Are you a carnal Christian who has distorted the character of God with your creed? Rest assured, for you are also beloved of the Lord, and He prompts intercession for you.
I didn’t know He was the One, but when God sent me to baptise with water, He told me, ‘The One on Whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the One Who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.”John 1:32-33r
I didn’t know He was the One, but when God sent me to baptise with water, He told me, ‘The One on Whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the One who will baptise with the Holy Spirit” – “Behold the Lamb of God….”
Son of God
Imagine John’s dismay when He saw the sinless Son of God on Whom the Spirit was to rest coming to him to be baptised in water. “I need to be baptised by You,” he protested. But God always has His reasons and all that Christ did was under the guidance of the Spirit of God and in perfect harmony with the will of the Father – and for God’s glory. Jesus reassuring His humble herald said to the faithful John, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness,” and so He was baptised.
And he was able, through the Spirit’s leading to grant his young disciples request.. for Elijah said: if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so.” 2Kings 2:10 your request shall be answered. By faith Enoch, Elijah, Simeon believed the promise and lived in expectant waiting. Enoch waited his translation. Elijah waited his transport and Simeon waited to see the Lord’s Christ. Enoch waited over 400 years and Simeon waited for the rest of his life. Their promise was given, accepted, believed and they waited – they waited in humble anticipation.
he can rest in God’s gracious love and acceptance.
and peace and joy... and rest of the soul is forfeited, as one labours to find ways to please a God, considered to be unapproachable.
The soul has to go on until it finds that there is nothing to rest on except the abstract goodness and grace of God; and then… 'If God be for us, who can be against us?'” Romans 8:31?
This is a fact upon which our entire joy in believing must rest.
From God to Man
The Holy Spirit always reasons down from what God is, and this produces a total change in my soul. It is not that I abhor my sins; indeed I may have been walking very well… but it is ‘I abhor myself. Until the soul comes to that point He does not give it peace – He cannot for it would be healing the wound slightly. The soul has to go on until it finds there is nothing to rest on – but the abstract goodness of God; and then, ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?'”
Trusting God
Just as the wife must rest in the assurance of her man’s deep devotion to her..
despite her foibles, weaknesses, failing beauty, silly traits, eccentricities and outbursts – so must the believer rest in the arms of Gods total, full, reassuring acceptance. God never changes.
It is a wonderful thing to have the consciousness that we are in living union with the Lord Jesus in heavenly glory, knowing our position in that risen sphere, participating in all that constitutes His life in the blessed circle of love and rest where He lives unto the Father.
Like Christ
We are all called upon to live as Christ lived, and it is not an impossible task. We are all commanded to abide in Him and we are given the means to do so. But we can only live as Christ lived when we abide in Him and rest in Him – and we can only abide and rest in Him as we live as Christ lived. We can only abide in Christ when His Holy Spirit is at home in our hearts.
Zephaniah tells us: He will be silent in His love. Spirit to spirit communion; yet He answered her not a word… But as we rest in His love; as we sit silently before Him and worship at His feet, He will bring that comfort and peace that only springs from resting in Him.
Rest Of Silence
Oh, what a joy it is when earthly friends whose sensitivity towards each other, and love for each other can just sit in silence and wait in perfect understanding – just resting in the presence of the other. How much more should it be when the Lord Himself should so desire that we prove our love and friendship to Him, by asking us to wait. To wait for Him in secret silence. And in so doing, assuring Him that our love for Him is constant, and our faith in Him can stand the test of His silence,
Do not neglect so great salvation. Do not fall short of the promised rest. Be careful not to be slothful, or stand still who fall away. Do not sin wilfully or draw back to perdition and don’t ignore the important sanctification process.
On the days that they 'feel' saved – they rest on that, and 'feel' they are secure, but when they do not 'feel' saved – peace is shattered, and depression kicks in.
Emotions can oscillate and are no criteria on which to rest our security in Christ.
Lasting peace will come when we rest in Calvary's conquest of sin and self, and allow that victory to be applied by the faithful Spirit of God.The Holy Spirit does not reason from what man is for God, but from what God is to man.
The soul has to go on until it finds there is nothing to rest on but the Cross-proved goodness of God; and then if God be for us, who can be against us?'' -J.N.D.
Our risen Lord is the source of our happiness as we rest in Him - triumphant over circumstances; not hopelessly underneath them.
The reason is that they rest too much in the position and have not occupied themselves increasingly with their risen Lord; have not drawn nearer to Him, and recognized Him as the only One who can make it all experiential in them. -J.B.S.
“As the believer grows, and his path becomes more involved, he is taught more about the Holy Spirit’s ministry, for he needs this doctrine increasingly for his comfort and rest in trial.
As we learn to rest upon this fact of our position in Him, abiding becomes our restful attitude.
The Lord sees our need of being exercised by roughness and hardness, not only that we may find the rest at the end sweeter, but also that we may be the more effectually trained and fitted for the place we are yet to occupy.
Jesus said, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while..”Mark 16:31
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Time is short : Jesus is coming again soon. Take time with Him : Embrace the moment. Delight in your lonely solitude : That I may know Him : Take time with Him : Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while..
In the one I slave and work worthily for Him, and constantly feel the barrenness of a busy life; in the other I let His life flow through me in all His glorious effortlessness, and rest in the assurance that the Lord Jesus at work cannot fail.
The very infirmity which this evil age makes me conscious of makes me draw upon the power of Christ, as the One outside it, passing into the heavens, so that I take pleasure in the very infirmity which is exposed here, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. -J.B.S.
Let us then be eager to know this rest for ourselves, and let us beware that no one misses it through falling into the same kind of unbelief as those we have mentioned. (Hebrews 4:11 Phillips)
May the Lord give us understanding, so that we come into a place of rest and are delivered from the perils which lurk in the vicinity of every Divine blessing.
That must not be a cause but a result. 'The cause, the secret, the spring of everything is Myself, and sometimes you will just have to cease straining, and rest back in Me, in loving trust.
The natural inclination is to make oneself the center of everything passing, how it pains or cheers oneself, even musing on oneself as if one were the one solitary object for the sunshine or the cloud to rest on.
How easy it is to rely on denominational type doctrine for our spiritual thoughts, How undemanding to rest your eternal future on your own spiritual knowledge.
How facile to rest your spiritual growth on a reservoir of religious facts.
There are so many of the Lord's people today over whom Satan is lording it; lording it along the line of accusation, bringing them under a sense of condemnation and judgment, robbing them of their peace, of their assurance, rest, hope; and you will find these people are everlastingly talking about their own short-comings, their sinfulness; they are forever circling round themselves, all that they are that they would not be, all that they are not that they would be.
And He said, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while, for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.Mark 6:31
The beloved John who cried out: Behold the Lamb of God… the one who had pointed many of these same men to the One that stood among then – he had been slaughtered in an orgy of lust and crudity, and so they gathered themselves to Jesus. Should not we in like manner gather ourselves to the Source of all calm? Should not we similarly flee to the Lord and rest under the pinions of His love? Should not we cast all our burdens upon Him – for He cares for you too?
Call to Rest
He calls us in His gracious tones to come aside and rest awhile too.
Come unto Me, He gently whispers in His still, small voice. “Come unto Me and I will give you rest.
Come ye yourself apart into a desert place and rest awhile. Come to me, that ye might have life. Come, come, come and follow me. Let him that is athirst, Come. But there are those that He bids to Come … but they will not come.
Place of Rest
There are many desert places that we can slip into, in the most tumultuous of days.
One is the morning-time as we awake to find ourselves resting in His love. One is the quite-time where He so delights to still our anxious thoughts as we rest in Him.
Anxiety of Many
Sadly, in this increasingly dark world, many lives are in a state of unbroken anxiety. Other fret and fume, while others search relentlessly for unachievable answers. To be perfectly at rest amid the hurly-burly of daily life is a secret worth knowing. It is only achieved in a life abandoned to the Lord – a life that trusts His Word. Looking away from the raging world and fixing your eyes upon Jesus. It is achieved by the one that will come to Him – and rest.
Rest in Christ
One wonderful thing about the 'Rest' that the Lord invites us to participate in is that we are to rest with Him – Come – Ye… Come Ye Apart..
and rest, He said.
But we are also to rest IN Him – Abide in Me and I in you, as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you.
John.15:9 – Abide in My love – Remain in My love – Rest in My love.
Promise of Rest
It is His lovely presence that gives us the blessedness of rest.
His rest is more real than the clamour of the world in which we sojourn.
It is a divine Life : a divine Love : a divine Rest.
Possibility of Rest
As the Son rested in the love of the Father through His life and death and grave, so the love of Christ is to be our rest in and through this time of turmoil.
And how do we achieve this divine life, this divine love, this divine rest?
You must believe that His promises are binding and true. You must rest in His Word for He Who said it is faithful and true. You must believe that it IS possible so to live moment by moment, resting in Him.
Focus of Rest
'But how you ask. 'How do you reach the rest that He has promised you?' Turn away from the visible, if you would possess the invisible. Take time with the Lord Jesus and gaze on His loveliness. Fix the eyes of your heart on Jesus and away from the world’s ugliness. Turn away from your own efforts and from faith in yourself, and allow Him to occupy your thoughts until He is resting within your heart. Come away from all else and set your heart, your thoughts, your mind on Jesus.
Rest in My Love
Don’t seek the answers from others but occupy yourself with Him.
The apostles gathered to Jesus, and He said to them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.
Those that submit to His correction and rest in His love and focus upon Him – they are the ones that will bring forth twenty, fifty, and a hundred percent fruit.
the one that can watch the dried brook and trust in God’s unfailing faithfulness; the one that holds an empty cruise of oil and yet believes in God’s provision; the one that stands by the Red Sea’s raging waters and expects his deliverance; the one whose barren womb can spring forth with life, by faith – the one who amidst the flooding tsunamis of life, can simply rest in His love. How blessed the one that is not living at crossed purposes with the purpose of God.
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2Cor.2:19
We are to rest in His finished work - both for birth and for growth.We are not to overcome the lusts of the flesh in order that we may walk in the Spirit.
He will choose for you and for me our place of service – our places of rest.
Hear His Voice
He will mark out our stops and cause us to rest beside still waters. He will call us aside into a quiet place, and cause us to rest awhile. Jesus said to His disciples: Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile for there were many comings and goings, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. Mark 6:31He will not leave us forever in the valley of darkness.
We may rest assured that our futures are under His control.
Our Father has placed us in eternal and living union with His Son, that He, not we, may be. Moreover, He has placed His Holy Spirit eternally within us that He, not we, may “do.” Further, He has given us the necessary faith and Scripture that we may rest in this wonderful reality, trusting Him “to will and to do of His good pleasure.” This is a far cry from futile struggle and frustrating self-effort!
Rest in Him
Don’t attempt self-preservation – just rest in His love and allow His peace to envelop your soul.
It was the night of my sister’s marriage, and the rest of the family were staying overnight in Glasgow. Something happened to me, which was known only to myself and which caused me the most severe mental suffering.
O Love that wilt not let me go,I rest my weary soul in thee;I give thee back the life I owe,That in Thine ocean depths its flow –May richer, fuller be.
God’s Peace
He knows that the only peace with God a sinner will know, is His forgiveness, but He also knows that the only path for His children is their need of Him – for it is only as we rest in Him will we find the true peace OF God.
others are told of the gospel of grace and others find rest in the same God of our salvation.
If He should graciously do that, we shall be worshipers for the rest of our lives; there will be something about us that is in the nature of awe and wonder and we shall go softly.
Without Limitation
His future blessings are already ours for they rest on Christ’s completed work. His blessings are so sure that they are described as finished and complete – and yet, in the eternal ages, every blessing will continue to be our portion.
after being taken to the heights of glorious expectation of our future promise, believers start to be severely warned of the consequences of falling short, as over and again warnings are given that we don’t fall short of the promised rest.
Do not fall short of the promised rest – be faithful to the end.
A Wrong Response
This wrong response to God’s Word prevented Israel from entering God’s rest, and like them, we are warned of the possibility that if we follow their example we too will come short of God’s rest.
When He came to rest in the glory of the Father's presence, love had conquered every temptation....We, too, are confronted by some of the foes which He had to face, for we have been called to bear the Cross after Him.
And Peter endorsed Paul’s writings on the heavenly nature of the body of Christ, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of Scriptures 2 Peter 3:16
Anything which we bring of nature into thethings of God will bring us up against not some new issue, but the old issue death which was made to rest upon the oldcreation.
This involves a negative attitude toward all doubt of His promises or anything that would raise a doubt; and it also involves a continued refusal to rest upon appearances or feelings, even though these may come in great abundance.
Jewels of Light
God gives us “treasures of darkness” to prepare us for jewels of light, and He leads us through the valley of the shadow into His own place of peace and rest.
