LESSON 18

ENTER INTO HIS REST

7/27/03

THEME SCRIPTURE: Gen. 2:2

 

YOU’RE THOUGHTS: How do you unwind after a hard day’s work?

                                       Do you think God should only be within the confines of the church?

 

MY THOUGHTS: When you think about the term resting what comes to your mind? Is it removing yourself from whatever type of work you’re involved in and simply doing nothing? Is it taking a few weeks off and going somewhere far away from the day to day routine that was occupying your time? Maybe your idea of resting is waiting until the day ends and simply going to bed. There is one thing that is prevalent in all of us, is that it is essential that we take the time to practice some form of R&R from the mundane routines of our lives. In this lesson I would like to share with you the importance of entering into Gods’ rest.

      The best way to get started on this interesting topic is taking you back once again to Genesis- Chapter 2. This is where the term rest first appears. God decided to take the time to rest after He completed His masterpiece, creating the heavens and earth and all that dwells within. I assume that we all know that God being who he is doesn’t really need to rest like we need it. His interpretation of rest is sitting back and reflecting on all that He has accomplished .in six days. God knows that our mortal bodies are weak and that we need to rest. That’s why we have the ability to shut down our mental systems in the form of sleep so that our body has a chance to repair itself. He also knows that we need to rest spiritually. That’s why He sanctified or set aside one particular day that we associate as the last or first day of what we considered a week. He wants us to gather together and experience what He experienced when He decided to end His creation and sit back and reflect on what He considered as good. We of course, didn’t create Heaven and Earth,, our admiration or reflection wouldn’t be on what we did, but it would be on what our Lord did, not only in what He did to make it possible for us to live, but in what He’s progressively doing within our inner self. He’s mending and molding us each day so that we can be wonderfully made and pleasing to His eyes. Reflecting on this as much as we can, is what I believe is entering into His rest.

    Trusting Him and being content in whatever state of mind you’re in, as Paul concluded in his letter to the Philippians. (Phil.4: 11) is also what resting in God is. Jesus teaches us that we need to abide in Him so that He can abide in us (John.15: 4). He wants to live within us via of the Holy Spirit, our comforter, which He left behind when He ascended to be at the right hand of the Father. He also wants to be our mediator or spokesman between the Father and us when we pray. We are not alone, our Lord promised His believers that He would never leave or forsake us (Heb.13: 5). Rest in His unconditional Love .He wants to be your friend, a friend that is closer then a brother. He will not condemn you if your love is sincere toward Him (John.3: 18). With all this in mind doesn’t that give you a reason to rest in Him?

        We all know that the opportunity is there for us to enter into Gods rest at church once a week, but I would like to challenge you to pursue this wonderful privilege everyday of the week. Take the time and reflect on how good and merciful our God really is. Reflect on what Jesus did because of His love for us. Reflect on the many prayers that are answered, not on the ones that you think aren’t answered. Trust and be reassured that whatever, happens, either good or bad, is all for a purpose and that purpose is in the hands of a God that loves us and knows what’s best for us. I know this sounds impossible, but that’s what faith is all about, seeing beyond the impossible and trusting in a God who in Him, all things are possible. In conclusion I would like to remind you that when you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savoir, you can rest assure that you will have eternal life in Glory with our loving Father. With this hope sketched to our hearts, entering into His rest should come much easier. So, on this day take the time to reflect on our loving God and you will rest in Him. Amen and God Bless.

Scrip Ref. The bad news > Ps.95: 7-11, Num.14: 23, Heb.3: 11, Heb.4: 9, Now the good news> Matt.11: 28, Acts.9: 31

The state of Contentment. Phil.4: 11, Heb.13: 5

“Faint not nor fear, his arms are near,
  He changeth not, and thou art dear;      (I thought I share one of Charles Spurgeon’s insights)
  Only believe and thou shalt see,                           See Study Aid Quotes
  That Christ is all in all to thee.”  Spurgeon’s

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