June 10, 2026 – Needs
JC – “Rest in Me, My child. Give your mind a break from planning and trying to anticipate what will happen.” When we read or hear something like that, from God or from a human friend, do we really take the advice to heart? Do we ever interpret it as an actual command? At times, lately, I’ve caught episodes of restaurant makeovers and almost every business has a very stubborn head chef/owner who rarely takes a day off, if ever. Our brains were not created to be able to churn 24/7. As Pastor Mark reminded us (on the 7th), our bodies, minds, and spirits need rest.
Young offers God’s comforting guidance, “Pray continually, asking My Spirit to take charge of the details of this day. Remember that you are on a journey with Me…. This will keep you resting in me all day, every day.” See 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and Psalm 62:5.
Days – “Your heavenly Father knoweth ye have need” {Matt. vi. 32). Simpson understands about trusting and resting in God, “Christ makes no less of our trust for temporal things than He does for spiritual things…. In spiritual matters we can fool ourselves, and think that we are trusting when we are not; but we cannot do so about rent and food, and the needs of our body. They must come or our faith fails. It is easy to say that we trust Him in things that are a long way off, but there can be no trifling about it in things where the faith must bring practical answers…. If you are not trusting here wholly, when you are placed in such tests you will break down. Are you trusting God for everything…?”
Power – Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord [the only Lord].” Joyce offers some clarification, “In the Old Testament, the Israelites seemed to make a big deal out of God being ‘one’ (see Psalm 50:1 and Malachi 2:10). Why? The pagans of their day were deceived into believing there was a god for everything – to have a baby, they talked to the god of fertility; to grow crops, they talked to the god of the harvest. All these different gods required different sacrifices for healing, peace, or whatever the people lacked. Can you imagine how complicated that must have been? That’s why is was such good news when the one true God revealed Himself and told the people that He satisfied all their needs…. whatever you need, simply go to the one true God.”
Streams – Romans 8:28 – “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Cowman calls on J. R. Macduff to expand on this, my favorite, verse: “What a tremendous claim Paul makes in this verse! He does not say, ‘We know that in some things,’ ‘most things,’ or even ‘joyful things’ but ‘ALL things’…. Paul states this in the present tense: ‘God works’…. It is a continuing operation…. Then when God orchestrates, ‘all things…for the good,’ it is a beautiful blending. He requires many different colors, which individually may be quite drab, to weave into the harmonious pattern…. We can learn a lesson of faith from this: ‘You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand’ (John 13:7).”
Utmost – Luke 11:9 – “Seek, and ye shall find.” Chambers explains, “If you ask for things from life instead of from God, you ask amiss, that is, you ask from a desire for self-realisation. The more you realise yourself the less will you seek God…. Experience is a gateway, not an end. Beware of building your faith on experience….”
JA – “RECEIVE MY GLORY-STRENGTH. When ongoing problems require you to stick it out over the long haul, beware of responding by grimly gritting your teeth – just passing time in a gloomy frame of mind…. I am sovereign over the circumstances of your life, so there are always opportunities to be found in them…. My limitless Glory-strength enables you to keep on enduring the unendurable.” See Colossians 1:11 and Ephesians 3:16.
JL – “Delightful Jesus, Your Word tells me to cast all my care on You, for You care for me…. Whenever I realize that I’m mulling over a problem, I can look to You lightheartedly and fling my concern into Your strong, waiting hands. Thank You, Jesus, for always watching over me and catching my cares! In Your watchful, caring Name. Amen.”
