A Promise of Rest

God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God.For only we who believe can enter his rest. 

Hebrews 4:1-3 NLT

As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: 'They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.”

So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. 

God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.”

Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. 

But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:3-16 NLT

Prayer:

Father,

           Keep us ever mindful of Your Word and our response - or lack thereof - to its Truth. We want to enter Your place of rest. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Shut the Door

When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Matthew 6:5-6 NLT

I attended a retreat a few years back and witnessed many illustrations of God's Word. One in particular drove home the necessity of finding time to be alone with God and taking the time to hear Him.

One woman, Pat, was called from the rows of women and told, I have a Word from the Lord for you. She was asked to come to the front and sit in a chair to await God's Word.  Then other women stood near to represent her husband, 3 of her grandchildren and 2 of her friends. On cue, the representatives all started talking to Pat - not yelling or clamoring - just all talking, as did the speaker who had the word from the Lord. On cue, everyone stopped talking and the speaker asked, "Did you hear what God said?" Pat, of course, did not.

The speaker instructed, "Try harder to hear what God is saying to you. Concentrate." So, on cue, the representatives all started talking to Pat again - not yelling or clamoring - just all talking, as did the speaker who had the word from the Lord. On cue, everyone stopped talking and the speaker asked, "Did you hear what God said this time?" She wanted to. She believed she would, but of course she didn't.

And neither can we unless we get alone with God and wait to hear His voice. He's speaking. Are you listening?  Can you hear Him from where you are? If not, shut the door.

Prayer:

Father,

          Your Word tells us to be still and know that You are God. Forgive us for all the times we thought You were silent. Help us to be ever mindful to be still so we can hear Your voice. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

The Question is...

 Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!
Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you? Galatians 3:2-5a The Message

A friend of mine once made a profound statement of Truth that just about floored me. He said, "Self-sufficiency is such a sign of no faith." Did you catch it? "Self-sufficiency is such a sign of NO faith."

Now, if this were Old Testament writing, I'd have to follow that statement with 'selah'...which is from a music mark indicating a pause. (According to Fausset's Bible Dictionary, the implication in Scripture is that, [Selah] is a call to calm reflection on the preceding words.) Self-sufficiency, no faith. Self-sufficiency, no faith! Man! It wasn't too many years ago, I would have gone ballistic over that one. Now, I humbly recognize the Truth in it.

If we never rely on God for anything - if we count only on ourselves and our own abilities to make or take care of our lives, our children, our jobs, our finances, our future, then it requires no faith. And just as sure as fear itself is the absence of faith, so is NOT trusting God. You see, NOT trusting God IS fear. Fear that He won't take care of you, fear that He won't keep you well, provide for you and what belongs to you. Fear that He really hasn't forgiven you and doubt that He even would consider it. Or worse, PRIDE - perhaps thinking you could do a better job yourself...

So... the question on the table is, Does the God who lavishly provides you with His own presence, His Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does He do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust Him to do them in you?

Prayer:

Father,
          I cannot begin to praise You or thank You enough for shining the Light of Your Truth on our lives. Thank You for setting us free to live in You, unbound by our own controlling methods of self-sufficiency. Keep us unfettered  - set free from serving ourselves - and turned on to serving You and Yours. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

What Kind of Friend?

Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have! And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.
Romans 4:18-19 NLT

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
Romans 4:20 - Romans 5:11 NLT

Prayer:

Father,
           Help us to be friends who don't let You down. Ones who won't forget all that You've done for us. Friends who hasten to answer when You call. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Part of Life

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.
John 12:24-26

Do you ever find yourself dividing your life into parts? I'm not talking about being one kind of person in the work place and a different one at church. (We're supposed to be the same person wherever we are.) I mean parts such as Sundays and Wednesdays are church. And if you meet in a small group, that's another day that goes into that part. Then you've got the work week where hours vary but mine are generally Monday through Friday. Tuesday nights, some Saturday mornings and every other Sunday are for my grandchildren. Oh, meet with friends? When? Can we get something on the calendar? And for those of you who have children living in your home, there's soccer practice, gymnastics, piano lessons, or some other sport or extracurricular activity, multiplied by how many children you have. Somewhere in there, we need to allow for cooking, cleaning and washing clothes.

In all of that, you may ask where's the part for you?

