I think by now you may understand that I get many instructions from God during the hours when many are sleeping. If not, then let me state it: I get many instructions from God during the hours when many are sleeping.
During one such time, He scowled me about giving Him 'lip service' (His words, not mine) about trusting him. He told me to truly trust Him and watch Him work.
I keep going back to the article called Take Everything, Lord and I wonder have I truly let things go?
Lately, He's been reminding me about resting. So I began my bible story on what it means to rest.
My search for insight took me the third and fourth chapter of the book of Hebrews. I won't post all the scriptures, but it's basically about the Israelites years in the wilderness and resting. It reminds us that if we are disobedient and do not 'rest' in God we will not see his promises.
When the Israelites left Egypt, they were free from labour but their minds were still held in bondage: they still had a slave mentality. So they complained and griped day in and day out, and God told them that none of them would see the promise of the land they were to rest in. Their lack of faith caused them to miss out on the promise.
So what does this word ‘rest’ really mean? What does it mean to 'rest in God'?
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:11 (NIV)
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Hebrews 4:11 (KJV)
Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell]. Hebrews 4:11 (AMP)
These scriptures use words like 'make every effort', 'labour to enter', and 'be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest'. No where do you read the words 'stop', 'slumber', 'slouch', or 'be slothful or lazy', but instead we read that resting in God is something you work towards and for. It laborious! It takes work to kill your flesh daily because the flesh is of this physical world.
For the mind that has not been renewed or the flesh (carnal) that is still running the show, this type of rest will be labour intensive as the flesh fights to hold onto the situations, rather than letting it go.
Handing a situation over to God should be easy, shouldn't it? Then why do we continue to hold onto things that we have given to God in prayer?
Resting in God becomes easier as you exercise your faith (a gift and fruit). Keeping your hand on the situation is a sign of unbelief and God won't touch it until we let it go.
I once experienced a time when I really took my hand off a situation and let God have. I recall the sense of peace I had when I let it go. That's when you know you have rested in Him: when you are at peace about it.
The entry Take Everything, Lord is just lip service if I don't remove my flesh from the situation and allow God to do His thing in the Spirit. The posting Fight for God talks about dying daily for Christ and giving a situation over to Him. It not only shows that your flesh has died to Christ, but also shows obedience.
The second half of Hebrews 4:11 refers to the unbeliever and disobedient: they will have the same punishment the Israelites had. They will be left to wonder in the 'wilderness' until they can truly rest in God.
I prefer to rest rather than wonder relentlessly in the wilderness. Don't you?
With love,
Keiyia JOYet George
I know I'm not the only one to hold onto something I've given to God. How have you dealt with such situations? Did you, too, play 'let's make a deal' with Him?
What about your stance on an issue you had no control over? How have you applied the Serenity Prayer to those issues?