You need to rest

 

Life can be overwhelming at times, but more so these days when there is so much happening in the world. And I say that because though you may not be in the direct line of fire, so to speak, our world has become small and the events that take place around us affect us.

On top of everything we have to deal with in our personal lives, we listen to the news, changing from one channel to the next to catch the latest headlines, we surf the web, read the papers and engage in conversations about war and politics and crime and injustice and racism and the list of sordid events goes on and on, all of it feeding our subconscious and we wonder why we’re always so tired.

Day after day we lap it up not realizing the effect all that negativity is having on us.

I have a friend who, genuinely needing someone to talk to, would call to unload his problematic life on me. One day my mother said, “Soon enough, if you continue listening to his problems it’s going to have an adverse effect on you.” I scoffed and continued taking it in because as a good friend that’s what I should do.

Well, after days turned into months of him spilling himself empty while I was getting full, my mother’s words proved true as I began to feel unusually drained. My energy had been depleted to the point of extreme fatigue. I wondered, “Could that be the cause?”

I went back to my mother, her advice to me, “You need to rest. Stop listening because you are absorbing too much negativity.”

Yes beloved, you need to rest; it is essential to your well-being.

He lets me rest in fields of green grass and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water. (Psalm 23:2 GNT)

This verse leaves no doubt as to who you must turn to for the rest you need. It is no ordinary rest – not a 10-minute power nap. This is rest that only our loving Father can provide – it is supernatural, allowing you to feed on His nature and bask in His Presence.

According to the psalmist, God wants to give you His rest, rest that is refreshing to your soul, rest that strengthens your spirit, rest that provides you with peace that surpasses every circumstance and transcends understanding. It’s not temporary relief but rest that renews, restores and remains.

You need to rest – to rest in Him, where negativity is replaced with gratitude, where weariness is transformed into strength, and where your mind is at peace and your soul finally finds true rest in God alone.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “You need to rest” ©2026 April 16, 2026

Don’t Believe Yourself

 

Don’t believe yourself? What kind of advice is that? Why shouldn’t I believe myself; then who must I believe instead?

I can almost hear you protesting but yes, don’t believe yourself because you lie to yourself all the time.

Okay, so you disagree? Then ask yourself a few questions.

What have I been telling myself?

Have I subjected myself to a consistent diatribe of put-downs or a slew of compliments?

How often do I listen to and believe the self-deprecating voice in my head?

What are the things that voice has been telling me about me?

Does it constantly judge me and criticize me?

What has it been telling me about my life – how I look, how others treat me and think about me, my capabilities, my relationships, my spouse, my job, my friendships, my house, my love life, my hair, my size, the way I speak?

Now, answer this question: Do you believe the voice?

The voice in your head is forever droning on and on and on and it’s mostly a cacophony of negativity.

The voice in your head is lying to you, and you do not have to believe it, you can choose to not believe the lies.

Don’t believe yourself until you change your internal monologue.

It is time for you to replace the lies you’ve been telling yourself with the truth. You’ve been lying to yourself for so long that it may seem a tedious endeavour but you must be determined to get rid of the noise, refuse to listen, and don’t believe yourself until…

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God made you in such a wonderful way, lovingly knitting you together while still in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:14 & 13).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God made you to be like Him with the ability to reflect divine attributes; He created you in His own image, empowered to rule over His creation (Genesis 1:26 & 27).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God loves you with an everlasting love and He will always be faithful to you (Jeremiah 31:3).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God is for you – He has your back – God is with you (Romans 8:31) and He will fight for you (Deuteronomy 3:22).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God’s love for you is so great that He gave His only Son, so that [you] who believe in Him may not die but have eternal life; Christ sacrificed His life for you (John 3:16; 1 John 3:16 GNT).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God has a good plan for you, a plan filled with hope and a good future (Jeremiah 11:29).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that you are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that [you] should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10 ERV).

Remember what Jesus said in John 10:10 (GNT),

The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.

