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Let’s Journey Together and spend a Moment with Father.

I’m Linda Goldfarb, and I want to encourage and inspire your time with the Lord. For more encouragement, please visit LindaGoldfarb.com. I’m so glad you’re here.

Sam and I enjoy hiking in Texas State Parks. One of our must-haves is a burnt orange backpack with multiple pockets. The exterior straps secure two water bottles, hold down a blanket, and dangle our gloves via individual carabiners.

What's Inside the Backpack?

Inside the pack, we place a park map, battery extenders for our phones, Sam's camera, compass, a couple of caps, two lightweight jackets, lip balm, bandages, tweezers, flashlight, snacks, plastic bags, paper towels, notepad, and pencil—and anything else we happen to toss in the night before.

We stop as I take photos of the local flora. On occasion, we rest under a shade tree and partake in a sip or two of water, a piece of fruit, and a finger-length strip of beef jerky. It's incredible how much a backpack can hold.

Thankfully, the weight is distributed equally across Sam's back by tugging different straps snugly and positioning the foam-padded back support firmly in place. Without physical balance, hiking would be tiresome indeed.

What's in Your Emotional Backpack?

Consider how we all carry backpacks full of frustration, doubt, anxiety, or fear with no means to balance our emotions. Pent-up feelings and concerns can cause us to be emotionally weary for sure.

All of us carry side-pocket thoughts.

How will we make it until our next paycheck?

What if my health gets worse?

How can I help my child move past this?

I can’t see any light in this tunnel I’m in.

The Lord reminds us to lean more on Him and less on the worries this world brings.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 ESV).

Rest. Rest is what we need.

Rest, in this case, is not sleep.
Rest is freedom from worry.

By exchanging the frustration, doubt, anxiety, and fear in my backpack with more time reading the Bible, praying for others, and thanking God for His provision, the emotional weight becomes evenly disbursed, and weariness is replaced by hope.

What about you?
What do you carry in your backpack?
How are you finding a peaceful balance?

Let’s journey together.

Abba Father, thank You for lifting the heavy burdens and providing rest when life threatens to become unbearable. Open my eyes to see Your path and provision. Allow Your peace that passes all understanding to flow freely through me. O Lord, I praise Your name. You are Almighty, All-Knowing, and Ever-present. I love You. Hallelujah.

Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves; do what it says. James 1:22

May YHWH bless you, keep you, and guide you in all you do. Until next time, this is Linda Goldfarb, and I’m so glad we are on this journey together with Father.

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