleeting and fluctuating. The hope we need and desire is an eternal hope found in God alone.

The Hebrew word for hope (tikah)  means cord or rope, which symbolizes strength and reliability. Biblical hope is a lifeline anchored in the reliability of God. His hope is integral throughout scripture and played a key role in the overarching story of the Children of Israel. As they cycled through doubts, rebellion and questioning, we can see their eventual return to hope in God.

Hope is never extinguished with our Sovereign God. We can hold on tight to the One who is forever faithful and true. This inner attitude of confident expectation is active and reveals an enduring, patient trust in God. His character is consistent and flawless.

The book of Psalms conveys the beauty of hope in God as expressed by David – a man after God’s own heart. Filled with authentic emotion, Psalms refers to hope twenty-eight times, more than any other book in the Bible. These prayers and songs are deeply rooted in the experience of longing, trust and faith in God’s promises.

Absolutely love the pivotal truth of Psalm 25; God is our hope all day long from now to everlasting. Love the promise of Psalm 33; His unfailing love produces confident hope in Him. When discouragement seeks to overwhelm us, Psalm 42 compels us to put our hope in God alone. If doubts cloud our thoughts, Psalm 71 reminds us of our trust and hope in God from our childhood. And when we visit Psalm 119, we are inspired to place our hope and trust in God’s Word.

Sweet friends, posturing our hearts in God’s hope positions us for His best. We can lean on Him even in the midst of our hardest days because His presence and goodness are ever surrounding us. We might not feel it. We might question it. We may even deny it. Yet, the Word of God confirms the pivotal truth – Hope is the vital connector between present suffering and future restoration.

As the chapters of our stories unfold, we can see God as our sustainer, provider and hope lifter. He redeems all things. He births glory to His name in all things. He enables us to flourish and bear fruit because our God holds it all together. Nothing is a surprise to Him or catches Him off guard. God knows all, sees all and works through all.

If our hope is wavering, sweet friend, then we can nourish our soul in the book of Psalms and listen to the heartfelt cries of those who moved from hopelessness to hopefulness. Graciously, God will move us from uncertainty to resilient confidence in His Sovereignty – a total surrender to His plans.

“Father, Your Word is a firm anchor we can hold onto in this broken world. We can trust You to fulfill Your Word and promises to us. Strengthen us in hard places and ignite a deep well of hope within us so others will see where our strength comes from.”

 

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 8, 2026

Tough Truths

cb devo aug3“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” Ephesians 4:25 (NIV)

Never been a fan of tart or sour, but I can definitely indulge in some awesome sweetness. My little cup of frozen Sweet Frog goodness is totally hidden by all those yummy toppings. Wonder what happened to my nonfat, sugar free frozen yogurt? Bet it’s covered up with Oreos, heath bar crunches and caramel syrup. See what I mean? I’m addicted to sweetness. Too much sweetness, however, never serves us well. No matter how much we love it and desire it – our health can be totally compromised if we over indulge.

Ever sugar coated words of wisdom? We really knew what we needed to say. We’d earned a place in their heart to say tough truths. We loved them so much……yet the truth seemed hard and harsh. So we choose to ease over what we knew God was telling us to convey. We dismissed His promptings and open doors and overlooked a divine appointment.

Too much sweetness when we really need tough accountability will sabotage our spiritual growth. And the truth about our lives, even when spoken in love, is hard to take. But if no one takes a bold stand and says what we really need to hear then we might end up tasting the bitterness sin births.

Godly accountability strives to draw us to His truth – not popular opinion or their opinion. And that dear one that stands in the gap praying, confronting and speaking truth into our life truly glorifies the Father. Tough? You better believe it. Worth it? A thousand times! Never met one who was saved from the brink of their own disastrous choices who didn’t praise Jesus for the friend who chose to exchange sweetness for godly obedience.

“Father, speaking truth into difficult situations can be overwhelming, yet we know You will empower us with the right words to say at the right time.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 7, 2026

Rest In Him

“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.” (Matthew 11:29 NIV)

God doesn’t waste anything, and so I began to write. My journey had taken me to a two-year time out. Life had fallen apart and just when I thought it could get no worse, it did. In the midst of this, it was as though God knew the heart of His daughter, had orchestrated her return and was providing every resource to clean her up and reflect His glory once again. What’s a girl to do but to put pen to paper and let others know what He taught her, how He healed her with the hopes to encourage others to draw close to Him when life withdraws its kindness. And so with list in hand, in strategic format, I have written. Sharing with others spiritual lessons taught to me. With each stroke remembering who shared with me her wisdom, the one who confronted my misguided mind or the author long ago with Jesus.

With learnings in hand, I move forward. It doesn’t take long to be inundated with pressure. Pressures that come from all sides in an attempt to extinguish the Spirit at work. Rejection, my constant companion it seems, returns to visit. I scurry to recite the lessons learned, and return to prayer for comfort. At the end of worship, repentance and surrender, one word is heard: rest. The Lord encouraging me to rest in Him. To allow Him to hold my heart, keep it in one piece. In His hands it is sheltered, protected, healthy. I quiet myself as He works all things for His good. Trust that which is and that which isn’t. Only as Solomon found rest from the battle could a temple for the Name of the Lord be built. With the Lord’s presence comes rest; we learn as Moses is unwilling to move without the Lord’s presence to accompany. The world works in a frenzy to heal and restore but the Lord says rest.

Rest knowing that I am His daughter. His beloved. Chosen. Forgiven. Redeemed. He paid the ultimate price to have me. Nothing and no one can take me from His embrace. May this fury and fire that taunts my freedom serve to refine this creation in the now. But as for eternity, may what defines me be His love and the masterpiece He has formed through sanctification.

“Father, for complete healing and wholeness, may I rest in You, safe in the center of the storm.”

For His Glory

Kathryn Hayman
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

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