Beloved, don’t believe yourself until you internalize that you cannot have life in all its fullness if you are believing the lies floating around in your head. That inner voice you are believing is like the thief, stealing, killing and destroying your life.

So, speak the truth God says about you until it replaces the lies that you’ve been telling yourself, for as you hear His word, as you accept it, as you embrace it and as you believe it, it will impact you in such an incredibly powerful way that it changes your life forever (1 Thessalonians 2:13).  

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Don’t Believe Yourself” ©2026 April 15, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What about Persis?

 

We often question God. We ask,

“What is my purpose?”

Believe it or not, that is a question driven by self-serving needs. It may seem to be headed in a noble direction, but it has everything to do with you and nothing to do with God.

We are here to serve God, but we get so caught up in wanting to be served that we lose sight of our primary purpose. So, we ask the question, thinking of ourselves and how we can benefit from the answer.

Your purpose is tied to your being in service to God because it is serving God that gives you purpose and renders you significant. You were created to play a role in His eternal plan. It’s not even about being religious, it’s about being aligned with divine intention.

To serve God in any capacity is to fulfil the purpose for which you were created.

Some of us are well-known in our church and consider that our purpose but purpose has nothing to do with popularity. Persis is mentioned only once in the bible so we can conclude that she wasn’t popular, but she did have a purpose.

Long story short…no, her story isn’t long at all, it’s actually short.

Persis was a member of the church in Rome and in Apostle Paul’s letter to the church (Romans 16), she was one of several members to whom he sent greetings.

And though her name appears way down in verse 12, it’s obvious that Paul must have thought very highly of Persis, as he not only refers to her as “my dear friend Persis” but he then validates her significance by adding, “who has done so much work for the Lord”.

Paul recognized the amount of work that Persis had done for the Lord in the establishment of the church. She may not have been a leader or even popular but, as a member, she certainly laboured, not for recognition yet her work did not go unnoticed and the Apostle’s deliberate reference to that was his way of honouring her faithful service.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people. Remember that the Lord will give you as a reward what he has kept for his people. For Christ is the real Master you serve. – Colossians 3:23-24 (GNT)

We should strive to work for the Lord with all our heart. That ought to be our goal in whatever we’re tasked to do.

Beloved, like Persis, you must work diligently and faithfully for the Lord in all you do. Seek ways to serve Him, after all you are His creation, it’s His world, His plan and His purpose.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “What about Persis?” ©2026 April 14, 2026

 

 

 

Bless the Lord

 

Photo courtesy O'Reilly Lewis

God blessed nature.

God blessed all the living things in the sea and told them to have many babies and fill the seas. And he blessed the birds on land and told them to have many more babies. – Genesis 1:22 (ERV)

God blessed mankind.

God created humans…God blessed them and said to them, “Have many children. Fill the earth and take control of it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth.” – Genesis 1:27, 28 (ERV)

God blessed the Sabbath.

God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day. He made it special because on that day he rested from all the work he did while creating the world. – Genesis 2:3 (ERV)

God blesses individuals.

Abraham lived to be a very old man. The Lord blessed him and everything he did. – Genesis 24:1 (ERV)

So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. – Galatians 3:9 (ESV)

God blesses nations.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord – Psalm 33:12 (NIV)

Throughout the bible we see God doing the blessing, but we are also to bless – to bless the Lord. This is made very clear in Psalm 103, with its very first verse exhorting us to bless the Lord with all that is deepest within us, our innermost being must bless His holy name.

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!

This Psalm expresses a deep personal worship and adoration of the Lord and rightly so as the Hebrew word used here means to kneel before, to adore, to salute, to praise.

No matter what, it is always fitting to bless the Lord; He deserves our praise.

Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) – Psalm 150:6 (AMPC)

It is important to remind the soul, and to keep in mind to bless the Lord, as our human nature causes us to forget, especially when we get caught up in all the busyness of life.

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. – Psalm 34:1 (AMPC) should be our mantra.

When we bless the Lord, our focus is zoomed in on Him.