More important than that - where's the part for God? Well, didn't you read that part about Sundays and Wednesdays and small groups? Sure, but what is that - 6 or 8 hours out of 168 hours? A total of four to five percent of our week for the One who gave us the week.

How often do we think these kinds of things? 

        Oh, God understands. He knows I have too much to do today. 

        I need some down time - some ME time. 

 Oh, and here's the kicker - 

       I can't take care of what God has given me if I don't take time           for myself.

I've been looking. Diligently searching. I haven't found one Scripture to support that. We're to follow Christ's example, right? I can hear some of you saying, Well, Sister, even Jesus took some time to get away from everybody. Yes, He did. But it wasn't ME time - It was HE time. He took time to get away with God. He knew the Part that made it all work. Made it all worthwhile. The only way He could accomplish His purpose was to walk out what the Father had given Him.

Let's look at it this way. Everything we use - every appliance, every electronic device, every light, vehicle, etc, has a power source. If we don't charge it first, or if we don't plug it in, it's not going to work. Without the power source, it won't work. Even a battery will eventually wear down if it's not recharged by the power source.

Matthew 6:33 instructs us to Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Are we missing our Power Source - the Part of Life that makes it all work?

Prayer:

Father,
           In the words of William McDowell's song, Here I am. Here I stand. Lord, my life is in Your hands. Lord, I'm longing to see Your desires revealed in me. Take my heart. Take my life as a living sacrifice. All my dreams - All my plans. Lord, I place them in Your hands. I give myself away. I give myself away so You can use me. My life is not my own. To You I belong. I give myself, I give myself to You... Father, You are the only Part that makes it all work. Forgive us for thinking otherwise. Please re-establish Your righteousness in us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Common Sense vs Uncommon Faith - Repost by request

So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.

Acts 27:25 NLT

Paul was on a ship at sea, as a prisoner, in the middle of a storm with typhoon-strength winds. He had already warned the officers and crew once not to put out to sea, but they didn't listen. After all, both the owner and the captain saw it differently than Paul the prisoner. They were learned in the way of ships and seas. They were sailing men, (but not followers of Christ). Everything they knew - common sense dictated their course of action. What would you have done? Who would you have listened to?

Sometimes life, as we know it, is the same scenario. Common sense deciding our course of action, but uncommon faith diametrically opposed to that which is understood. Not only is it not common sense, it makes absolutely no sense! Why didn't Paul just speak to the wind to be still the way Christ did? Why didn't God just stop the storm? I don't know the answer to those questions, any more than I know why sometimes awful things happen to good people. 

What I DO know is God DOES have a plan. And while it may not make any sense at all to us, it does to God. And if we trust Him in it - if we take courage and believe God that it will be just as He said - we will have peace of mind and heart. 

Can we believe Him in the middle of our storm when the wind is raging and the seas are crashing and we're shipwrecked on the rocks? Common sense would tell us there's no way. We're gonna die. Uncommon faith declares, "...take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said."

Prayer:

Father,

         We may not always understand the whys and the wherefores, but we can know that Your Word is true. Your love is true and real. Your provision uncommon. Help us to always see - and believe - You.  Father, we want uncommon faith. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

It's Not Over

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Revelation 3:20-21 NKJV

You may be going through the trial of your life... a desert season of life that seems as scorched and dry as an Indian summer in West Texas. A night so long you almost despair of ever seeing the SON rise with healing in His wings. I don't know what you're facing, or why you're facing it, but I do know that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. I also know that we ARE able to OVERCOME by the Blood of the Lamb (His part - already done!) and the Word of OUR Testimony.

And let's be clear about one thing - it's NOT over until the Father says it's over!

Just a few reminders. You've probably seen or heard them before...

If you never went through the fire, how would you become pure?

If I (God) never corrected you, how would you know I (God) love you?

If you never made a mistake, how would you know that I (God) am a Forgiver?

If you never had trials to overcome, how could you call yourself an overcomer?

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. I can't wait for Jesus to say, "C'mon over!"

Prayer:

Father,
           We thank You for the provision You have made for every possible scenario of our lives. How merciful and full of grace You are! I know the peace in the midst of the storm comes from knowing that nothing is a surprise to You, and You have already made provision for us to BE overcomers in everything that does come our way. We humbly ask that You keep us ever mindful of this. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen