Chambersburg Bible Church

Matthew 11:28-30Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.  
is a remarkable passage of scripture dealing with the believer giving his difficulties and burdens over to the Lord while no longer relying on self and man to carry those burdens. Jesus has promised to carry our burdens and help us live victorious, sanctified lives, and we should rely on Him for all of our daily concerns.

The Lord is always available to the child of God…

Consider the following verses throughout your week, and may the Lord bring his peace upon you!

• Job 14:1Job 14:1
  14 ¹ Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. few...: Heb. short of days  
  
• Job 5:7Job 5:7
  7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. trouble: or, labour sparks...: Heb. the sons of the burning coal lift up to fly  
  
• John 14:1John 14:1
  14 ¹ Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  
  
• Luke 10:38-42Luke 10:38-42
  38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. ³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. ⁴⁰ But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. ⁴¹ And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: ⁴² But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.  
  
• Proverbs 27:6Proverbs 27:6
  6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. deceitful: or, earnest, or, frequent  
  
• Ephesians 3:23Ephesians 3:23
   
  

Mid-week Minutes is a weekly summary of Pastor’s Bible Study from the mid-week Prayer Service.

Psalm 127 has 2 designations: a “Song of Ascents,” one of the 15 Psalms that were sung by pilgrims making their way to the Temple for worship, and a “Song of Solomon,” indicating it’s authorship (also Psalm 72).

The theme of this psalm is that everything in life is vain and empty if we leave God out of our lives, and that all of our work and labor is useless if we seek not the glory of the Lord in our endeavors.

Theme: “All is vain without God” – much like Solomon’s conclusion in the book of Ecclesiastes

Colossians 3:23-24Colossians 3:23-24
23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; ²⁴ Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.  
states that God makes our work meaningful. He rewards our work for Him and works for us even while we sleep. Take heart in these economic dark times. Do what you can and Trust the Lord.

Mid-week Minutes is a weekly summary of Pastor’s Bible Study from the mid-week Prayer Service.

Trusting the Lord for material needs is, perhaps, one of the most difficult challenges of the Christian life.  Many people find sufficient faith to trust the Lord for spiritual deliverance, but find trusting Him for daily sustenance a struggle.  Relying on the benevolence of the Lord is further complicated when the economy is weak and we find ourselves groping to make ends meet. Our self-sufficiency is exposed as anemic and ineffective in meeting even our most basic needs.  The Bible reveals that the Lord not only anticipated that this would be the case, but He designed it to be so.  The Lord knew man’s tendency toward self-reliance.  He knew man “would go it alone” if he could.    The omnipotent, omniscient, and eternal God ordained that all attempts at independence would result in defeat and disappointment (Psalm 127:1Psalm 127:1
127 A Song of degrees for Solomon. for...: or, of Solomon ¹ Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. that...: Heb. that are builders of it in it  
).  The Word of God reminds us that even on our best day our attempts to meet our own needs are doomed for failure (Matthew 6:25-34Matthew 6:25-34
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? ²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? ²⁷ Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? ²⁸ And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: ²⁹ And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? ³¹ Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ³² for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. ³³ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ³⁴ Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.  
).  In light of these truths, what is the believer to do?

Trust – Proverbs 3:5Proverbs 3:5
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  
instructs the believers to “trust in the Lord with all thy heart.” The command means to trust the Lord with one’s total inner being.  The extent of trusting the Lord is revealed in the phrase “lean not unto thine own understanding.” Together these phrases communicate an unwavering and uncompromising trust in God and an unwillingness to trust in self.  Trusting the Lord is always the appropriate response for the believer in times of trouble.

Pray – Philippians 4:6-8Philippians 4:6-8
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. honest: or, venerable  
admonish the believer to pray in everything.  Notice that verse 6 begins with a universal prohibition against worry.  No matter how difficult the situation, worry is never an option for the believer.  Instead, the believer is commanded to pray in everything.  Prayer is always the appropriate action for the believer in times of trouble.

Be content – In Philippians 4:11-13Philippians 4:11-13
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. ¹² I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  
, Paul tells how he too had endured difficult times.  He learned how to abound and how to be abased.  As he reflected on his life, Paul remembered both times of “feast” and “famine.”  He found the Lord faithful in both.  There was something else Paul found.  He found contentment.  Believer, we need to remember that God is sovereign.  He is in control.  He has not forgotten us (Hebrews 13:5Hebrews 13:5
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  
).  God knows our needs (Matthew 6:25-34Matthew 6:25-34
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? ²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? ²⁷ Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? ²⁸ And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: ²⁹ And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? ³¹ Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ³² for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. ³³ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ³⁴ Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.  
).  Contentment is always the appropriate attitude for the believer in times of trouble.