Living in God's Rest

 

As afflicted and needy people, we are generously offered rest for our weary soul by the Lord of Hosts. His mercy and grace provide us with His eternal rest at the moment we admit that we are a sinner and surrender our all to God in prayer (Hebrews 4:16). At the same time that we enter the early stages of our Christ-centered life, Christ moves into our spirit (Matthew 11:29). So often, however, we do not take advantage of God’s abiding peace (Isaiah 28:12; 29:19). We fail to completely trust in, rely on and believe in His Word of Truth (Jeremiah 6:16).

We struggle in our meager existence. Our soul – our mind, will and emotions - is tormented with stress, anxiety, temptations, negative emotions, complicated choices and fleshly desires. We are not living from a place of rest in Christ. We are trusting in our self rather than in God. However, as we put our faith in Him, He sanctifies our thoughts, choices and emotions. He bountifully provides us with His rest (Psalm 116:7). He fills us with the fruit of His Spirit, which is the divine nature of God operating in our life (Galatians 5:22-23).

We only escape the rat race of life when we realize that we are dead to sin and alive in Christ (Romans 6:11; Colossians 3:3; Galatians 2:20). Our human understanding is minimal at best; however, our union with Christ gives us His wisdom and spiritual insight (1 Corinthians 2:14-15). Once we learn to live from a place of rest, we can return to His rest instantly, whenever life shakes us from His presence. When we view our trials through the eyes of Christ in us, they are no longer a trial, but a spiritual awakening and a blessing in disguise.

Rest for our soul includes ceasing from our own self-effort to please God or to earn His pleasure. We allow Christ to live through us instead of trying to work for Him (Ephesians 2:8-10; Hebrews 4:1-11). As we progressively enter our rest in the Lord, our thoughts, choices and emotions rest as well. We listen to the Spirit’s prompting and step aside so that the living Lord Jesus can function through us to rescue those still living in this lost and dying world without Him.

Prayer:

Father God, we want to enter Your eternal rest and to live our life from the perspective of Your wisdom and strength. We submit our thoughts, choices and emotions to You on a daily basis and live by Your Spirit’s direction each moment of the day. We want to relinquish our desires and goals to You, so that we will be in the right place at the right time to do Your will. We feed upon Your Word and our sustenance comes from living in Your will.

Thought for the Day:

We cease from our efforts of performing religious activities for God and rest in the sufficiency of His grace, as Jesus Christ within us lives His life through us.

Roses Have Thorns

 

In life on this planet, we are often either in a trial, coming out of a trial or about to go into a trial. This is not a sign of spirituality, punishment from God or an attack by Satan. Life just happens! Sometimes, we simply reap what we sowed in life. Possibly they occur because of acts of selfishness perpetuated by some other person. Some of them provide a course-altering experience to get us back into God’s perfect will for us. Life really is a rose garden, but did you notice...roses have thorns (1 Peter 1:6).

The trials in our life provide the fire for our Master Blacksmith to shape and mold us into His divine nature. They strengthen our fortitude, patience and spirituality, as they force us out of our comfort zone and into unfamiliar and often unpleasant circumstances (James 1:2,12; I Peter 1:6). God’s desire is for us to respond to any negative issues we experience with patient expectation and spiritual integrity, knowing full well that His faithfulness will work out everything for our good (Romans 8:28).

Trials strengthen us and make us more resilient, so that problems, which used to devastate us, no longer make any impression on us (John 16:33). Over the years, we see God’s character and fruit replacing the personality traits with which we were born (Galatians 5:22-23). He exchange our human identity for His spiritual character. God always supernaturally sustains us and provides for us in every trial (1 Corinthians 10:13). In fact, we usually end up with more than we started with!

God uses trials to gain our attention and to manifest His Son’s divinity within us (Isaiah 43:7; Genesis 50:20; John 9:3). We may not understand what God is working out in our life, but He is faithful and we can trust Him (Proverbs 20:24; Hosea 14:9). No matter what we experience, even persecution for our faith, Heaven’s glory is worth it all (Romans 8:18). As we hide under the shadow of His wings, we trust in His faithfulness (Romans 8:28). We enter into His rest and live from a positive place of trust (Hebrews 4:10).