I have loved you with an everlasting love. REST in ME : Patiently endure, and let My patience have her perfect work in you.Psalm 37:1 Isaiah 26:3, Psalm 46:10 Jeremiah 31:3. Matthew 11:28 James 1:4
All who have entered into God rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. (Hebrews 4:10 NLT)
When we enter by faith into Christ's righteousness, we enter into God's rest.
There was a time when I had not the ground upon which to do anything with you, and for you, but now you are on the ground of Christ, the ground which I have provided; if only you will trust Me, if only you will rest in Me to bring you through, you will be saved from so much of this weakness, and fret, and anxiety!
At the back of a lot that we suffer in body, and in mind, there is so often a secret, hidden restlessness, something deep down in our subconscious being of a fret, an anxiety, something that is not rest.
But to observe the Sabbath (no one will take that literally as meaning the observance of a particular day of the week), to recognize Christ as God's Rest through righteousness, to observe that, to keep that Sabbath, is Life which conquers death, because it is righteousness which cannot be destroyed.
He is our own dear heavenly Father, and He truly becomes our Assurance, so that with inner confidence and assurance we may rest in Him – and sing both now and in eternity.
I have become an heir of salvation, purchased through Christ’s sacrifice – purchased of God – born-again in His Spirit, washed in His life-giving, atoning blood. Perfect submission, all is at rest. I in my Saviour am happy and blessed. Watching and waiting, looking above. Filled with His goodness, lost in His love. This is my story and this must be my everlasting song.
Study - GOD, All I Need
Come unto Me, all ye who are heavy laden and I will give you REST.Matthew 11:28
Need for Rest
How we all greatly long for rest..
Call to Rest
Thoughts and imaginations of what may be, can combine to tremblings and turmoil.
Fears within and fancies without can amalgamate to demolish any semblance of rest.
But amid the turmoil of life; the confusion of hearts; the agitations of living, we have an invitation from the God of Rest… to come aside and rest awhile… The Psalmist gently reminds us to, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him..
and He shall give thee the desires of your heart.. Rest, I say..
Rest in the Lord.
Response to Rest
We all will be receiving a wonderful heavenly rest, one day, I hear you say…but I need rest from my restlessness and agitations, here and now… But never forget that if God sees the last gasping breath of a tiny sparrow, fluttering helplessly to the ground – will He not much more care for you, and provide the rest He has promised you?
Responsibility to Rest
How seriously we need to take hold of the Lord’s personal invitation…Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me: for I am meek and lowly of heart – and you shall find rest for your soul, for My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:29 A yoke is used for uniting two oxen to draw a heavy load..
But Christ clearly tells us we are not to carry burdens alone, whether they be our own aching load or the strains and liabilities of others. We have been called by the Lord to cast all our burdens on Him and we have a responsibility to listen to His voice and respond to His instructions, if we are to learn the secret of true and lasting refreshment and rest.
Secret of Rest
F.B.James puts it this way… Jesus is the Teacher of the secret of rest.
He is the Giver of the gift of rest.
It is a personal invitation:- Come unto Me. It is not so much rest FROM labour that is offered to us – it is something far better – rest IN the labour.
Refreshment from Rest
When we are refreshed in the Lord, He will enable us to go bravely on to the end, and to surmount every difficulty, which may confront us.
Come unto me, ye weary,And I will give you rest.O blessed voice of Jesus,Which comes to hearts oppressed.It tells of benediction-Of pardon, grace, and peace,Of joy that hath no ending,Of love that cannot cease.
The dictionary definition of ’tranquillity’ is quietness, peace, rest, ease and security – and how deeply the hurting heart desires this grace that God alone can provide.
He called His own dear ones t, Come apart into a desert place, and rest awhile – for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. Mark 6:31
We all need time to rest awhile; to relax in His tranquillity and to repose in His arms.
Study - GOD, All I Need
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORDIsaiah 11:2
Presence of God
Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God. We also read that Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. To Moses He said My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. The psalmist tells us, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. The Father shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever. Oh yes, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
God is God, and being God... His presence will go with you forever, and He will give you rest.
how we rejoice to rest in the precious promises of God.
Refreshing Words
It is good and wise for us rest on the truths in His Word, especially as we face the particular challenges of each day.
Yes and Amen
In the meantime, in His grace – let us rest on the precious promises of God knowing they are all ‘yes’, and ‘amen’ in Christ – knowing that all things work together for good to those that love God..
Mark 14:6 He didn’t take one verse of Scripture out of context and rest His lifework on that: My food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me, and to finish His work.
Sequel to Luke
Acts is the documented sequel to Luke’s gospel – a background book to the Bible. Acts is a factual, historical record that keeps the chronicles of scripture in context, and an understanding of the book of Acts gives clarity to the rest of God’s Word.
It is not a book of doctrine, but rather it helps to place the rest of Scripture in its correct historical context. Acts is a book that gives continuity to the Bible and shows sequence in Scripture.
Twofold Focus
The first chapters focus on Peter and the Jews – the rest centre on Paul and gentiles.
Rest in Christ
But how can striving towards godliness harmonise with the Spirit’s work in us? How can the diligent pursuit of sanctification be compatible with resting in Christ? How can striving towards holiness be rooted and grounded in the passivity of grace?
In Job chapter 2 we read, those sons and daughters, whom I brought forth with pangs of sorrow, and for whom I toiled in vain, are vanished from the earth; and Job – thou, thyself sittest among the putrefaction of worms, all nightlong in the open air, while I am wandering about or working for wages, wishing for the setting of the sun, that I may rest from the sorrows I endure. Job.2:9 (Septuagint translation)
Cautionary Tale
I once heard a story of a woman with consumption or an eating disorder. She went to a glorious place of rest and plenty in which to recover from her ailment. She was lavished with all sorts of tempting fruits and delicious foods. The climate was indeed salubrious..
The moment we begin to rest our peace on anything in ourselves, we lose it.
The more you see the extent and nature of the evil that is within, as well as that without and around, the more you will find that what the Lord Jesus is and did, is the only ground at all on which you can rest.
His death, resurrection and ascension translated the believer from his own side to His side, so that as He is so are we in this world; and according as we are at full rest about ourselves, we are occupied with Him who has set us free for fellowship. -J.B.S.
What a promise to rest your weary soul upon. This assurance was given to the confused disciples at the ascension of their Lord. The understanding of this difficult saying was later given to the apostle Paul: lo I am with you always..
There is more in the Lord Jesus, in the Father, in the Spirit, in heaven to give us rest and peace and joy, than in the whole universe to disquiet, trouble, or grieve us. -G.V.W.
When you seek Me with all your heart.” And in Genesis 32:26 we read: “then He said: let Me go, for the day has broken, but Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me – and in Exodus 33:13-14 God said to Moses, “My presence will go with you – and I will give you rest.”
Die to your own self-interest, your own magnetism – and in humility and grace, rest in His strength and in Him alone.
After months, even years of deep darkness and soul struggle to realise more life, more holiness, more power in his soul, I finally come in utter self-despair to “rest upon the Faithful One.” The sweetest part, (if one may say of one part being sweeter than another) the sweetest part is the rest which full identification with Christ brings.
Living Example
Mary sat at His feet while His disciples squabbled about their petty position, Mary worshiped while the rest evaluated the price of her anointing ointment.
Even when our trust in Him brings us into the most helpless and impossible situations, we may rest assured that all will be well, for He is indeed the God of resurrection. -H.F.
Know
He tells us to take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. Nothing is more needful than that we know Him.
RestRest your whole being, for time and eternity in His perfect character.
God Works Within
We are to put off the old and put on the new and then... we are just to rest in Him, for it is God who works in us (through the new life in Christ) Both to WILL and to DO of His good pleasure.
Faith in Christ
Christ became a permanent resident in our heart the instant we trusted Him as Saviour. His indwelling Spirit took up His habitation on the basis of faith in God’s Son, but the Spirit of God has an ongoing work throughout the rest of our life… by faith.
Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
He is educating us for a blessed and eternal rest, free from evil and all that could cause it, and He is bent on the blessing of His children; and moreover He is bound by His holiness to purge us suitably (though most graciously) for the place He has called us to.
So many rest content with the thought that their sins are pardoned, and that they are in the path of life, but know nothing of a personal attachment to the risen Lord Jesus Christ as their life, or of faith that lives in the invisible and walks with the Father.
The heart that is captivated by an object could never be at rest until it was with the one who had won it; for satisfaction you must be where He is.
Love really does not think of anyone but its Object until it is quite sure of its place with Him, and then when at rest about itself it studies the mind and heart of the Object.
Once we come to rest in the fact of what He has accomplished for us in Christ, there need be no concern as to how and when He will carry it out in our daily life.
Bury all thoughts of unkindness and bitterness, in His sea of forgetful forgiveness and lay to rest each sadness and each bitter memory – all dislikes and painful resentments.
Leave the rest with Him as you keep your eyes firmly gazing upon Him.
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently. The LORD knows the days of the upright.Psalm 37:7,18
Unfolding Plan
Show us Thy way, O Lord. Give us Thy rest. Let us walk in Thy paths, O Lord. Teach us Thy truth and teach us to wait. Teach us to wait in Thy presence, O Lord – to patiently endure Thy unfolding purposes in our lives.
he starts to recognise his own helplessness. When a man reaches his extremity.. his only recourse is to rest in the Beloved. This is not the cowardly thing to do – though others may perceive it to be so.
The Lord is not close and mean, holding it from you, but He is wanting to know that this is of greater price to you than all else; if needs be, of greater price than your sleep, your rest: you are going to give Him no rest until He opens your eyes.
Let us then be eager to know this rest for ourselves, and let us beware that no one misses it through falling into the same kind of unbelief as those we have mentioned. (Hebrews 4:11 Phillips)
Those who failed to go in failed, it says, to enter into His rest.
To answer the inquiry in that connection, it is Christ as our Rest.
That is the Gospel: and the Gospel of Christ as our Rest was preached to them in type, and they to whom the Gospel was afore preached failed to enter in.
Then, says the Apostle, Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, that no man fall after the same example of disobedience.
God set forth another day, saying, Today if ye shall hear His voice, harden not your hearts.... The Gospel is preached to believers to enter into His Rest.
The Lord Jesus put this in the germ form of truth when He said: Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavyladen, and I will give you rest.
Christ in heaven is our spiritual Rest,heart rest.
What is the essence of rest?
And if you arequite sure that your work is going to be successful, you haveassurance, and you are in rest.
We shall be assailed: we shall be pressed on every side; weshall be cast down; we shall be tried; but Christ can stillremain our Rest: for in the first place, we know that thesethings are not going to be to our destruction, since He hasdestroyed the power of destruction; and, in the second place,that our labors are not in vain, because He has swallowed updeath victoriously.
Great High Priest
His life of obedience qualified the Lord Jesus to become our great High Priest, and as such, He sits at the right hand of the Father carrying out His high priestly ministry on behalf of all who are part of His body – all who believe on His name. As our great High Priest, He comforts and succours all those who are weary and heavy-laden and who come to Him for rest.
Here it is this strange thing, that these men went out, twelve and seventy, with this 'delegated authority' this delegated authority and exercised it, and mighty things resulted; and then these same people are found, after the Cross, with their faith shattered; nothing to rest upon.
Content in the things that subject me to the extremity of pressure on behalf of Christ.. for when I am weak – then I am filled with His ability and His power, as I rest In Him, and as He works through me.
What peace and rest, to know that there is a Husbandman who cares for the branch, to see that it grows stronger; who watches over every hindrance and danger, who supplies every needed aid!
What peace and rest, fully and finally to give up our abiding into the care of the Father, and never have a wish or thought, never to offer a prayer or engage in an exercise connected with it, without first having the glad remembrance that what we do is only the manifestation of what our Father is doing in us!
Saints down through the ages have been promised this blessing of perfect peace and His faithfulness to perform stands fast today as it did in days long gone. He gives His beloved His peace and His rest and He will give you rest and peace.
Alive unto God in Jesus Christ, our Lord (Rom. 6:11)
Until the believer's faith is firmly established in the fact of his position in the risen Lord Jesus, he will not be able to rest in Him during the process of his position becoming his condition.
The Father rests in that; as Man having accomplished redemption, He has passed into the heavens, now to appear in the presence of God for us.' It is the glorified Lord Jesus who gives abiding rest to our souls, and not what our thoughts about ourselves may be.
Faith never thinks about that which is in ourselves as its ground of rest; it receives, loves, and apprehends what the Father has revealed in His Word, and what are His thoughts about the Lord Jesus, in whom is His rest. -J.N.D.
and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Matt. 11:29).
It is a proof of immense favor from the Father if in our heart's estimation the Lord Jesus is fairer than the children of men.' It is easy to sing hymns, and to use the most precious expressions in Scripture in a sentimental way, but it is another thing for our hearts really to find rest and satisfaction in the moral perfections of the Lord Jesus. -C.A.C.
To know our position in the Lord Jesus is necessary so that we may understand His ways and rest in His means.
