God knows how to bring us to the place where we’ll seek Him with our whole heart (Jeremiah 29:13).
God’s really settling us down. He’s re-making us inside out. He’s bringing a calm to our souls we’ve never experienced on a long term basis. He’s doing a work in us that’s truly letting His peace rule in our hearts. What a different and glorious life He brings to troubled hearts. We can really feel Him, The Prince of Peace, becoming Lord to/in us.
At times in our lives, the fear of man, what others thought (even other Christians), kept us from truly following God, from seeking Him with our whole heart. I think this is true for many Christians. We’re grateful to God that He allowed us to become so desperate that we had to have more and more of Him.
I truly believe there is no higher pleasure than entering God’s rest. What could possibly contend with being able to trust Him all the time in everything? Nothing could possibly compete with the joy His rest contains. Nothing…
1 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:
7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Ann said to me this morning, “I love you so much. I’m so glad we’re learning how to enter God’s rest.”
I knew what she meant. We both grew up with unrest in our homes and hearts – Maybe you did, too. We didn’t know exactly what we wanted in life but we knew we wanted something different than where we’d come from.
In the late 70s, we’d spend time praying and asking God to show us more of Him. We’d read about how God could change a person and end the strife in their life; that He could take all their “care” and give them an abiding peace that passes understanding. While we didn’t know just how to get there, we thought that kind of life must be an incredible place to live.
God’s showing us how to enter His rest and it’s really healing us deep in our souls. Unrest can still trip us up from time to time, but His rest is replacing more and more of the unrest in us. We could never thank God enough for giving us what He knew we needed all along. God’s been so faithful to bring us along, to reveal more of Him and His rest to us.
Thank You, God for Your rich love and for never giving up on us even when we didn’t think we could go on and keep believing for another day. Thank You for taking us to Oregon to show us how to love each other, and for showing us how to “do” Your Word, Lord.
Remember your leaders (the precious people at Christ’s Center Church in Junction City, OR, and others), who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Hebrews 13:7
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do (put into practice, apply it in your life): and (then, and only then) the God of peace shall be with you (Always in all things).
Philippians 4:9 KJV
There can be no greater joy than Jesus. Please, ask Him to make you search for Him with your whole heart…
God bless,
Mark