The world will constantly attempt to pull us back into its mold. The devil will try to deceive us into compromising our convictions. Even some in our family will fight to dissuade us from following hard after God (Psalm 63:8). The more we obey God’s Will, the more we realize that His ways are perfect. He is a shield for us, if we only have the faith to take refuge in Him (2 Samuel 22:31). Life gives us many options, but living in the center of God’s will is the happiest place on earth.

Prayer:

Father God, Your sovereignty and purposes in our life build Jesus’ character in our soul – our mind, will and emotions. We often try to escape the trials of life, but You will not give us anything that Christ in us cannot bear. We endure persecution and find contentment in all of our circumstances because of Your Son and Spirit dwelling within us (Philippians 4:11). We are victorious over life’s trials through Your joy, as we live a life of praise and prayer.

Thought for the Day:

Secure in Christ we can endure life’s trials with gratitude and hope.

 

 

God's Gardening Laws

If we live an honorable life, God will use our life to silence the foolish accusations, which ignorant people make against Christians (1 Peter 2:15-16). We know the truth that will set them free, but they do not want to hear it. They act as if our words are disgusting to their ears. They label us as intolerant for insisting that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Do you ever get weary of witnessing to people who will not listen? I grew weary and prayed about what to do.

The Lord reminded me that when we plant a seed in a garden, it takes a great deal of work and care before we reap the fruit. We rope off an area, remove the weeds and till the soil into rows. We fertilize the soil and then plant the seeds. It takes weeks for the plants to sprout and then many months before the plants produce any fruit. We continue to water, pull weeds and keep the plants safe from obstacles to their growth. Eventually, the time of the harvest arrives (Genesis 8:22).

Witnessing takes the same care and labor of love as gardening. Sometimes we till the ground, or plant the seed, or water; however, only God gives the increase, and only a few can actually be part in the harvest (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). This gave me the faith to continue sharing Christ with everyone around me. If we do not give up, we will eventually reap a plentiful harvest in God’s timing (Galatians 6:9). God gives us His grace to enter His rest and to allow Jesus to accomplish His work through us (2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 2:10).

God calls everyone to take part in His gardening process (Matthew 28:18-20). We are not obligated to share God Truth with anyone; but as a good steward, we cannot help but invest in God’s Kingdom and reap His reward (Matthew 25:14-30). God resists the proud, but has mercy for and gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). If we liberally sow God’s truth in the lives of our friends, relatives, associates and neighbors, we will eventually reap a hearty harvest; however if we sow stingily, we will also reap sparingly (2 Corinthians 9:6).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us not to become weary of working in Your Kingdom, because You promised that we will reap a harvest if we keep on sowing (Galatians 6:7-9). Help us to follow Your gardening laws. We know that You do not desire that anyone should die in their sin, but that everyone should come to know You in an intimate, personal relationship (2 Peter 3:9). Give us the wisdom and strength to continue with patience as we ready the ground, fertilize and water, plant the seeds, and then wait for You to give us the fruit of the harvest.

Thought for the Day:

A wise person reaps what they sow. - Galatians 6:7

Living in God's Rest

 

The presence of God in our life is a wondrous gift that trumps any other blessing we could ever receive. God promises to be with us even until the end of this age. This age is called the Time of the Gentiles, or the Church Age. It began when Christ established the church while He lived on this earth. During this age, God calls us to seek His Kingdom more than we seek the distractions of the world, the flesh and the devil (Matthew 6:24). God requires total dedication and surrender (Luke 14:26), and His blessings are out of this world!

This does not negate the fact that we have a family, job, church and hobbies to participate in; but we do it all through the direction of God’s Spirit and for His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). We follow the leading of God’s Spirit through the static of this world and the hectic pace of our life. He brings peace in the confusion and order from the chaos. He replaces our stress with His rest, if we will only surrender every facet of our life to Him. The first step in entering God’s rest is to spend time with Him (Mark 12:30).

Confusion drowns out the voice of God and causes us to feel frustrated, angry and to experience other negative emotions. However, walking in His presence moment by moment through the duties of our day, brings contentment and peace. God helps us to prioritze our time and activities. Every soul needs “down” time for our soul – our mind, will and emotions - to catch up, to chill out and to recover from the trauma of life. We need time for our spirit to center into Christ’s life within us (Psalm 46:10).