The first step is, we believe that the Lord Jesus was sent of the Father; second, that in the fulness of His work we are justified; third, we make His acquaintance, fourth, we come to see Him in heaven - we know our association with Him there, and His rest here, fifth, we learn the mystery, the great things we are entitled to because of being in His Body, His Bride; sixth, that we are seated in heavenly places in Him; seventh, we rejoice in wonder and in praise in the knowledge of Himself. -J.B.S.
Or, we can abide (rest) in the risen Lord Jesus, the Source of our new nature, and thereby become the glad recipients of His life and liberty, as depicted in Romans Eight.
Rest in the fact that God has placed you in eternal union with His Son, and let the Holy Spirit take care of His work in you.
Grateful Thanks
While preparing food or eating a meal, I thank Him for His gracious provision, I pray I may be fed with the hidden manna and drink the sincere milk of the Word. I pray that I eat the meat of the word and that I come to a deeper knowledge of God – I pray that many hear the Word and find their rest in my Saviour.
As I kneel at my bed at night I listen to His voice; seek His face and rest in His love.
Spiritual War
For 6000 years Satan’s battle of the ages against the saints of God has been raging, but far more serious consequences rest on this war – against the God of universes.
Ongoing Preparation
'Rest' in the justifying faith of the new-birth, is a past and done deal. 'Rest' in the sanctifying faith of the growing saint is an ongoing process.
And one maturing saint observes that – It is highly possible for a man, after having found justifying rest in Christ, to enter upon a state of deep need as regards sanctifying rest.
Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh is at rest from sin (Phil. 2:5, Wey; 1 Pet. 4:1m).
Our stand and attitude from the beginning of each day is to be a settled matter as we rest in our risen Lord Jesus: the death of the Cross separates me from the enslavement of sin and self, and I continually abide in my new life, Christ Jesus.
So that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living by [his] human appetites and desires but [he lives] for what God wills (1 Pet. 4:2, Amp.).
Just as a sinner is taught to rest in the Lord Jesus' shed Blood for his forgiveness, so must the saint rest in the Lord Jesus for his deliverance from the power of sin and the grip of the law - yes, and from himself, also.
The moment we begin to rest our peace on anything in ourselves, we lose it.
In the Lord Jesus alone, God finds that in which He can rest concerning us, and so it is with His saints.
The more you see the extent and nature of the evil that is within, as well as without, the more you will find that what the Lord Jesus is and did, is the only ground at all on which you can rest.
while spiritual joy multiplies and increases. Spiritual joy multiplies and increases as it is exercised and utilised. Spiritual joy enlarges and expands as spiritual joy is shared with another. For the one that rejoices in the Lord has a joy that sings in the field of battle. The one that delights in God has a joyful rest through the dark hours of the night. Oh yes indeed – troubles will surely come, oft-times thick and fast and furious, but these need not rob the Christian of his joy.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him (Ps. 37:7).
Those who rest in Him are often accused of passivity.
The Lord Jesus has passed into the heavens, now to appear in the presence of the Father for us.' It is the Lord Jesus who gives abiding rest to our souls, and not what our thoughts about ourselves may be.
Faith never thinks about that which is in ourselves as its ground of rest; it receives, loves, and apprehends what the Father has revealed, and what are His thoughts about the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is His rest. -J.N.D.
Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest (Heb. 4:11).
To whom was God speaking when He took an oath that they would never enter His rest?
We have no right to go to the unsaved and bid them come to Christ and find rest until and unless we ourselves know that rest.
Our testimony and our ministry is jeopardized, weakened, limited and discredited if we are not ourselves in rest; and this is the object of the enemy's activity in this matter to discredit us by taking from us that very birthright of our union with Him Who is never perturbed, never anxious, never in doubt as to the issue, the One Who reigns.
You see, rest is the practical outworking of our belief that He is Lord, and the very Lordship of Christ is struck at by the unrest of the people of God....
Our primary concern is to trust Him, and rest in Him, while it is God who confirms and makes us steadfast and establishes us...in Christ (2 Cor. 1:21, Amp.).
Exhaustive effort brings home the necessity of strengthening rest.
The believer will not be ready to enter into his spiritual rest until he is utterly worn out by his unsuccessful efforts to conquer sin and the old man.
There is no rest for the wretched man of Romans 7 - that struggle must lead to the rest of Romans 8.
The heart of man naturally seeks rest, and seeks it here.
Now, there is no rest to be found here for the believer; but it is written, There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God' (Heb 4:9).
To know this is both full of blessing and full of sorrow: sorrow to the flesh; because it is always seeking its rest here, it has always to be disappointed; blessing to the spirit, because the spirit, being born of God, can only rest in God's rest, as it is said, If they shall enter into My rest' (Heb. 4:5).
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him (Ps. 37:7).
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.Matthew 11:28,29
Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad, moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope.Acts 2:26
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest.Hebrews 4:11
His RestRest in the Lord. Never think that you are too busy to rest. Come to Me to replenish your weariness. Come to me at the start and end of each and every task. No work can be too much if you rest in the Lord.
The Lord Jesus is here, rest in Him, let the burden go.
I am sure this rest of faith is the center of all activity.
You cannot work without friction until you have this rest of faith - complete dependence not only on what the Lord has done, but on what He is to you this very moment.
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28).
Hard as it is for the believer to finally come to rest concerning his spiritual birth, it seems to be even more difficult for him to simply rest in the Lord Jesus for his life and service.
The second, in which, after many a painful failure, he ceases from his works, and enters the rest of God, there to find the power for work in allowing the Father to work in him.
It is this rest from their own work which many Christians cannot understand.
What an entire misunderstanding of God's call to rest!
Truly to rest in God is to yield oneself up to the highest activity.
Entering the rest of God is the ceasing from self-effort, and the yielding of oneself in the full surrender of faith to God's working. -A.M.
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 (Matt. 11:29).
When circumstances seem impossible, when all signs of grace in you seem at their lowest ebb, when temptation is fiercest, when love and joy and hope seem well nigh extinguished in your heart, then rest, without feeling and without emotion, in the Father's faithfulness; abide in the fact that He loves you infinitely, and even now is working in you faithfully; and honor Him, and put the enemy to flight by taking to yourself the words of Job: Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.' I have prayed for thee' (says the One who ever lives to make intercession for us) that thy faith fail not.' -D.T.
We ignore Christ’s ever-constant plea to cast all your cares upon Me. We allow people to affect our thinking and ruin our relationship with the Lord: but come ye apart and rest awhile …and think on whatsoever is lovely.
But we so often seek it elsewhere.Nothing can be sweeter than the repose in divine love when it is known and the heart is free to rest in it.
The soul may have a long journey to reach it experientially; there may be many needs and exercises to be met and removed on the way; self and the world will have to be learned; but the great end of all our exercises - and, I may add, of all our deliverances - is that we rest in the thoughts of divine love, and that love becomes in a very real way the portion of our hearts.
Through Isaac
For sixty-odd years Israel has laid claim to the Land by virtue of their descendency from Abraham and Isaac, while Islam has similarly declared ownership of the same land – falsely claiming it was promised to them through Abraham and Ishmael – but Christ is the promised SEED of Abraham through Isaac, and only through Jesus Christ will Israel be finally settled in their promised land and find true rest, while all the nations who trust in the true Seed, Jesus Christ will be blessed.
Role of Israel
It was Joshua who led Israel into the promised land of rest, so many centuries ago and it will be the Lord Jesus Christ Who provides the true millennial rest in His coming glorious kingdom – a future time when Israel will be the head of the nations and not the tail.
It is that that makes a Christian, and in that the foundation is laid for all the rest, right on to the consummation, because it is just going to be that growingly.
Love really does not think of anyone but its Object until it is quite sure of its place with Him, and then when at rest about itself it studies the mind and heart of the Object.
Our Father loves us too well to allow us to rest in anything or anyone short of Himself - not even Christian fellowship, or what people call the means of grace.' He wants to be so known by us that He becomes the deep eternal spring of satisfaction and joy for our hearts. -C.A.C.
If we had a thing from the Lord Himself we can rest assured that what He gives He will not take again without some larger purpose in view; and on the other hand, none can take from us what He has determined for us.
When you take Him at His Word you are demonstrating faith..and you will find rest for your soul, even when the circumstances surrounding you may scream to the contrary.
And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.2 Corinthians 12:9
MOST GLADLY!! that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
The more we can rest in Him the more we are independent of everything outside of Him - at such a time, the more vigor we really possess; and the better we get over the winter, be it ever so severe.
Peter is delivered from prison in a superhuman way; but first he, though enduring a very trying winter, could lay him down and sleep - take his rest, because the Lord sustained him. -J.B.S.
It was Matthew, who when quoting Isaiah chapter 11, writes of Christ Jesus as the Shoot, Who springs from His ancestor Jesse, the father of king David – describing the humble home in Nazareth and the early childhood of our Lord Jesus in great detail – for the Spirit of the Lord would rest upon Him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord... and He delighted in the fear of the Lord.
Man’s Insufficiency
He is the All Self-Sufficient One. He is the High and Lofty One that inhabits eternity. All that God is and whatever God is comes from within Himself and no other. How different from the rest of creation for all things come from Him, and all things are held together by Him..
Whole Hope
One godly saint of old wrote these words for posterity: With all possible conviction and faith I confess my Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, on Whom my whole hope of eternal life and present rest and strength depends – in the proper and ultimate sense, we say – He is God… eternal; all-holy; almighty; One from eternity and to eternity, with the Father and the Spirit… forever and ever Amen.
the eternal God, Who CHOSE you to be the temple of His eternal presence.. for the rest of your time on earth and into the eternal ages that are to come.
Tests and Trials
Sometimes we allow the responsibilities of life and living – to rob us of the Lord’s rest. Sometimes our fears and failures, problems and pressure – weigh heavy on our heart. Sometimes our safety and security, health and finances rise up into mountainous difficulties as we fret and fear about the mounting tests and trials that we are facing.
Rest in Him
But God instructs us not to worry about anything but to cast all our cares on Him and to place all the burdens that we carry onto His strong shoulders for He cares for us.
If we have been brought into the family of God, should we not obey His voice? Let us not disobey our Father’s instructions -but by faith rest in His WORD.
Let us not display unbelief – but by faith, let us rest in His promised provision.
and let us by faith, rest in His very precious provision.
Confident Rest
Waiting and watching in quietude of spirit, is to confidently rest in Him. It is to assuredly be persuaded in His purpose, His promise, and His initiative.
Sacrifice of Silence
Reestablish communication on a daily, hourly, moment by moment basis, and though a dark cloud of concealment may obscure His presence from your vision, offer up a sacrifice of silence, as you wait for Him and rest in His knowing.
You have examined my heart,You know everything about me,You know when I sit down or stand up.You know my every thought when far away,You chart the path ahead of me,You tell me where to stop and rest.You know where I am every moment,You know what I am going to say even before I say it.LORD - You both precede and follow me.You place Your hand of blessing on my head.Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.Psalm 139
“To realise the dimensions of the love of God, its breadth and length and depth and height – will serve to drive home to us the reality of God’s love, and the result of our belief in that love will be that. No question will ever profoundly vex our minds. No sorrow will be so deep as to overwhelm our spirits, because the heart is at rest in God, just as the heart of our Lord was at rest in Him Father.
He was to travel to the House of the Lord - the reconstructed Temple of God, to meet His heavenly Father and take up the baton of responsibility that would last the rest of His life.
The Holy One
What mysteries must have passed from Father to Son on that holy, consecrated visit. What a weight of responsibility fell on those young shoulders – the Holy One of God. For the rest of His life He undertook to fulfil every letter of the Law of Moses so that in the body prepared by His Father, He would live and move and have in being in God.
One Foundation
God is the One and Only unchangeable foundation upon which to rest.
May the fluctuating fancies of the flesh help us to rest in the immutable God – the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Same yesterday, today, and for the eternal ages to come.
The way out is by increase of love; and we shall remain locked up until we are there.... True spirituality is the measure of love of God shed abroad in the heart, all the spirituals rest upon and have their rise out of love.
That is only figurative language, which means be occupied with Him, set your mind on Him, dwell in Him, rest in Him, abide in Him; or, as Paul would say, Gaze on Him, behold Him, let Him be the object of your occupation, and the Spirit will make you free.
It may be that you do not feel the full weight of that; but if ever you come, as perhaps some of you have come, to a time, such as many of the most faithful and devoted and greatly-used servants of God have known, when the dark forces spread themselves over, gather around in their hordes, and seek to come between you and your Lord and then begin their whisperings The Lord has given you up, handed you over, or something to that effect when you come to that place, then I trust you will know that this word is no light word, no unimportant word: for the last depths of Calvary were fathomed in the moment when our Lord cried that bitter cry and gained the answer and came out victorious and into rest.
It may be working in other directions, but wherever it is present the result is that deep down in your being you are not satisfied, you are not at rest.
