RESTING IN GODS GRACE
Hebrews 4:1-6 Let
us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any
of you should seem to come short of it.
2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them:
but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them
that heard it.
3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said,
As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the
works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this
wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that
some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in
because of unbelief:
Resting in
the Lord does not mean quitting your job. It means to not worry about things of
this world.
Rest is not
in the area of working and laboring. It is a place of confidence and trusting, where
you can receive the blessing and the manifestation of what has already been
done.
If you just
have to labor, then labor in rest. Spiritual warfare is not fighting the devil.
Spiritual warfare is maintaining the victory that Jesus made available through
the cross. Jesus already defeated the devil at the cross. The good fight of
faith maintains our victory. Faith puts a hedge between you and Satan (you do
this by claiming the bloodline around you). Therefore, our spiritual warfare is
keeping the faith.
We already
have the victory, God did not make us to operate out of stress and worry. God
created us to operate out of rest.
When you
rest in God’s grace, and the world is falling apart, you will have peace.
Knowing that your confidence and trust will sustain you.
But how can
you rest in God if you don’t know what has already been done?
Romans 15:
4 4 For
whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we
through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
The knowledge of the scriptures in hope effects our attitude toward the
present and the future. How is it possible to maintain a godly life without
hope?
Scripture was written aforetime for our learning, and also patience and
comfort. The more we know about God and what he has done in the past, the
greater the confidence we have about what we will do in the days ahead.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is the evidence of things not seen. The substance of things hoped
for. Faith is our servant of hope, hope brings trust. God doesn’t need your
help, God wants your trust.
Your help doesn’t move the hand of God, it is your trust that moves the
hand of God.
10 And they that know thy name will put
their trust in thee: for thou, Lord,
hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
The Lord
will be a refuge for the oppressed. A refuge in time of trouble. The ones that
know His name, or His mercy, will look to Him for help, for He has never yet
forsaken those who trust in Him.
In our
hurting world, sometimes hope can be hard to hold on to. From the constant
negative bad news on our televisions and smart phones, to the difficulties of
everyday life in a fallen world, we spend much of our time gathering pieces of
sorrows. That can add up to a to incredible weight upon our shoulders.
As
believers, we are encouraged to live lives characterized by hope. Biblical hope
is not a feeling and it is not wishful thinking.
It is an
attitude of holy expectation, based on God’s promises to us found in His word.
The saints of the old bible did not live in times that were easier than ours.
They
encountered the same problems with prodigal children, unjust political systems,
failing health, broken relationships and struggling churches. They rested on
these same promises.
Hope is the
anchor for your life. It will restore your belief that God has a purpose for
our trials, and a plan for our future. It is a promise He intends to keep.
For anyone
who is feeling beaten down by life, Gods word will transform your outlook and
refresh your heart.
Deuteronomy
6: 5 5 And thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy might.
Enter into a life that is fully engaged with God. We are to love Him with
all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We are to love God and think constantly
about His word.
So? How can a person rest in God without hope?
1 Peter 5: 6-7 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for
he careth for you.
We often
worry about our position and status. Hoping to get proper recognition for what
we do. Peter advises us to remember that Gods recognition counts more than
human praise.
God is able
and willing to bless us according to his timing. Carrying your worries, stress
and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with
your life. Letting God have your anxieties calls for action. Giving Him both
large and small struggles; before we can reliably know and understand Gods
will, we must know God himself.
If you have
not trusted God fully with your life, letting God have your anxieties call for
action. Don’t submit to circumstances, but rather submit to the Lord who
controls every circumstance.
This year
seek out God’s word, and let God demonstrate His power in your circumstances
large and small; before we can reliably know and understand Gods will, we must
know God himself.
Never doubt
in the dark what God told you in the light. True faith is forever connected with
hope. Your faith and hope in God develops by renewing your mind in His word,
learning about His exceedingly great and precious promises.
18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened
bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.
19 The first of the first fruits of thy land thou shalt bring
into the house of the Lord thy
God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee,
to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have
prepared.
In the old
testament, Israelite men were required to go up to Jerusalem three times each
year to worship God at the feast of unleavened bread, the feast of the harvest,
and the feast of ingathering.
Why? Because
it was a way of keeping hope alive, and keeping their relationship with God
fresh and current.
They would
offer sacrifices, worship, and take renewed inspiration back to their families
and clans.
Under the
new covenant of grace, we offer a different kind of sacrifice, it is the
sacrifice of praise to God, and not just three times a year, but many times
each day.
So how does
praise and worship keep hope alive for us? By giving thanks to His name; as we
thank God for his blessings of provision and protection in our life, we never
lose sight of Him as our hope in all things.
Hope is
being confident in God’s grace by faith, and trust. With the expectation of the
fulfillment of manifestation through resting in the assurance that God will do
what His word says He will do.
Isaiah
55:11 11 So shall my word be
that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it
shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto
I sent it.
Let us all endeavor in this new year to seek God and to praise Him with our trust and love.
Let us all endeavor in this new year to seek God and to praise Him with our trust and love.
No comments:
Post a Comment