We do not have to be afraid of not measuring up, or of not getting all of our required work done or meeting all of the needs of all of the people who depend on us. If we live one moment at a time, Christ, who is our life and who lives within us (Colossians 3:3-4; Galatians 2:20), directs us to do what pleases Him. Like Mary, we can make the best choice for our day, and sit at Jesus feet within us, no matter where we are or what we are doing (Luke 10:42). As we praise Him and follow His Spirit, He will allow us to excell, to finish what is required of us, and to meet the needs of all the people He wants us to minister to.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, when You see our agitation rising inside, prompt us to discover the source of the negative emotions and to seek Your wisdom on how to deal with it. Nothing and no one can successfully come against us or overpower us, because You live within us. Remind us to be still and acknowledge that You are Lord over our life. Exhort us to rest in You while You work out the issues, which are distracting us from living in Your peace and rest. We trust You with our whole life, because we have faith in Your faithfulness.

Thought for the Day:

We still have hectic activities swirling all around us; however, as we walk in the Spirit, God gives us a quiet refuge, supernatural strength and His constant help in any difficulty we experience.

Life Everlasting

Biblical characters give us an example of living by a tangible faith, which provides for us what we hope to receive. Faith also provides us with proof, even of what we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1-2). Faith is essential for living a victorious Christian life, because without it, we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). We walk in faith, which produces obedience; we seek the will of God each moment of the day; we live in His Spirit, and God rewards us with His blessings.

We do not live our life to please other people, or according to their insistence or persuasion in our life, but to please God alone (Galatians 1:10). We are bondservants of Christ; and we can trust Him to provide for us and to keep us safely tucked under the shelter of His wings (Proverbs 29:25). We are approved by God to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He calls us to speak what is pleasing to Him instead of what is pleasing to mankind (1 Thessalonians 2:4; John 12:43).

Satan and the world attempt to deceive us through the philosophy of men, which is nothing more than vain conceit and empty deceit. This philosophy is fashioned from the principles of the devil, the world and the flesh (Colossians 2:8). This is why God encourages us to focus our mind on eternal and spiritual concepts rather than on the ideas pertaining to this world (Colossians 3:2). As we seek God Kingdom and holiness with our whole heart, He will provide everything we need to live in this life (Matthew 6:33).

Each generation produces enemies of the cross of Christ. We weep over the deception they are under, as well as the lies they spread as truth; because they, and everyone who believes them, will end in destruction. However, our citizenship is in heaven, even while we remain on this earth. Ultimately, when Jesus appears, our human body, soul and spirit will transform into the glorious replica of Christ Himself, because of His power residing in us (Philippians 3:17-21).

Right now, we groan with aches and pains in this earthly habitation. We long for God’s Kingdom to come on earth, as it already is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). Paul gave us exciting news, however, when He explained that our earthly body is just like a canvas tent. When this tent collapses, we have a home waiting for us, which was made without hands and which will last for eternity. When we see Jesus, His life will swallow up our mortality, and we will dwell in the eternal resting place, which God prepared for us (2 Corinthians 5:1-5).

Prayer:

Father God, when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ we will receive rewards for both the good and bad, which we have done (2 Corinthians 5:6-10). Therefore, it is important for us to live a life, which is pleasing to You right now. As long as we live on this earth, we are separated from living with You; however, if we walk by faith rather than by what we see in the natural realm, Your Spirit in us allows us to live in Your presence now and forevermore.

Thought for the Day:

God calls us to walk by faith, rather than by what we discern with our human senses (2 Corinthians 5:7), as we eagerly wait for the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Nothing to Fear

 

God’s faithfulness is our defense and protection (Psalm 91:4). His peace surrounds us with His safety and strength. We come to realize that we are totally dependent upon Him for His goodness and grace. Christ is the head of His Body, the church. Too often, however, we ignore Him and we disobey His Spirit. What we do not realize is that Jesus bought us for a great price and we are no longer our own (1 Corinthians 6:18-19). We neglect our daily devotion and prayer time, and we fail to walk in His Spirit during each moment of our day.

The most wondrous gift God imparts to us is that of His presence within us. During any sinful activity we partake in, we drag Him right through it with us (Proverbs 15:3). Therefore, He calls us to flee immorality and to live a holy life (1 Corinthians 6:18). Let us live in a conscious awareness of His presence in our life and live in submission to Him, so His Spirit may cleanse us from all unholiness (1 John 1:9). We no longer need to live weighted down with the cares of this carnal, earthly world.

