Tuesday, November 11, 2025

New Testament Reading Plan: James 1

In the movie Twisters, the main character, Kate, is courageous and strong. She has been doing experiments since she was a young girl, trying to find a way to decrease the strength of tornadoes.

One day while she and her crew are in the middle of a storm, something goes terribly wrong and several of her friends are killed. Devastated, Kate blames herself.

Once a courageous woman, Kate turns into a shell of her former self. She is no longer living; she is just existing.

We have all experienced terrible storms in our lives. They can make us feel afraid, bitter, broken, angry, or guilty. It’s so easy to get stuck there and become complacent.

If that’s where you’re at, I have great news for you - you don’t have to stay stuck. Jesus, our Savior, loves us so much that he offers us a way to find peace, joy, hope, and rest during our storms and their aftermath.

Matthew 11:28-30
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Jesus is calling each and everyone of us to come to him. We don’t need to have it all together first. In fact, he is offering to take all our burdens for us, if we are willing to surrender them to him. He longs to replenish our weary and tired souls and has amazing plans for our lives.

Unfortunately, hard times and heartache are guaranteed in this broken world. We each have a choice to make: You can focus on your hardships and live like a shell of the person God created you to be. Or you can invite God to write the next chapter in your story.

In her devotional, “You’re Going to Make It,” Lysa TerKeurst writes:

“I praise you that there is so much more to this incredible life than the subtotal of our heartache.”

Always remember there is so much more to this life than your storms, so choose the vibrant future God intended for you.

Questions:
What burdens are you carrying?

Have you surrendered them to Jesus? Why or why not.

How can you find rest in the middle of a storm or in the aftermath of a storm?

Next Steps:
Write Matthew 11:28-30 on an index card. Meditate on it. Memorize it.

Give all your burdens and cares to Jesus. Trust him to handle it, so you don’t have to.

Prayer:
Jesus, I am so grateful that you, the King of Kings, love and care about me so much. You want to take my burdens from me because you are the only one who can give me rest for my soul. Help me to willingly surrender all my burdens to you. Increase my faith and reliance on you. I worship and praise you. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Romans 1:20
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

This post was written by Marsha Raymond, an Oregon attendee, and a regular contributor to the Daily LivingItOut.