The Lord had cried in the midst of a burdened, tyrannized, religious nation Come unto Me, all ye that labor 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.
What is the old yoke, the old burden, which has harassed and worn these people so that they are weary to death, drawing out His compassionate appeal Come unto Me, and I will give you rest?
one are sufficient to rest upon in the spiritual journey upon which we’ve all embarked, but all will be used in the eternal plan, for a life who truly cries: Thy Will Be Done.
There still exists, therefore, a full and complete rest for the people of God. (Hebrews 4:9 Phillips)
Well, for one thing, the very door into true Christianity is the door of rest, the rest of faith.
The very simple way in which the Lord put it in His appeal was Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28).
The meaning of the Lord in using those words is given to us here in the letter to the Hebrews, a very much deeper and fuller meaning than is generally recognized in the usage of the simple invitation Come unto Me... and I will give you rest.
There is something that we have to hear, to detect, in the statement There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God (Heb. 4:9; A.S.V.).
You will not think me too elementary, for you know in your heart, as well as I do in mine, that this matter of heart rest, the rest of faith, is a live question continually, it is coming up all the time.
One of the things which is lacking in so many of us is this rest, or, to put it the other way, the things which characterize us so much are fret, anxiety, uncertainty, and all those things which are just the opposite of calm assurance, quiet confidence, the spirit and attitude and atmosphere which says all the time, Don't worry, don't fret, it is all right.
One thing our great enemy is always trying to do is to disturb that, destroy that, rob us of that, churn us up, fret us, drive us, harass us, anything to rob us of our rest or to prevent us from entering into rest.
It is the rest of faith, not just the rest of passivity, indifference, and carelessness.
There remaineth, there is still to be had, there still obtains, there still exists, there is still preserved a rest for the people of God for the people of God.
Interlinked Attributes
But sanctification, grace, growth, faith et al, are all interlinked, and a wrong course in one will inevitably influence all the rest.
If we cant accept one area of truth we put a question mark over the rest.
Though expectations may fail of their realisation, and the blossom of hope may fall and die – still cling to Him, the Lover of your soul Remember, our deepest disappointments can often prove to be the richest of blessings in His sweet timing – only rest in His arms of love.
The Blood shelters from the Judge, but there is no rest there.
The other, the land of promise, with rest instead of desert wanderings, and with abundance instead of want - symbols of the two stages of the Christian life.
Fleeting Time
As blood-bought believers and servants of the Lord Jesus, we have the rest of our lives ahead of us, and yet we too are at the very door of our departure from earth... as for man, his days are like grass.
Being born again is the first completed step of the rest of your Christian life, and the majority of Scripture tells about this journey through life – a journey through life of sanctification.
Free Choice
Unlike the rest of the creation which depends on fixed properties, laws or instincts. Man was created in the image and likeness of God and given volition – free choice.
By GRACE we are to live... as we abide in Christ, rest in Him, and trust His Word...and it is GRACE that teaches us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions.
He continues: What devastation often permeates the life of one, young or old, rich or poor, saved or unsaved, who is not sure of being accepted, even on a human level, and yet so many believers, whether 'strugglers' or 'vegetators', move through life without this precious fact to rest on and build upon.
Hence it is the saint who is the object of the greatest favor who needs to be on his guard, that he allow not his eye to rest on himself where the favors are sent, but on God from whom they come.
Where He is, is my home - there I feed and rest; but here, on earth, I am learning to set aside in death everything in me which hinders the manifestation of the life of the Lord Jesus. -J.B.S.
Expectant Waiting
By faith Enoch, Elijah, Simeon believed the promise and lived in expectant waiting. Enoch waited his translation, Elijah his transport and Simeon to see the Lord’s Christ. Enoch waited for over 400 years and Simeon waited for the rest of his life. Their promise was given, accepted, believed, and they waited in humble anticipation.
Yet He came to each individual at the right time and in His unique way.. to achieve His work in them. If we rest on our own understanding we often miss His precious presence. If we rely upon our own expectations we often forgo His unexpected visitations.
But the criteria for entrance into the gates of glory will never rest on my own merit. There is one reason and one alone that God flings wide the gates to His kingdom.. and that is trusting in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. This is eternal life – that they know God and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent. Heaven’s admissions policy is to know God and His only begotten Son – our Saviour.
He knew he was changed, he was in the good of God rest.... This man was a testimony which was the answer to every argument.
A real answer to every argument so that people say, ell, look here, it is not the teaching they have taken on, the associations they have made: no, no, look at them; you know what they were, you know how little they counted, you know what cripples they were spiritually, you know what liabilities they were, you know how much they were without rest: but look now; they have the goods, they are in the good of things, they are counting, they mean something, and they are in rest, they are in joy, they are in satisfaction, they themselves are changed!What can you say to that?
You and I are to be here as those who in themselves convince others because we embody His rest, we embody His peace, we embody His strength, and we count for something.
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.2Corinthians 12:9
We are to grow from being a baby Christian, whose main focus is the importance of repenting of our pre-salvation sins and bathing in the joy of being saved, into becoming a mature believer, where we develop an abiding fellowship with the Father, by walking in the light of His glorious truth and being continuously cleansed through His sufficient grace - as we rest in our Saviour's love.
Just as Jesus rested in His Father so we are to rest in Him - to abide in Him - and He in us.
For just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you produce spiritual fruit unless you abide in Me.Day by day, we are to remain in Him and He in us; we are to abide in Him and He in us; we are to rest in Him and He in us.
but they broke their covenant with God and wandered far away from the Lord. They turned to worship idols and became a proud and arrogant people, considering themselves to be superior to the rest of mankind.
What glorious grace it is to know that the forgiveness of our sins does not have to rest on our own merit or good works, but is secured on Christ's finished work on the Cross for His name's sake.
The city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.
Christ's feet will stand on the Mount of Olives which will be split in two, enabling the rest of His people to flee, just as they fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah.
While Paul admitted that having a Jewish heritage was a great advantage and that there was a clear distinction between God's relationship with Israel and His dealings with the rest of mankind, he also made it clear that every member of the Jewish race was equally guilty before God and needed salvation just like Gentiles - and Romans 3 makes this point very clear.
Although the Lord warned Jeremiah that the people would not listen to his words, remember their covenant with God, or return to the old ways of righteousness, this weeping prophet was faithful to his calling: Thus says the LORD, he declared, Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls.
The Law of Moses and God's promises to David were given to direct the nation towards the road of righteousness and the path to peace where they would find rest for their soul.
They secured God's blessings for His people and promised rest for their soul, while disobedience dictated devastation, destruction, and deportation from their promised land.
Let us not be drunk with wine or controlled by any other substance or emotion that discredits our Heavenly Father, but let us go on being filled, day by day, with the Holy Spirit of God so that we may manifest the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in our lives, today and throughout the rest of our time on earth.
He knows that only as we sever our reliance on the world's destructive securities and rest our trust entirely on Christ Jesus our Lord, will we break free from the yoke of this world's slavery.
Let us rest on the assurances of His presence in every one of life's difficulties, knowing that no weapon formed against us will prosper, and every tongue that accuses us in judgement will be condemned.
Having thoroughly and systematically presented every aspect of the glorious gospel of salvation, and the eternal foundation of God's amazing grace upon which these everlasting truths rest, Paul earnestly urges believers in Christ to practically apply all that he has taught in this weighty epistle to the Romans, by presenting our bodies to the Lord as a living sacrifice.
It is only as we remain in Christ, rest in His love, and walk in the path He has planned for us, that we will discover all His paths are strewn with goodness and grace.
It cost this first generation of Jews the rest they had been promised.
'Unbelief' and 'rebellion' are words that are associated with the disobedience exhibited in this first generation of Jews and the seriousness of 'striving' with the Lord and 'testing' Him is demonstrated by missing their promised rest and having to wander in the wilderness for 40-long years.
A passion and purpose that he could not carry out in his own 'wretched' strength, but a passion and a purpose that was fulfilled by means of the indwelling power of Christ which lived in him and worked mightily through him - a power that works mightily in ALL who will cease from their own fleshly strivings, rest in His love, and abide in Christ's sufficient strength - for His grace is sufficient.
And so Christ, our gentle, humble God and Saviour offers ALL of us who are weary to come to Him for rest.
Only in Him can we find eternal consolation and a bright hope, for His yoke IS easy, His burden IS light, and we WILL find eternal rest for our soul in Him.
And we are to show forth His loving-kindness, patient endurance, gracious favour and perfect peace through the witness of our lives - which is only possible as we rest in Him.
Both the Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul were acutely aware of the delight, the strength, the grace, and the peace, that flows from this blessed communion with our Saviour, when we rest and abide in Christ and He in us.
There is no more beneficial activity than reflecting, pondering and contemplating the Word of God, which is nourishment for the soul, rest for the weary, peace for the troubled, comfort for the afflicted, and instruction for the man of God.
When we realise that we can do nothing of ourselves, we can finally take the pressure off ourselves and instead rest fully in the capable arms of the Lord.
Sheep have to be guarded from enemy attacks, and guided by the shepherd, because the little flock in their care, often wander away, become fearful or blindly follow the rest of the sheep.
Rather, let us trust in the faithful Word of God, for the Lord will fight for us, while we need to rest in His love and trust His Word, for He Who had promised will do it, in His way, and to His glory.
Eliashib and the rest of the priests, were leaders in Israel.
There are many lessons that we can learn from Eliashib the high priest, and the rest of those that toiled so tirelessly in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and the gates of the City.
Throughout their history Israel has been viciously attacked by the rest of the world - a satanically orchestrated plan to prevent God from fulfilling His plans to redeem mankind.
The journey of life is not a stroll through a rose garden of delight, but a long-distance race that requires determination and effort - as we rest our confidence in Christ, trust in His sufficiency, and appropriate all that is ours in Him.
He is our Defence and our Defender against the enemies of our soul, and all who rest in Him find courage and strength.
We are to rest confidently in the knowledge that He is our faithful God; the supreme Creator of all, and Commander of the armies of heaven Who redeems us by faith in the shed blood of Christ, and will never leave us nor forsake us.
We are to rest peacefully in the truth of His Word and be still in His holy presence.
Salvation must rest on a genuine, bona fide heart-faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ Who was sent by the Father be the sacrifice for the sin of the whole world.
We have been promised when we rest in Him and walk in spirit and truth, His peace will guard our heart and guide our path.
Blessings of peace come from the Father of peace, and the blessedness of peace-making rests on the Prince of Peace, Who has become both Founder and Finisher of all our peace, and imparts His eternal peace by His Spirit of Peace, which flows out of us to others as we rest in Christ and permit His peace to flood our heart.
Christ was not born with a sin nature like the rest of humanity, and although fully God and having all the divine attributes of the Godhead, He had to learn obedience by the things that He suffered.
He had settled in the wicked city of Sodom and was taken captive by invaders from the north, along with the rest of his family and other citizens of the region.
He has promised to cover us with His gentle calm and protect us by His perfect peace, when our hearts rest in Him.
Let us believe what God has said and rest in the knowledge that it is the God of the universe Who says to each one of us: When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you.
The end of the matter and the truth that must strike the chord of our inner being, is that Christ loves us and that in all these things we can have the victory because he is the eternal Victor Who identifies with us, and with Whom we have the right to be identified with Him.How often are we enjoined to abide in Christ, to rest in Him, and remain in Him!
When we rest in His sufficient strength, we always discover it is all we need, but how often we forgo the perfect peace He promises, simply because we trusted in self before our Saviour, or lived in accordance with what we see rather that what God says.
We simply need to rest in His love and yield to the work of His Spirit in the inner man, for faithful is He Who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
For the rest of our lives, we are being progressively sanctified as we mature in the faith, grow in grace, and submit to the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit within our lives.
But also: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God, and the rest of the Bible is dedicated to another act of creation, the new creation in Christ.
As believers, we are called to abide in Him, to rest in Him, to remain in Him, to live holy in Christ Jesus, to walk in spirit and truth, and not to be conformed to the fleshly ways of the world.
The more we rest, remain, and abide in Him, the more the love of God is perfected in us.
The way that God manifests Himself to the world today is through the love we have for one another, but this is only possible as we rest, remain and abide in Him.
Having been born again and credited with Christ's righteousness, it will never be withdrawn, as was the case with Abram, and like him, we also are to live the rest of our life by faith.
Like Abraham, we are to have confidence in His power and His faithfulness to carry out all that He has purposed and all that He has promised, which means that we do not rely on our own understanding or abilities, our merit or righteousness, but rest on the veracity of His Word.