As we seek His Kingdom and righteousness, He adds to us everything we need to live a blessed and fulfilled life (Mathew 6:33). God never abandons us nor lets us down (Hebrews 13:5). He provides for all of our needs according to His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19). If the bills are not paid, perhaps we are not spending our money as God desires. Never go into debt, pay as you go. That means that if you do not have the money for something that you want now, save until you do. By then, you may not even want it any longer!

If we are in ill health, maybe we are not eating, exercising and living as He ordains. If we are sad, possibly we are focusing on, and have certain expectations concerning worldly endeavors and relationships, which He has not ordained for us. If we want something we do not possess, God probably does not want us to have it; otherwise, He would provide it! Christ in us is able to use our spirit, soul and body to accomplish every thing He ordained for us to do (Philippians 4:19).

God watches out for all of those who seek His face. Hagar is an example of a woman who prayed in faith and God answered her (Genesis 16:13). Even if we find our self alone in the world, God is always with us, removing our fears and restoring our confidence (Joshua 1:9). Ezekiel is a man who realized this truth and lived it (Ezekiel 48:35). God will provide you with what He knows will bring you fulfillment in His timing and way. His presence is more special than anything this world offers, because His divinity is love personified.

Prayer:

Father God, Your children can do anything You call us to perform, because You live within us and You give us the strength to do Your will (Philippians 4:13). You are with us every step of our life (Matthew 28:20). You tell us not to fear, because You are with us. We have no need to anxiously scrutinize our life, because You are our God and You live in us. You support us, assist us and lift us up in every situation we encounter along the road of our life (Isaiah 41:10). You are with us through whatever we are afraid of...in the airplane and the darkest woods, the elevator and the escalator, the dentist or the surgery room, the classroom and the jail room, etc. just as you were in the fiery furnace with Your faithful young Hebrew men (Daniel 3:24-25).

Thought for the Day:

The child of God has nothing to fear.

The Measure of Success

 

If we start our Christian walk using our human talents for the Lord, we will find a measure of success, but we will thwart God’s purpose in our life. He intends for us to recognize that in our self, there is no good thing (Romans 7:18). Therefore, God calls us not to depend on our own understanding, but to acknowledge Him before we do anything (Proverbs 3:5-6). We desperately need God’s Spirit to direct our steps. God may use our natural talents, but only as directed by His Spirit.

Anytime our faith is connected to receiving something from God, we stand the chance of having our faith shaken. If our faith is in God alone, and not dependent upon anything else, we will not be blown away by the winds of adversity in our life. Instead, we will look for God’s purpose in them, and we will know that He is going to work every trial out for our eventual good (Romans 8:28). Only as we fully consecrate our entire being to God, do we come to walk in our complete salvation.

Most events that we view as trials are simply God’s way of answering our prayers. We often want to see supernatural results, but God rarely gives us supernatural intervention. He usually uses normal means to do extraordinary things in our life. If we understand this truth, we will live with more joy. If we depend on our self to find success in this life, we may or may not reach our goals. However, if we depend on God’s Spirit, the fulfillment He brings to us is more than anything we could earn by our self-efforts.

We humans put more pressure on ourselves then God ever created us to sustain. That is why so many of us self-destruct and end up mentally, emotionally and physically ill. We are flawed from birth and need Christ in order to be complete (Colossians 2:10). Only God can bring beauty from the ashes of our life (Isaiah 61:1-3). When we forsake all of our dreams and ambitions, and abide fully in Christ (Philippians 3:8; 1 John 2:27), He gives us back more, and better than we ever relinquish to Him. Forever satisfied with God’s provision, we never experiencing any lack.

Prayer:

Father God, we do not have to understand Your ways in order to embrace them fully and to partake of Your divine life within us. We believe, but help our unbelief (Mark 9:24). Remind us to walk by faith, instead of depending on our understanding (2 Corinthians 5:7). Every gift we receive from You is an opportunity to give You praise for Your love and provision. In our human capacity, we cannot fully comprehend Your ways (1 Corinthians 13:12). We simply believe, and watch You bring it to pass. I am constantly saying, “Wow” as I watch You do wondrous things throughout each moment of my day.

Thought for the Day:

Christ only gives Himself completely to us, when we are willing to give our self completely to Him.