“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.“– Matt. 11:28-30

Years ago when the New York Yankees were managed by Ralph Houk, baseball game schedules were much more demanding. In fact, teams usually played at least one double-header every week. Occasionally, a player would get sick of the grind and ask for permission to sit out a game.

“I know how you feel,” Houk would respond. “Sure, you can take the day off. But I want you to at least just play one inning since you’re already in the lineup. After that, you can have the rest of the day off.”

The player would do as Houk requested. But after the first inning, he would almost invariably get caught up in the spirit of the game and play it out until the end!

Often when we’re tired and don’t feel like going to church, praying, or spending time in God’s Word, the enemy can come against us and try to deter us from taking the first step. But if we’ll take that first step, we almost always find the next one is a bit easier.

When you feel worn out, tired, or discouraged, make the effort to take the first step forward. And above all else, trust in Jesus to give you rest and strength for each day. When you do, you may find moving forward is easier than you thought!

Ask God to give you the rest and energy you need to take the next step forward, wherever the enemy is trying to push you back.( Senior Living)

“Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought  under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation  of  spirit.”–Ecc. 2:17

While most people are hunting for happiness, some have given up the hunt. Sadly, some give up on life altogether and a few chose to end it. More than a few suppose that the world is so wicked and the road is so rough that it is useless to even hope for happiness. They have come to believe that regardless of how hard they try it will always be beyond their reach. They are given to gloom, chronic complainers, miserable murmurers, forever finding fault with things. They are a curse to their companions and troublesome to themselves. If they can’t have more, bigger, and better they figure “what’s the use?”. To make matters worse, they get bitter about it. They feel they deserve what they desire and should not be deprived of it. And woe unto the person who they feel is standing in their way. Even God does not escape their wrath in some cases. They feel He is unfairly withholding what they want. Their bitter anger is manifested in numerous ways and directed toward many different people. They wonder, “Doesn’t God want me to be happy?” Yes He does, but He wants you to find your happiness in Him. It is not until we turn to the Lord and seek to please Him that we find true happiness in life.

It would be a great day if folks discovered that true and lasting happiness can be had in Christ.God’s promises and the light of His Word brings hope to the heart, regardless of the circumstances. Rather than giving up, we should accept responsibility for our unhappiness and press onward in the pursuit of God’s will for our life. It is in seeking His glory that we find our greatest gratification. There is no pleasure that equals that of knowing we have pleased God. That’s where you will find happiness.