Unlike the rest of Christ's apostles who walked with Jesus throughout His earthly ministry, Paul was called to be God's apostle to the Gentiles following the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Ascension into heaven.Because of Paul's unusual calling and unique ministry, there were many who criticised his teaching and challenged his authority, which is why he so vigorously defended his calling and frequently made reference to the direct revelation he received from the Lord.Here in first Corinthians, Paul found it necessary to severely admonish the believers in Corinth for their disgraceful conduct which discredited the Lord, tarnished their witness, and rendered them carnal Christians and spiritual infants.The unruly disunity, riotous behaviour, greedy indulgence, and disregard for the needs of their brothers and sisters in Christ, was even displayed during the celebration of the Lord's Supper – which Paul had already taught was a time to reflect on the reality of Christ's sacrificial death, until His coming again.And so in this passage, Paul is preparing to criticise and correct the shocking behaviour of these carnally minded believers, by reminding them of his own unique calling and the direct revelation he received from the Lord, which had already been taught to them on an earlier occasion.He reminded them that he had been called personally by God, and delivered a specific message regarding the importance and seriousness of the Lord's Supper, which they were currently disregarding:For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, Paul reminded them, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and gave thanks, and broke it and said, 'This is My body, which is given for you – do this in remembrance of Me.'May we never forget the enormous price that was paid for our redemption, at the Cross.
After his tremendous victory, when he slaughtered the kings and rescued his nephew and the rest of the people, Abraham returned them and their stolen goods to their hometown.
This was the place where he built an altar to worship the Lord and this was the place where he purchased a cave, in which to bury Sarah his wife, after her death, This was the place that Abraham was buried and the place that Isaac, the son of promise was also laid to rest.
while the poor man is quickly pushed into a corner, denied a seat and treated in an inferior manner, lest his presence might cause the rest of the congregation some embarrassment.
The Lord Jesus is our promised rest, and to live a victorious life in the daily challenges we face, is to appropriate what is already ours - by faith - for His grace is sufficient.
While Canaan was Israel's promised rest, Christ Jesus is our promised 'Rest'.
In the same way, believers in this Church age can immediately enter the promised rest we have in Christ and be kept in His perfect peace, through a living faith, humble obedience, a heart that is guided by the Spirit of God, and a life that walks in spirit and truth.
For 40 years, Israel was prevented from entering their rest due to carnality, and in the same way, the redeemed Body of Christ who have been brought into glorious union with Him can remain in a spiritual wilderness of spiritual infancy and live a defeated life throughout our sojourn on earth.
Every one of us have been given all we need to live a victorious life through Christ and partake of our promised rest, if we will simply believe His Word, live by faith, and receive all that is ours in Christ.
His never changing character, His all-sufficient wisdom, and His free gift of grace to all who trust in Christ, gives stability to the soul and rest to the heart.
God has done all things appropriately and well, and He has set eternity in the heart of all men so that those who seek Him with all their heart will find rest for their soul in Him and receive the gift of eternal life through faith in Christ.
It was by God's grace that Adam's condemnation rested on ONE single act of disobedience - in order that by God's grace man's redemption could also rest on ONE act of obedience - one single act of sacrifice which made possible the justification of all who will believe.
But Christ’s invitation: Come to Me all you who labour and are heavy laden, brings rest to the weary, comfort for the hurting, solace to the heavily laden, and rest for the soul.
This was the time Jesus stopped offering the kingdom to national Israel, began to teach in parables, and started to turn his undivided attention to believing individuals who laboured and were heavy laden, and invited them to come to Him for rest.
Come, just as you are and I will give you rest.
This promise of rest that Jesus offers is a rest that He freely gives to all who will come to Him for salvation.
The rest that Christ gives, is an eternal rest beyond our understanding that can never be earned or purchased.
The rest He offers, is freely available as God’s gift of grace to whosoever will COME.
Come to Me, ALL who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
God's Sabbath rest was rudely interrupted by sin, but God in His grace knew before the foundation of the world that man would disobey Him and His work of redemption would have to begin at a point in time.
God's Sabbath rest was halted and He began His amazing work of redeeming fallen humanity, which was why the Lord Jesus answered the Pharisees by saying: My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.
Each member of the Godhead has their own unique role in the salvation of mankind, and that work of salvation - spirit, soul and body, will continue until there is a new heaven, a new earth and eternal rest for the Creator and His creation alike.
Let us never forget that in the same way that we were justified by faith when we first believed, we are to spend the rest of our lives being sanctified by faith in the power of the Spirit, as we abide in Christ and submit to the leading and guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
All the inconceivable and vast riches of His glory were set aside for your sake and for mine and He stripped Himself of everything, becoming so poor that He did not even have a place to rest His head.
God, in His grace, not only removes the sin-barrier that estranges man from his Creator God, but He desires His people to rest in His love and to know His own precious peace deep within our hearts so that we may enjoy sweet fellowship with Him.The Lord has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, and all His promises to us are all 'yes' and 'amen' in Jesus Christ our Lord.
What comfort, rest, and reassurance wash the hearts and minds of believers when reflecting on the overwhelming love of God and the depth and height and length and breadth to which His grace extends.
Our confidence must never rest in ourselves or our abilities.
But the child of God who seeks to lift up the Lord Jesus and to glorify His name, is jealous of the task ahead and resolutely sets his eye on the finishing line of this earthly race.Such a one does not rest on his laurels but strains his spiritual muscle.
The hope that was placed into the hearts of the disciples on that wondrous ascension morn, kept the expectation of their Lord’s return alive in His disciples' hearts for the rest of their difficult lives.
There is indeed a time to work, but as Jesus reminded His disciples, there is also a time to rest: Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.
And should we not be careful to rest in Him, draw our strength from Him alone, and to drink from His overflowing fountain of life?
They had heard Jesus' invitation: Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you the Sabbath rest that God promised you so long ago.
They consider themselves superior to the rest of earth's population and are ever learning some new 'mystical' spirituality, while never coming to the truth of the gospel.
They were saved that first Passover night, but lived the rest of their life in defeat.
Just as Israel were saved from Egypt, so we are saved from the slave-market of sin, but are warned to take care and not follow in the footsteps of those who, after being freed from Egyptian bondage, started to murmur against God and fell from grace, living the rest of their lives in failure. Redeemed but defeated.
We are to be covered in His truth, covered in His righteousness, and rest in His peace and His salvation which is ours by grace alone through faith alone in His finished work alone.
I loathed that generation, and said they are a people who err in their heart, for they do not know My ways. Therefore, I swore in My anger, truly they shall not enter into My rest.
However, the result of their disobedience and unbelief was that they did not enter God's promised rest in the land of Canaan.
Only two of the Israelites redeemed from Egypt were allowed to enter the Promised Land of Canaan, because the rest of the people had become a disobedient and rebellious nation.
Although God did not initially command man to rest from his daily activities on the seventh day, nevertheless, He used it to teach the important principle of taking one day of rest and refreshment, in seven.
He also uses it as a pointer to the final 'Day of Rest' - the Millennial Kingdom when Christ will rule and reign as God's appointed King, following 6000 years of earth's chaos which stemmed from man's disobedience.
Centuries later, the Sabbath rest was to be introduced as part of the Mosaic Law for the nation of Israel.
However, for Christians in this Church age, Christ has already become our Sabbath rest.
Indeed, the writer to the Hebrews exhorts us to 'enter into' our 'Sabbath rest' which we receive through Christ - for He is the Lord of the Sabbath.
He is our special Sabbath Rest.
Following God's day of rest, He started a new work - a new work of creation which is continuing to this day.
Today and forever, Jesus is our Sabbath rest because we are saved by grace through faith in Him.
May we rest and abide in Him, moment by moment and day by day, until we finally arrive, spirit, soul, and body, to take up our place in the coming kingdom of God - when the earth will be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.
Similarly, the Sabbath day ritual, which was guarded so jealously by the religious leaders of Israel, was simply a pale shadow of the Lord Jesus Christ Who Himself, has become the Sabbath rest for the people of God, and for all who trust in Him for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
It is only as we abide in Him, rest in His love; trust His word and look to Him in all things that we can walk in His ways and bring forth much fruit to His praise and glory.
Let us read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the truth that is enfolded in the embrace of these words of wisdom that have been sent to us directly from our Father's throne in heaven: Rest in God alone, my soul - for my hope comes from Him.
It is as we abide in Him and rest in His love, that the Lord endows us with His perfect peace which passes human understanding, and gives us the assurance that He is with us - even to the end of the age.
Yes, Uzziah had to be removed from the scene so that the only holy One of Israel, in Whom our hope should always rest, would be seen as the only One to Whom we must always turn to in times of trouble.
If, by grace through faith in Christ, we have been made alive (or 'born again' as the Bible calls it) by the Spirit of God, we also need to live the rest of our lives in the same way - by means of the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
If we live by the Spirit (at rebirth) let us also walk by the Spirit (for the rest of our lives).
But the question is often asked: If we have been born again and made alive by the Spirit of God, how do we walk by the Sprit for the rest of our lives?
We were saved by faith and, for the rest of our life, we are to live by faith, to pray by faith, to walk by faith - to walk by means of the Spirit.
Only a couple of chapters in the Bible were devoted to God's creation and the role that Man was to play in the plans and purposes of God, and yet the rest of Scripture opens up God's amazing plan of redemption which He purposed before the world was made: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that all who believe on HIM would not perish but have everlasting life.
Let us make sure that today, and for the rest of our life on earth, we offer entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, on behalf of all men.
Praise God that the rest of the book of Romans gives us clear guidelines on how to be saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, the one and only Saviour Whose sacrificial death paid the full price for our sin, and Whose glorious Resurrection imparted to us His resurrected life, making us part of an entirely new creation, children of God, and joint-heirs with Christ - by faith in HIM.
He is described as righteous and devout, and unlike the rest of the religious leaders he was looking forward, with great anticipation, to 'Israel's consolation'.
Paul was confident that his reassurances would calm their hearts, still their concerns, and bring peace to their souls, and so he encouraged them to pray for him and for the rest of his ministry team constructively, before reassuring them, We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing, and will continue to do what we command.
And while Chapter 1 deals with Christ's transition from his earthly ministry into His role as our heavenly High Priest, the rest of Acts gives insight into the development of the early Church, the ongoing work of the Spirit in and through the Church, and the postponement of God's dealings with Israel.
He used Israel's failure to conquer the Land of Canaan, to proclaim that there remains a 'rest' for the people of God - and we who trust in Him have found that our rest is in HIM.
Early each morning, Jesus would come to His Father in prayer, and at the close of the day, His greatest joy and delight was to rest in the presence of His Father and enjoy sweet commune with Him.
We may not like to consider this to be a portrait of our pre-salvation state... but the Word of God confirms it to be so: For there are none that are good, not even one, for we were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest of the human race.
As children of wrath, along with the rest of humanity, we automatically indulged in the desires of the flesh and the lust of the mind.
May we, the Body of Christ, rest in His peace in this hostile, violent world, and look up and lift up our heads as our redemption draws nigh when Jesus comes in the clouds to Rapture His Bride and take us into heaven to be with Him.
But not many years after their declaration of devotion, they broke their word and started their cycle of rebellion, retribution, repentance, and rest – until the next time.
When evil and distressing situations happen to thwart our personal plans, we have a number of choices: We can wallow in the slough of despond, murmur against God for our misfortune, and bemoan our sorry state as we become embittered with our lot OR, by faith we can rest in the promises of God, knowing that no matter what happens in this life, God WILL bring good out of evil.
God ordained that the man, created in His own image and likeness, was to be His representative on earth, and the Lord gave dominion of the whole earth into his hands - but man sinned and God began to work once more - a work of redemption began - a plan that He had purposed before the world was created.But many years later, God used the example of His seventh day of rest as a distinctive sign between Himself and the nation of Israel.
God's Sabbath rest happened before man fell and sin entered the world, and so Israel's Sabbath was also to be a sign that pointed forward to a future rest - a promised rest for the people of God.
But although that day will be translated into the Millennial rule of Christ and the eternal ages to come, as with all God’s signs to Israel, the true meaning of God’s rest was to be personified in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
is Christ's promise to all: Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls - for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.Israel’s Sabbath rest, just like their Law, their Tabernacle, their Priesthood, and their sacrifices, was to be a sign that pointed to Jesus.
He is not only to rule as King of kings and Lord of Lords, but He gives rest for the soul.
Rest is only found in Jesus for He is our living Rest - our promised Rest - our eternal Rest - our Sabbath Rest.
It is JESUS Who was, and is, and is to be the ultimate Sabbath Rest for ALL the people of God.Praise God that our Sabbath Rest is found in Jesus and not in the keeping of the Law.
Praise God that the day is coming when Israel will recognise the Lord Jesus as their own Sabbath Rest.
In spite of all the wonders they witnessed, they murmured against God, fell into disobedience, and failed to enter their promised rest - and it was all because of their unbelief.
I would fly away and be at rest, and in this verse, we pick up the same desperate feelings of sadness and isolation, and the same pitiful picture of a frightened little bird that is trapped and all alone.