When we bless the Lord, we bring His glory to mind and respond in worship.

And as we deliberately call to mind the goodness of God, we must bless the Lord

Psalm 103 in verses 20-22 (NASB) says,

Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the Lord, all you His angels,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, my soul!

To bless the Lord is to give Him praise.

To bless the Lord is to kneel before Him in adoration.

To bless the Lord is to bow in awe and love of Him.

To bless the Lord is to obey Him.

To bless the Lord is to serve Him by doing His will.

God’s heart is blessed when we bless Him in this way and as we bless the Lord, He inhabits our praises (ref. Psalm 22:3) and imparts His blessings upon us.

Beloved, bless the Lord for Who He is, not only for what He can do, has done, continues to do and will do. Bless the Lord because you are grateful and you love Him.

Blessing the Lord lifts your spirit high above all that seeks to confine you, and you’ll begin to sense His wonderful presence all around you as you break free from the limitations of this life. So, bless the Lord!

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Bless the Lord” ©2026 April 13, 2026

 

 

 

 

You are doomed!

 

The prophet Isaiah said,

You are doomed! You call evil good and call good evil. You turn darkness into light and light into darkness. You make what is bitter, sweet and what is sweet you make bitter. (Isaiah 5:20 GNT)

Scrolling idly through social media, I came across a video where a teacher was showing her teenage students how to calculate 1+1. The teacher, much to her students’ dismay, went through a whole long process from square roots to algebra, resulting in a host of complex numbers before arriving at the answer, 2.

This was meant to be funny, and it was but it got me thinking about all the things that are happening in the world these days, with leaders of nations trying to bamboozle us with their long, drawn-out explanations to justify the outcome of their actions. At least after her convoluted calculations the teacher ended up with the correct answer but the answers these leaders proffer just don’t add up; even the simplest of solutions are murky.

The problem is that it’s not just world-leaders, some of our religious leaders, church members, co-workers, and even some relatives are also guilty of the same disorder. They and perhaps some of us are all falling prey to the topsy-turvy malaise as described by Isaiah. He was warning the Israelites of the day, and this warning is still applicable for all of us today.

Sadly, we are seeing this back-to-front discourse happening in real time every day and it seems to come so easily for some. People have no qualms about calling evil good and good evil, feel no shame in turning darkness into light and light into darkness, and couldn’t care less about making the bitter, sweet and the sweet, bitter.

Isaiah’s severe denunciation, “You are doomed!”, may have been made centuries ago but we must take heed. We must pay attention and not become victims to this wrong-side way of life.

Remember that there will be difficult times in the last days. People will be selfish, greedy, boastful, and conceited; they will be insulting, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, and irreligious; they will be unkind, merciless, slanderers, violent, and fierce; they will hate the good; they will be treacherous, reckless, and swollen with pride; they will love pleasure rather than God; they will hold to the outward form of our religion, but reject its real power. Keep away from such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5 GNT)

Nowadays falsehoods are being offered and accepted as truth.

Someone says a thing and you instantly believe without searching for the truth for yourself. And if more than one person says it, after all, lies, rumours and gossip often spread like wildfire, and you accept them wholesale as the truth, then you’re more than willing to suffer third-degree burns. If you don’t keep away from such people, you are doomed!

When you worship the created rather than the Creator, you’ve stepped onto a path of damnation. But God is merciful and patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins (2 Peter 3:9 GNT), so He always gives you a warning.

Isaiah’s was a statement of fact concerning the future. You are doomed, speaks of coming distress. Even so, it’s no casual proclamation, there is severity in this warning, and you must see it as a clear sign that something is terribly wrong and immediate correction is necessary. The doom will only befall you if the unacceptable behaviour is not changed.

Be keenly aware that there are satanic forces at work blurring the lines between good and evil, light and dark, holy and unholy and acceptable and unacceptable. We cannot afford to remain of the world if we are to escape being the lost of the world.

