God's Rest ... Got It?

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Matthew 11:28

God is already working IN You, THROUGH You, and FOR You, to bring you to a place where everything is provided for. You responsibility is to rest and receive it. God’s rest isn’t sitting in a chair or lying down on your couch - it’s a matter of the heart and a way of life, given to us because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

TRUE REST is believing that God is always working on your behalf. TRUE REST is believing that God will never leave, forsake or fail you. TRUE REST is believing that God delights in promoting, blessing and favoring you.

When you believe that God is doing all these things for you and so much more, then you can stop ‘doing’ things in your own strength and you can live with ongoing peace, knowing He will freely give you all things.

That doesn’t mean you need to stop going to work or stop taking care of your family (though yes, we ALL need breaks and time away). What it means is there can be rest IN work, not necessarily rest FROM work. When we walk in the rest of God, it means that we are continually committing our burdens, responsibilities, workflows, schedules, relationships, family needs, problems … everything in our lives to the Lord.

When you do this, it allows you to experience genuine peace in whatever you are involved in. You are continually trusting and believing that God will always give you a better outcome in your circumstances than you can do on your own.

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:9-11

Those who rest … are trusting and believing.

Father, I pray that you help us to walk in Your rest and to continually commit our burdens, responsibilities, schedules, relationships, problems, family needs … everything in our lives to You. Thank You that we will find peace and rest in doing so. In Jesus’ name, amen.




Related AFTA Blogs:

Got Rest? 
The Enemy of Busyness
You Deserve a Break Today

What's Up with That?

I’ve told you these things (so that you should not be offended; taken unawares and falter, or be caused to stumble and fall away; I told you to keep you from being scandalized and repelled) to prepare you for rough times ahead. They are going to throw you out of the meeting places. There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he’s doing God a favor. They will do these things because they never really understood the Father. I’ve told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you’ll be well-warned and ready for them. I have told you these things, so that IN ME you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration (you will continue to experience difficulties); but be of good cheer (take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted). For I have (already) overcome the world. I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you. John 16:1-4, 31-33

 

Feel like no one understands you? Feel like you have been mistreated? Feel like you have been rejected? Yeah, me too. So ... what's up with that?

 

There's a reason why you are going/went through what you are going/went through ...

 

HOLD ON.

 

There's a plan in the works that you can't see yet ...

 

TRUST THE PROCESS.

 

We may not always understand, but we gotta and we're gonna ...

 

KEEP TRUSTING.

 

The calling that's been placed on your life attracts attacks. Don't look at it as trouble, look at it as confirmation that you're going the right way and doing the right things ...

 

KEEP GOING.

 

Others may reject, offend, hurt, abuse and/or leave you. But Your heavenly Father will never leave you or forsake you like you're used to being left and mistreated, no matter what. You are ...

 

ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED, JUST AS YOU ARE AND DESPITE WHAT OTHERS THINK OF YOU.

 

Peace I leave with you; My own peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled. John 14:27

 

PEACE BE STILL.

 

See, I'm doing a new thing. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

 

HOLD ON TO YOUR HAT, YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHIN' YET.

 

You CAN do this, KEEP GOING. One day at a time. One step at a time, if you have to.

 

So, what's up with that? What's going on? Clueless. But God knows. And He has our best interests at heart. He cares about every little detail of our lives. That's ...

 

WHAT'S UP WITH THAT.

 

Dear God, dear heavenly Father, You have SO MUCH MORE to offer us than this world. This is just a temporary place, it's not our home. Help us to have hope in You and trust in You and lean not on our understanding, while You work Your will and work all things for good, according to YOUR plan. Your ways are different, we don't always understand what You're doing, but please give us grace and faith to trust You and follow You. May we ALWAYS lean on Your faithful, loving strong shoulder of support. We love You, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.

see also: Hands Off    He Don't Wanna Harm Us