May the grace and favour of God continue to rest upon us, and may the beauty of the Lord Jesus be seen in us and through us as we submit to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit in our life, to His praise and glory.
There is a wonderful rest that the Lord can give to those that are His, in the midst of the troubles that life which seem to shower over our heads or that try to bury us in the depths of depression.
We need to rest in the trust that we have in our Saviour.
We need to Faith-Rest.
But how can you and I Faith-Rest when our lives are shattered and the brokenness of our heart is haemorrhaging?
Let us trust in His love, rest in His promises, and believe the truth of God's Word which tells us that He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds, and He is able because He went to the Cross on our account, and shed His blood to become our substitute.
For 40 years the children of Israel had wandered in the wilderness instead of entering the promised land, due to their lack of faith. They were saved from Egypt, but because of unbelief, they lived a defeated life and failed to enter their promised rest.
In the second case, Christ died to break the power of sin in our life, which means that for the rest of the time that we live in this sinful world, sin does not have to have power over us.
The damning truth of man's sinful nature is the foundation upon which the rest of Romans is laid - and from this point on, Paul lays out the most comprehensive treatise of God's amazing plan of redemption - through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus promised to give us the peace of God to guard our hearts - a peace that brings comfort and rest, refreshment, and hope - a perfect inner peace that transcends humanity's comprehension - both now and forevermore.
John gives the instruction to abide in Christ and rest our soul in Him so that when the Lord Jesus appears in the clouds to take us to be with Himself, we may have trusting confidence in His many precious promises and not shrink away from Him in shame, at His return.
The Lord set apart the Sabbath unto Himself and it represented completion, perfection, and rest.
God did not rest because He was weary but because He had finished creating a perfect world and was satisfied with all that He had done.
When God made His covenant with Israel, He used this seventh day of creation, His Sabbath rest, as an ongoing, repetitive, weekly reminder to the nation that a true Sabbath rest was coming for the people of God.
God's Sabbath rest in Genesis and the commemorative commandment He gave to His people Israel: Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy, is a beautiful picture to us all of the true Sabbath rest.
CHRIST JESUS is the full and final Sabbath rest Who will one day bring ALL things back under God's righteous jurisdiction.
We who are saved by grace through faith have already trusted in Christ for salvation, and in so doing have not only found our rest in Him already, but as the writer to the Hebrews reminds us, there remains a Sabbath rest for ALL the people of God, an eternal Sabbath rest in the ages to come that is ours by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
This was to show that God's choice did not rest on the good or bad behaviour of Issac's twins, but on God's sovereign election and His pre-determined selection.
The line of succession did not rest on the good or bad works of Rebekah's twins, or their seniority.
Although leaders and elders in the Church should be respected by the rest of the members, they should not be revered or exalted as they were in Corinth.
We are moving nearer to the end of this life's dark night, where we will throw off this tent of flesh and be clothed in our new, glorified, resurrection bodies - and so we shall ever be with the Lord Jesus, for the rest of time and throughout all eternity.Do this!
He will open up the Scriptures to our understanding, as we walk with Him by the way; commune with Him in our homes; work alongside Him in the duties of the day, respond to His still small voice, and simply rest, moment by moment in His love.
And Paul anticipates the different Jewish objections in his Roman letter and proceeds to address the first objection in this verse: if as you say Paul that Israel can't rest their salvation on our Jewish heritage..
And all who trust in Him for salvation may enter into His promised rest. Christ Jesus is the visible image of the invisible, triune God, and although in times past God spoke in various ways through Moses and the prophets, in these last days God has clearly spoken to man through His Son, Whom He has appointed heir of all things.
As this is the only place in the New Testament that refers to the 'unction' or 'anointing' of the Spirit, it is important to know how it relates to the Spirit's work in the rest of Scripture.
But like the other disciples and the rest of the women, Mary had forgotten all that Jesus had told them - that He would be crucified and handed over to the Gentiles... that He would be mocked and mistreated, insulted and spat upon.
He picked Israel to be His chosen nation and gave them a Sabbath day rest from their earthly labour, as a picture of a future day of rest.
Israel's Sabbath was a weekly reminder that a Saviour was coming one day, to end their toil and bring them into an eternal day of rest, and it was finally accomplished at the First Coming of Christ, for all who would believe.
Israel's Sabbath rest not only pointed back to God's day of rest following His work of creation, but also looked forward to that future day of rest, when all earthly toil would be ended and we will enjoy His eternal 'day of rest'.
When the Lord commanded Israel: Remember the Sabbath-Day to keep it holy, and charged them to take a day of rest following six days of labour, it was not meant to frustrate them and become onerous to them.
It was designed to be a time of spiritual refreshment and a sign-post to a future day of rest, when God would wipe away all tears from their eyes and set up His earthly kingdom of peace and prosperity, where every man would sit under his own vine.
Instead of it being a day of rest and enjoyment for the good of men's souls, it became burdensome.
We are encouraged to meet together for instruction and fellowship, but believers who have trusted Christ for salvation have found our rest in HIM.
As new creatures in Christ, we have already found true rest through our new, regenerated life of faith in Christ, while Israel's Sabbath is a picture, which simply points them towards the Person and Work of Christ the Saviour, in Whom they will finally discover eternal rest.
But the rest of God's people who have not trusted Christ for their redemption, must face the great and dreadful Day of the Lord, when the full force of God's wrath will be poured out on this Christ-rejecting, sinful world.
Peter identified one further essential qualification for an apostle, by saying, It is necessary that he is a witness, with the rest of us, of Christ's Resurrection.
But rather, let us stand still, rest in His promises, abide in His love, and trust His Word - for greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.
May we listen to God's call, trust His Word, obey His command, and respond to His voice when we hear Him say, COME unto Me all ye who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest for your soul.
It must have been a great comfort to Moses to hear the Lord guarantee, My presence will go with you and I will give you rest. And this wonderful promise from God is as relevant today as it was in those distant days, when Moses first heard those beautiful words of encouragement.
The world seeks to draw us away from our rest in the Lord, but we have been given the Word of God, and in Him we have everything needed that pertains to holiness.
Mary must have been so confused, but like the rest of His disciples, she had failed to hear and understand that He was man's Kinsman-Redeemer Whose sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection would bring life to all who believe in Him, would bring glory to God, and would destroy the works of the evil one.
Some unscrupulous people like to use this verse to bamboozle others and exert a spirit of control over them by saying that in their particular case, they have achieved this elevated condition of sinlessness, while the rest of the Christian riffraff clearly have not attained to this lofty state of purity.
And so began a prolonged debate between Job and his three 'comforters' which opened with a lengthy lamentation from this hurting man where he cursed the day he was born, bemoaned the fact that he had not been miscarried or stillborn, questioned the misery all men have to experience in life, and expressed his desire to be dead and buried: In death the wicked cease from raging, and by departing this life the weary soul is at rest.
Ruth longed for Boaz to come to her, but we hear the wise advice of her mother-in-law, sit still my daughter, until you know how the matter will fall: for the man will not rest, until he has finished the thing this day. Ruth had to learn patience as she waited for Boaz to attend to the important business affairs regarding their marriage union, and Ruth had to trust him to return at the appropriate time, when all the arrangements had been completed - to claim her as his bride.
He has covered us with His robe of righteousness and given us the indwelling Holy Spirit as an expression of His fidelity and trustworthiness... and He will not rest until the matter is finalised.
In His absence He has encouraged us to abide in Him, to rest in His love, to wait for the fulfilment of His promises to us, and to watch for His any day return.
Instead of trusting God to fight the giants in the land, their faith in God failed, and He swore in His wrath they would not enter His promised rest.
Israel's failure to enter God's rest is a cautionary tale which warns Christians not to follow their example of unbelief: Redeemed but living a defeated life on earth; Saved, but forfeiting all that God planned to do in us and through us during our journey in life; Saved from eternal death by faith in Christ, but living a defeated Christian life and forfeiting our spiritual inheritance.
Because of their unbelief, the entire generation was buried in the wilderness, never having enjoyed the 'rest' the Lord had promised them.
The warning of this cautionary tale is that we do not to lose faith in the precious promises of God, for He has promised that His grace is sufficient in every difficult circumstance of life, and no matter what 'giants' we may encounter as we journey through life, we have His assurance of a victorious life with spiritual blessings - and rest for our soul.
May we take to heart this warning in both the Old and New Testament to hold fast to the faith we have in Christ and to trust in God's unchanging Word, for He has promised a rest for the people of God, and that rest is found in Christ.
Second, a poorly dressed 'ragamuffin' who is met with stiff disapproval, and rudely and unceremoniously instructed to remain standing at the back away from view, or curtly told to sit-down on the floor, out of sight where he would not offend the sensibility of the rest of the congregation.
Once we are in Christ, we are commanded to abide in Christ, to remain in Christ, to stay in fellowship with the Lord, to enjoy communion with Him, to rest in His love.
Jesus died for us to pay the price for sin - BUT, He also rose again, so that whether we wake or sleep - whether we continue to live in this mortal realm or cast off this physical 'tent' when we die, we know that we will live together with Christ until the consummation of this Church age when we will be raised in an eternal and incorruptible body - for the rest of time (the Millennial kingdom) and for the eternal ages to come.
No wonder this Psalm begins with the words do not fret, but let us, like David, rest in the safe arms of the Protector of our soul, the Establisher of our steps.
Paul quoted David's exultant prophetic utterance from Psalm 16, which caused his heart to be glad, his tongue to rejoice, and his flesh to rest in hope: You will not leave my soul in Hades, or allow Your Holy One to see decay.
In his epistle to the Ephesians, Paul tells us how we can be strong and how our hearts can take courage; we are to put on the armour of God and rest our entire hope in Him and Him alone.
He wanted the horrors of life that surrounded him, at that time, to be removed far away... but David had to learn that you can't run away from the circumstances of life, you can't escape from those that would do you harm, you can't live in this world and be free from trials and tribulations, you can't fly away to a deserted place and be at rest, for we live in a fallen world, we inhabit a fallen body and we live among a fallen race of fallen creatures.
The only way to be at rest is to abide in Christ and to have Him abiding in us, every moment of the day - as we walk in spirit and truth, as we trust in the Lord with all our heart, as we keep self nailed to the cross, and as we die to self and live for Him.
The Lord Jesus was the one Who, throughout His earthly life, demonstrated how all humanity was originally designed to live, and He remains the perfect example of a Man with godly wisdom and gracious understanding for He was meek and lowly of heart, and in Him we find rest for our soul.
In Him is found rest for the soul, and this rest is freely available to all who traverse this world in the paths of righteousness en route to our heavenly home.
He knows just when to call us aside to rest awhile; it is His streams that make glad the city of God, and His pools of refreshment that rejoice the hearts of all His people.
FIRST, Church-age saints who have died will be resurrected (the dead in Christ rise first) - SECOND, the rest of the Body of Christ will be taken into His presence without seeing death (then, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with the Church-age saints, and we will all forever be with the Lord).
Jesus is the one Who calls us by name to: Come away and rest awhile, and it is Jesus Who: Maketh ME to lie down in green pastures.
Let us not resist the rod and staff of our Saviour, but listen to His voice and trust His leading when He steps into our busy lives and calls us to turn aside and rest awhile in the green pastures to where He has brought us.
What refreshment is available to us, what deep, rejuvenating rest we can experience when we lie down in the green pastures of our Good Shepherd.
No doubt, Peter had pumped up his own self-confidence and courage to such an extent that he could proudly proclaim, in front of the rest of the congregation, that he would die for Jesus.
He simply wanted to stay with the Master and the message that followed no doubt shocked Peter and must have stunned the rest of the disciples. Peter was known for his boldness and bravery and often became the spokesman for the entire group, but if Peter were to fail so terribly and so soon, what hope would there be for the rest of them?
However, we who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, do have a responsibility to share the good news with others - as led by the Holy Spirit, so that their faith and ours does not rest on man's wisdom but on the power of God - alone.
Despite the assurance that we will receive a new, glorified body at the Rapture (the resurrection of Church-age saints), the old sin nature will continue to lust against our new-life-in-Christ during our sojourn on earth, and for the rest of our life it must be kept nailed to the Cross, if we are to maintain close communion with the Lord.
And although it caused Saul to tearfully acknowledge that his own vindictive hatred for David was unjust and that the actions of the future king demonstrated kindness and righteousness, Saul's change of heart was short-lived, and he pursued David for the rest of his life.
In this verse, we have a peep into the goodness and grace of God towards His errant people, for He promised: Rest and repose for the weary.
However, this beautiful promise is immediately followed by the shocking response of God's rebellion nation, for we read: He said to them, 'Here is rest.
Give rest to the weary.
The offer of rest and respite for the weary was refused and would be replaced with severe punishment - and God would use a foreign army to administer His certain judgement upon them.
Do we go to the One Who says, Come to Me all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest, or do we choose to go our own way?
Isaiah reminded them that their salvation would be in repentance and rest... and that their strength would be found in quiet confidence in God.