The world seems to have too much influence over the church these days; the church has to go back to the days when it affected the world. Revival is required and repentance is necessary otherwise we are all foredoomed to life outside of God’s care.

We have to be the true witnesses for Christ that carry the life changing message of the Gospel not only in our mouths but also in our actions and behaviour. The church cannot play its part in saving the world if it is behaving just like the world and condoning the things of the world.

Beloved, I’m sure you don’t ever want to be told “You are doomed!”, I know I don’t.

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24 ESV)

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “You are doomed!” ©2026 April 12, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Prayer

 

In Psalm 92 we are told, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord…”

And in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 it is written, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

So, let us offer a thanksgiving prayer…

You hear my voice in the morning; at sunrise I offer my prayer (Psalm 5:3)

Sunrise Cane Garden St. Vincent

Lord, I thank You,

For allowing me to see another day

For the opportunity and the privilege to come to You and to be in fellowship with You

For Your Presence in my household, right now and always, I thank You

For providing for me in every area of my life

For caring for me and enriching me abundantly

For guiding me through any challenges I may face and working all things together for my good and Your glory

For being the great Physician and Healer

For still performing miracles

For answering my secret prayers

For being my Light in darkness

For Your continued protection and covering

For loving me passionately

For blessing me immeasurably more than I can ask, think or imagine

For the Life that You have given me and for the life I’m living, I thank You

Lord, I thank You, for You are the only Source of all that I need

I pray in the Name Jesus Christ my Lord,

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Thanksgiving Prayer” © 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t I or Do I?

 

Solomon, to whom God gave wisdom and exceedingly great understanding (ref. 1 Kings 4:29), wrote an entire book of advice from which we can glean wisdom and understanding to traverse the rigours of this life.

It is the Book of Proverbs in our bibles, and in chapter 26, verse 4 (NLT) we are told,

Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are.

Simple enough. Understood.

But then, right after that, almost in the same breath, in the very next verse, verse 5, Solomon’s advice is,

Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools, or they will become wise in their own estimation.

What? Don’t answer, be sure to answer? Okay…so, don’t I or do I?

This is but only one example of many seeming contradictions in the bible that challenge logic. Scripture isn’t always clear cut or straightforward, as a matter of fact the bible is downright confusing mostly and that’s exactly how God intended it to be, after all the same Solomon lets us know that,

It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them. (Proverbs 25:2 NLT)

Now keep in mind that the bible is comprised of a collection of books, 66 to be precise, written over varying centuries by various people who were spiritually inspired to give an account of events.

Some events are historical, some personal, some orally handed down but they’re all there in an effort to make sense of life, justice, love, peace, and most importantly God and His will and His purpose as it pertains to all of us.

So yes, it’s confusing. God’s Word of apparent paradoxes may fill us with uncertainty but at the same time rightly dividing His Word (ref. 2 Timothy 2:15) forges absolute certainty within us.

This conflict forces us to read the Word with open-minded curiosity, provokes thoughtful analysis which encourages us to dig deep, to wrestle and to question.

The bible was written to form us into thoughtful Spirit-led people, to transform us by changing the way we think (ref. Romans 12:2), to replace our hearts from stubborn to tender and responsive (ref. Ezekiel 36:26), to renew our spirits aright (ref. Psalm 51:10), to re-shape us (ref. Jeremiah 18:6) and to build ourselves up in our most holy faith (ref. Jude 20).

The faith that understands that faith does not need to be simple to be true yet able to recognize the truth of the simplicity of faith even in the complexities of life.

Faith is not about having all the answers; it’s about trust when you’re mired in mess, when things are complicated, when the place you’re in is so dark that you can’t see past your nose.

The bible forces us to pay particular attention to the words and to the Word for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17 NKJV) and this faith equips us to live in the mystery, to handle the tension, the conflict, the confusion and the chaos, not alone but by seeking Spirit’s guidance

Beloved, you are not meant to sojourn this life on your own, God  has given us a magnificent gift, let’s read it.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Don’t I or Do I?” ©2026 April 10, 2026