How quick we can be to condemn God's chosen people for rejecting the Lord's gracious message, shunning His many messengers, refusing to believe His holy Word, and failing to translate their special, covenant relationship with Him into personal repentance, trusting obedience, abiding rest, quiet confidence, and a secure faith in the gospel of God.
Just as God will apportion punishment to the unrighteous, so He will provide peace, rest, refreshment and renewal for all those who have suffered for His name's sake.
Like the people of Israel, the Promised Land of Israel was to be given rest every seventh year.
All debt was cancelled, property was restored to the rightful owner, and the land received a sabbatical rest.
Both are a picture of our great redemption in Christ through the forgiveness of sin and our life everlasting, and we are further reminded that we are covered in Christ's own righteousness and have found rest from our labour in Him.
Just as God's 6-days of creation were followed by His Sabbath rest, so the 6000 years of Satan's rule will be followed by Christ's 1000 year, Sabbatical Jubilee, and we will rule and reign with Him, having been fully and finally sanctified; spirit, soul, and body.
How we praise God that there remains a promised Sabbath-Rest for God's people of God and may we regularly call to mind Paul's trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him, for the momentary, light affliction of this present age, is producing for us an eternal weight of glory, far beyond all comparison.
AND YET - Christ finished his brief statement with one, simple instruction for each of us, abide in My love. We are to remain in His incredible love and rest in His unfathomable love.
The only way to overcome the pressures and pain that pursue each one of us is to abide in Him, to remain in Him, to rest in His love.
During His time on earth, the Lord Jesus gave us a beautiful demonstration of what it means to abide in the Lord and rest in His love - for throughout His life, the Lord Jesus did only things that He saw the Father doing.
BUT CHRIST, Paul triumphantly states, has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. The Resurrection of Christ, the pivital point in history, is a fact that we can confidently trust in and rest our faith upon.
There are also those who twist the Scriptures, by teaching that the 'drawing' of the Father refers to 'irresistible grace', which negates the doctrine of free-will and conflicts with the rest of Scripture.
Jesus was explaining that the importance of hearing the Word of God, and responding positively to His Holy Spirit's ministry in their life, lines up with the rest of Scripture.
Every one of us that submits to the Lord in faith has generous access to the wisdom of God, for the one that walks in spirit and truth will be the one that exhibits the sweet character of Christ, as we rest in Him and He lives in us.
innumerable saints whose names have been long forgotten - and precious saints of our own families whom we have been laid to rest in the dust of the earth will all be raised FIRST - and THEN..... we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air..
The word 'Christian' has been used since the days of the early Church, when those that trusted Christ for salvation were given this label to differentiate them from the rest of humanity.
We are to abide in Him and rest in Him, as through the Spirit of God we watch and wait for His any day return, when we shall see Him as He is and be forever with the Lord: Through the Spirit of God, by faith, we wait for the hope of righteousness.
Although the whole earth belongs to the Lord, for He made it and by His Word everything was created, Israel was to be His chosen nation, by whom the rest of the world would hear that God is the Lord, and through whom would come a Saviour Who would redeem all whom God credited with righteousness, by faith.
Eternal life is a free gift to ALL who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and once we have been covered in Christ's righteousness we are called to LIVE the rest of our life BY FAITH.
But however glorious our salvation and privileged our service, our calling first and foremost is to worship at His feet, to delight to do His will, to treasure His Word in our hearts, and to remain in the centre of His will for the rest of our life.
We are to keep the old 'ME' nailed to the Cross and allow the new 'ME' (the new life in Christ) to abide in Him, rest in Him, be nourished by Him, and depend upon Him in all things.
And having been freed from sin, we became slaves of righteousness - and our duty to our heavenly Redeemer is to be obedient servants under God's perfect rule of righteousness - BUT during the rest of our life on earth..
And the promises that God has given to the Church, which is the Body of Christ following His death, burial, and Resurrection, similarly rest on faith - faith in the only begotten Son of God.
As believers, we are perfect in Christ, but we still reside in our fleshly bodies and we still retain our old sin nature, which will fight against our new, perfect-life in Christ for the rest of our life on earth.
Daniel, however, was wise as well prayerful, and calmly requested a little more time to provide an answer for the king, so that he might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery - so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Daniel simply went to his house, explained the situation to his three companions, and asked them to join him in prayer to the Lord, concerning the secret of the dream, so that they would not be killed along with the rest of the wise men and courtiers of the king.
Israel would become a physical race that was ethnically distinct for the rest of humanity, whom the Lord would use to bless the world through a coming Saviour, so Israel became a theocracy - the ONLY nation that has ever been governed by God, legitimately.
Christ's finished work on the Cross gave every member of the human race the opportunity to be bought back, from the slave-market of sin and Satan, and to become free to live the rest of our life as Christ's bond-servant - through faith.
May we choose to have our spiritual ear pierced with His holy awl and consecrate the rest of our lives to His service out of deep love for the One Who purchased us with His own precious blood, and sealed our life into His protective care forever.
Our spirit was made new at salvation and our soul continues to be progressively sanctified for the rest of our life on earth - as we walk in spirit and truth.
The mistakes made by Israel in the wilderness and their slide into rebellion, unbelief, and disobedience during those 40 years of wandering, present some of the most serious warnings to the Body of Christ, for despite being saved by grace through faith when they made their exodus from Egypt, Israel lived in defeat for the rest of their lives, and failed to access God's precious promises of rest.
Not one gained the rest that they were promised.
They were eternally saved, but totally defeated for the rest of their earthly life.
Israel had been redeemed from the slave-market of sin, but failed to enter God's promised rest.
The question of their failure is clearly laid out in the book of Hebrews: And to whom did God swear that they would not enter His rest?
Who was it that God vowed would not enter a state of rest with Him?
Their rebellion and unbelief was so grievous to the Lord that He swore in His wrath, they would NOT enter His rest.
Instead of enjoying God's promised rest, they died defeated men and women; saved, yet excluded from His rest; redeemed from the slave-market of sin, yet failing to fulfil God's will for their life.
As Church-age believers we have already received our promised rest, by faith in Christ.
By faith, we have already been given ALL we need for life, godliness, and all we need to live victorious lives as we rest in Him and He in us.
May we take to heart this warning in Hebrews and seek to live a God-honouring life, and not forfeit His perfect peace in our heart, His rest for our soul, treasure in heaven, and any reward that could have been ours, for a defeated Christian life is the ultimate tragedy of disobedience, apostasy, and unbelief.
The name 'Shiloh' means 'the Bearer of Rest'. 'Shiloh' does not refer to a city or a group. 'Shiloh' is the name of the coming Messiah; the promised Seed, through Whom all the families of the earth would be blessed; the One Who brings rest for the soul and is the fulfilment of all Scripture: Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham, the father of Isaac, the father of Jacob, the father of Judah and his brothers.
He is the Prince Who gives peace with God, and He is the God of rest for our soul.
Born-again believers who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, are warned of the consequences of drifting from the truth of God's Word and the danger of failing to enter God's promised rest.
It is given freely by faith in the finished work of Christ Who bore our sin alone, carries our burden freely, and keeps calling us: Come unto Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
But if a Christian obeys Christ's command to abide in Him and He in us, he will bring forth much fruit - 10-fold, 50-fold and maybe 100-fold, and he will hear Jesus say, well-done good and faithful servant.To abide in Christ and to rest in His love is to know, with absolute certainty, that He alone is life’s sufficiency and to act on this knowledge.
Wonderful though “abiding in Him” is to the believer, it is only half of the equation, for as we rest and abide and remain in Him, so He abides in us.As our hearts cleave closely to Him and our minds are flooded with His beauty, so His Spirit abides within each one of us, teaching and training, leading and guiding, helping and comforting with an ever-increasing intimacy, as we grow in His grace and in a knowledge of our precious Saviour.Let us seek to rest in His love and abide in Him, moment by moment and day by day, for He will take each burden and all the pain of life and provide for each of us, the wisdom and strength we need to face the future, until abiding in Him and He in us becomes as natural as breathing.
Despite his blistering denunciation of the apostate ways of God's chosen people in the early chapters of Isaiah, the prophet's message from chapter 40 is one of enormous comfort and encouragement, for the Lord is a faithful and gracious God who gives strength to the weak and rest to the weary.
THEY were to be the nation through whom God revealed Himself to the rest of mankind, and THEY were a channel through whom the nations of the world were to be blessed.
Their forefathers had reaped the reward of their apostasy and disobedience and did not enter the promised rest.
As Christians, we can lose out on the promised rest that we have in Christ when we act like petulant children.
Like those murmuring men and wilful women who died in the wilderness and did not enter the promised rest in Canaan, we too can forgo some of the rest and rewards that God has promised to those that love Him.
The convicting power of the Holy Spirit was so mighty on that day, that 3000 people were cut to the heart when they realised the severity of their sinful actions - so much so that many cried out to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, 'Brethren, what are we to do?'
James, the younger brother of the Lord Jesus, explains that the testing of our faith produces endurance, while Paul in this passage encourages us, by revealing that we who are afflicted, will certainly be given relief, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire. God is the righteous judge of the whole earth, and although we appear to be living in days when evil men prosper, and the righteous are treated unjustly... punishment and judgement awaits our persecutors, while peace and rest is the reward for the people of God who are abused, afflicted, troubled, and oppressed.
This verse promises retribution for the oppressors of God's people, and rest for His saints - when Christ returns for His Church.
Having completed His work, the Lord ceased from His labour and celebrated His sabbath-rest.
There was to be a new creation with a new federal head and a future sabbath-rest for the people of God, an eternal sabbath in a flawless and undefiled world.
It was to be a perpetual reminder of God's sabbath-rest, which had been interrupted by sin.
Israel's sabbath day was a reminder of the evil of sin and the grace of God Who promised that one day He would give man rest from his labour.
It was to provide great hope as they looked forward to God's promised rest, when He would once again cease from His labour and celebrate and sanctify His sabbath-rest, with all the redeemed.
Hebrews 4 tells us: There remains a sabbath-rest for the people of God, and every member of the Godhead is still working towards this future sabbath-rest.
The Sabbath-Rest in this verse is looking toward to the full and final inheritance promised to every believer when God's work on His new creation is complete.
Old Testament believers and the Christian Church, together with Tribulation saints and those saved in the Millennium, will all be partakers of God's Sabbath-Rest which will be established when Jesus hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
Israel's millennial rest in the land promised to Abraham and his descendants, is one part of their promised sabbath-rest, and the 'rest' that Christians enjoy through faith in Christ's finished work on Calvary, is a down-payment for the full sabbath-rest in which we will one day participate: So there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God, in the eternal ages to come.
However, the so-called-circumcised - the Jews, incorrectly considered themselves to be spiritually superior to the rest of humanity, because of the sign in their flesh.
Recognising their fatigue and need of restoration, the Lord, in His gentle chiding, but gracious compassion, told them, 'Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest for a while,' because so many people were coming and going that they didn't have time enough to eat.
Throughout Scripture God often uses the simple, natural things to teach us important spiritual truths, and these gentle instructions of the Lord to His faithful little band 'to rest awhile', were no exception.
Just as the body needs time to recover and recuperate, so also the spirit and soul need times of rest and refreshment.
Just as Jesus gave these men work to do, so He called them to step aside from their mission and ministry and rest for a while.
He understands our weaknesses - and in His grace He called His disciples to, Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest for a while, because so many people were coming and going that they didn't even have time to eat.
We too need to hear the Master’s tender warning and provide ourselves with the necessary rest and refreshment in our wearisome labours, mounting pressures, escalating fatigue, and the worrisome hardships that are strewn across the daily paths of each one of us.
May we abide in Him and He in us, moment by moment, and may we respond to His call to 'COME AWAY' to a deserted place by ourselves with JESUS, knowing that He will provide the nourishment for our souls and the sufficient strength to live holy lives - as we take time to rest in His love and enjoy sweet fellowship with Him.
And so, following a season when the good news of Christ was limited to an audience of the men of Israel and Jewish proselytes, it came to pass that Peter and the rest of those early Church-age believers (all of whom were Jewish) were astonished to discover that God has no favourites.
We also are called to rest on what God has already provided for us, by grace through faith.
We are to have confidence on all that the Lord Jesus carried out at Calvary and depend on the saving work that His death and resurrection provides for all who trust on Him and rest in His truth.
Like David, we need to be men and women that delight ourselves in the Lord and meditate upon Him in our waking moments and during our times of rest, as well as throughout all the twists and turns of life so that when the storms of life whip-up around us we are not dismayed, but with David are able to claim, You are my rock and my fortress; For Your name's sake You will lead me and guide me,
The hope that was placed into the hearts of the disciples on that wondrous ascension morning, kept the hope of their Lord’s return alive in their hearts, for the rest of their difficult lives, knowing that one day their Lord would return in like manner to take them to be with Himself - for we are not appointed to the wrath that will be poured out during the Great Tribulation.
They remained in the desert for 40 years and did not enter their promised rest because of unbelief and a hardening of their hearts towards the God of their salvation.
The nation which had been redeemed from Egypt, spent the rest of their lives wandering aimlessly through a barren wilderness.
Instead of trusting God to keep His Word, they suffered the consequences of unbelief. They were redeemed from Egypt, but fell short of their promised rest. They were saved - but lived a barren life and did not fulfil God's purpose for their lives.
We are to walk by faith day by day - to trust God's Word and to rest in Christ.
God had purposed that Israel would exit Egypt and enter the Promised Land of rest within a few short weeks of their escape.
But unbelief caused the entire generation to die in the wilderness without experiencing the promised rest in the land of Canaan.
As Christians, we too have a promised rest.
However our rest is not in a land but in a PERSON - the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our rest is not simply a future rest in our heavenly home after death.
Our rest is a current rest - a present day rest, here on earth.
Jesus is the Christians' promised rest, and we gain that rest by believing.
Christians are covered in His righteousness and as members of His Body, we have access to every spiritual blessing because we are in Christ - and one of those promises is God's promised REST.
Christ is our promised peace, and we gain that peace that will guard our hearts every day of our life if we rest in Him and trust what God has said in His Word.
Although the Israelites were saved from Egypt, they forfeited their rest through unbelief.
Similarly, although Christians are saved by grace through faith in Christ, we can forfeit our spiritual rest during our journey through life.
We are to hold fast to our faith to our life's end, as we abide in Him, rest in Him, and trust Him in all things.
And yet if our eternal salvation is dependent on water baptism it stands in contradistinction to the clear teaching of the rest of the Word of God - and it indirectly declares that Christ's finished work on the cross is insufficient for our eternal salvation - requiring us to add to His finished work.
It is indeed a precious truth that we read in Mark: Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but the rest of the verse is also a severe warning: 'but he who does not believe will be condemned.'
God in His grace contracted to fulfil ALL the conditions of the New Covenant - and all that Israel (and the rest of humanity) had to do was to believe - believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
As a result, David received a promise from God that he enjoyed for the rest of his life, I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
Paul was not only able to rejoice in his sufferings, but was enabled to glorify in them as well: Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
May we like Paul be able to boast all the more gladly in our own weaknesses and frailty so that the power of Christ may rest upon us - to the praise of His name.
Nor does it rest on a man's ability to book speakers, carry out building repairs, contribute financially to the upkeep of the church building, unblock toilets, or keep the car park tidy.
When we live and move and have our being to the glory of God, in submission to the Holy Spirit, and with Christ as our central delight and joy, the indwelling Spirit of Christ DWELLS in our heart as we ABIDE in Him and REST in His love.
What a privilege to realise that when we are born from above and anointed by the Spirit of truth, He will teach us what we need to know, as we abide in Him, rest in His love, and trust His Word, in every area of our lives.
Let us rest in the truth of the incomparable, immeasurable, unsurpassing greatness of our omnipotent God and His grace and love towards us, who believe in Christ.
Each has been spiritually equipped to carry out the work that God has prepared for them to do, so that together with the rest of the Body of Christ, they will individually and collectively grow in grace and walk in the unity of the Spirit.
To hammer this truth home, Paul reminds all those who seek to elevate the physical genealogy of Jewish people to their forefather Abraham above the rest the nations and to magnify their importance in God's redemptive programme, that they are misguided.
It is through faith in the Lord and submission to the Spirit that we can feed on His Word by faith with thanksgiving, be nourished with the gospel of His great salvation, and rest in His love.
BUT the truth is laid out in the Scriptures and when you accept the truth from the Word of God - that ALL the essential essence of Deity inhabits the Lord Jesus in His bodily form, and that you have been made complete in Christ as fact, then you have the most wonderful security in God, which allows you to rest in the Lord Jesus.
We are called to abide in Christ, to rest in His love, to depend upon Him in all situations, to give Him our concerns and worries no matter what tempestuous circumstances or dangerous situations we discover ourselves to be in.
Christ was fully God, but during His time on earth He set aside His glory and lived His life as a Man - demonstrating to the rest of humanity how God created Man to life - in willing and total subjection to our Father in heaven.
We are called to walk worthy of our Lord and to be fruitful in our Christian life, but this can only be achieved as we abide in Him, rest in Him, trust our lives into His safe-keeping, and walk in spirit and truth.
However, Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads the households, refused to allow them to work alongside the Israelites, for to do so would have compromised their covenant with the Lord, Who charged His people to be a holy nation, and to separate themselves from all their pagan neighbours.
Perhaps this verse, which so simply states that God Is Love, encapsulates the very essence of God, and should be increasingly stirred-up in our heart, knowing that those that rest, remain, abide, and dwell in His love, by keeping their minds on Jesus, are assured that the Love of God will rest, remain, abide, and dwell in their hearts - encouraging, providing, upholding, leading, refreshing, comforting, and supporting - for God Is Love.
through the leading and guidance of God the Holy Spirit - so that God the Son could make Himself known to a wretched woman who was shunned by her community.. minster to a group of lost sinners who were despised by the rest of humanity..
Timothy had been taught the scriptures from childhood and so he was ready and willing to be taught the rest of God's Story of Redemption through the apostle Paul, who had been given many mysteries from God..
God was not tired or weary and needed to take a rest.
There is still a rest for the people of God – there is a Sabbath-rest for the people of God, but what does the writer of Hebrews mean when he talks about Sabbath-rest?
The writer of Hebrews is talking to Christians who have accepted the Lord Jesus as Saviour, being born again and in so doing, have entered into Christ, have become a part of His Body, and have entered into the rest of Jesus.
All that are in Christ can also enter into His rest by faith, by simply resting on His Word – by simply standing on the promises of God.
The writer of Hebrews goes on to say, Let us be diligent to enter into that rest, When we are saved, God does not then force His rest on us.
We choose to enter into the sweet rest He offers to us, by diligently relying on Jesus and not our own strength, by choosing to trust Him, moment by moment, by faith.
Oh, entering into His rest and falling out of that rest has no bearing on our salvation.
Let us come boldly to the throne of grace and lay down anything that hinders us from entering His Sabbath-rest.
The rest we can only find in Jesus, as we trust Him to keep us in perfect peace.
While we are still living in this world in our bodies, our rest is in Him – we rest in His Word and we rest in His promises.
Too often a demarcation line is laid between the material things in life and the spiritual things of God - between what we say and do in our Christian life, and what takes place during the rest of the time.
There is no rest outside of Him and there is no hope unless we are reconciled to the Father through Christ Jesus Who gave His own little flock His gift of peace, peace - wonderful peace, when He said, My Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
May the God of peace be with you, as you rest and remain and abide in Christ's peace - His wonderful, wonderful peace.
Because of unbelief, Israel failed to enter their promised rest and receive their inheritance, when they first crossed the Jordan and entered the Promised Land.
It is not surprising that Paul could only refer to himself as the very least of all the saints... and dedicate the rest of his life by proclaiming the grace of God which was given to him and to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable, unsearchable, incalculable, boundless riches of Christ to all who are saved by grace through faith in Him.
Let us learn from Jesus when He says, Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
We are instructed to abide in Christ, rest in His love, and submit to the work of the Holy Spirit within our heart so that we too may be part of that glorious cloud of witnesses that are being used by God to continue carrying out the acts of Jesus Christ in our lives - to His praise and glory.
When we are recipients of God's grace, by faith, we have access to God's peace: Peace WITH God because our sins are forgiven, and the peace OF God which guards our hearts, as we rest and remain in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We too rest our weary soul in Him, for His is the Rock of our salvation, and He is our Strong Tower to Whom we flee for safety.
He is the One upon Whom we are to cast our heavy burdens and rest our weary souls for Jesus won every spiritual battle we will face, when He proclaimed from the Cross, It is finished.
was also a tiny foretaste of the coming Church dispensation, when believers not only have peace with God - by grace through faith in His death, burial and resurrection, but they have the peace of God in their hearts - They have the indwelling Holy Spirit, guarding their hearts and giving rest and peace to their soul, as they abide in Christ.
The Hebrew indicates that the man was 'set to rest' (nuah) in these splendid surroundings, in order to 'to serve' (abad) his loving God, Who had created all things well.
God rested, and the man was to find rest for his soul in Him.
Adam disobeyed the Lord, plunging the human race into eternal condemnation instead of enjoying eternal rest.
All who are saved by grace through faith in Him, receive His life and are given rest for their soul - for Christ is our Tree of Life, and that life is eternal.
God desires all His children to seek Him, to come to Him, to draw near to Him, to rest in Him, and to abide in His truth, for He is the God of peace and His is a peace that passes all understanding.
As the representative of the human race Jesus would have to live in willing surrender and total obedience to His heavenly Father in the power of the Holy Spirit - every moment of the day, for the rest of His life...
But for the rest of our life, we are being delivered from the power of the old sin nature... as the old flesh lusts against our new spiritual life and the spirit lusts against the flesh (our new life in Christ is at enmity with our old sin nature).
Instead we are to speak the truth in love, so that all may become doctrinally literate and grow up in all aspects of our faith - into Christ, Who is the Head of the Church - and the only foundation upon which our faith must rest.
But what a comfort also to know that despite their rebellion and apostasy against the Lord God of Israel, that He promised: In repentance and rest you will be saved - in quietness and trust is your strength.
Believers are to rest in the glorious Biblical fact of our identification with Christ (Who is God's representative MAN), Who set us free from the power of sin over our lives.
We are to rest in this wonderful Biblical truth where we are identified with Christ's death.. in the same way that sinners are to rest in the equally wonderful Biblical truth that Christ died as the substitute for sinners.
Just as the sinner is to rest in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, so the saint is to rest in Christ Jesus for their deliverance from sin.
A harmonious host of angelic beings combine their respective voices with the rest of creation, to glorify God and honour the magnificent Maker of heaven and earth.
The cooling blue-light of moon-beams was to govern nature's night-time activities and usher in a constant, rhythmic period of rest and refreshment for man's body and soul.
Christ died to pay the price for sins committed in our lives so that we might be forgiven, and Christ rose again the third day to break the power of sin in our lives so that we may live the rest of our Christian life free from the powerful strangle-hold of sin within our hearts.
We are to identify false prophets by their fruit. Those who walk in truth, rest in Christ, fellowship with the Father, and do His will, produce good fruit.
The sharp, active, living, powerful, wonderful Word of God, is used by the Holy Spirit in each of our lives, to convict, convert, comfort, and conform us into Christ's likeness, and to prepare us... during our lifetime, for the spiritual rest, eternal life, and future glory, that is laid-up for us in heaven.
The nation of Israel may have broken their covenant with God, rejected their Messiah, and failed to complete in the good work that God had prepared them to do, but their sinful lack and foolish rebellion meant that the rest of the world received great blessings: Their stumbling brings untold wealth for the world, and their failure, riches for the Gentiles.
Let us, therefore, with wholeness of heart, fervency of spirit, sincerity of soul, and diligence of mind, freely abandon the good to search for the very best, knowing that ALL who seek the Lord, will find Him to be rest for their soul, healing for their heart, hope for the future, and life everlasting.
Positionally and eternally, we are complete in Christ, yet we are to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus during the rest of our time on earth.
Do not be afraid of them, is God's instruction to all of us today and throughout the rest of our sojourn on earth, Fear not, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.
Because of disobedience and unbelief, the children of Israel did not enter into the rest that God had promised them.
Today, like them, we are called to give diligence to enter into God's rest, but we are also warned not to go astray in our hearts, as they did.
When we first trusted Christ as Saviour we received 'salvation rest', but as children of God we are instructed into an 'abiding rest', a 'living rest', a 'submissive rest'.
We are not to drift through our Christian life in a careless and carnal way, but rather we are to give close attention to entering into God's rest by resisting temptation, by listening to His truth, by applying His Word, submitting to the Holy Spirit, and by being utterly dependent upon our Lord Jesus Christ.
The rest which we are to give diligence to enter into, is not our home in heaven - for that is a free gift of grace to all who trust in Christ as Saviour.
The rest into which we are exhorted to enter is a rest which we can experience today.
Christ is our rest, and we are called to give diligence to enter into that rest - today.
We are called to remain in Him, to abide in Him, to rest in Him, to submit to Him, to depend utterly and entirely upon Him.
The peace of God will guide our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, if we abide in Him, rest in Him, submit to Him, and utterly depend upon Him.
For 40 years God was gracious to them, providing manna from heaven, water from the rock, and the presence of God within the camp, but they never entered His promised rest, due to apostasy.
In like manner, when we take His yoke upon us and learn to live in continuous dependence upon Him, we too shall find rest for our souls, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
He was the One Who, when so many crowds were coming and going and He and His disciples did not even have time to eat and relax, said to His faithful followers, Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.