A Moment of Favor is Worth a Lifetime of Labor!

In the video for session #3 Lisa Harper does such a good job of discussing this weeks subject...REST 

I'm huge on this subject as The Lord has been having me intern with Him on what it means to live in the URG. (Unforced Rhythms of Grace) 

Matt 11:2828 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

We have to fight for our rest because the enemy of our souls hates it! We fight and beat down anxiety stress and fear with rest. God always blesses and has ordained my rest!  

Hebrews 4:11 says we have to strive to enter that rest..funny huh? But it's so true. When God first started to teach me this principle and train me in rest every fiber of my mind will and emotions fought it. But ahhhhh my spirit loved it! I began to realize that to receive from Him and to hear Him I had to sit down on the inside, to rest. 

I loved the week 2 intro in our Hebrews study on page 40; MOSES GAVE US RULES BUT JESUS GIVES US REST. I kept having this flash in my mind last week as I recovered from bronchitis. What is it that drives me? Why do I feel like less of a person when I rest or sleep in? God is having to change my whole mindset in this area. Maybe that's why I've received so much resistance in this area....rest is blessed by God, ordained by God and exhibited by God. 

Jesus came to wipe out the written code and to teach me to live and move and have my being in Him. He puts His spirit in me to teach me this new way of living. Jesus is not just my savior, He is Lord of my life. As Lord He wants me to learn this new way, to rest...

I love the saying, "A moment of favor is worth a lifetime of labor" . After reading it, what goes through your mind?  Jesus knows we are needy,  He just wants us to realize our neediness rests in Him  (no pun intended). He wants to provide for us and keep us from the hectic scramble. Look at the way he fed the 5000. 

John 6:5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated

Jesus wants us to sit down so He can minister to us and meet our needs. We cannot receive while in the standing posture. We have to surrender our efforts and sit down to receive from Jesus. Have you ever tried to have a meal or a real conversation with someone who won't sit down? Have you ever walked into Starbucks with your friends and there were no tables? Sitting down is a physical sign of submission and a relaxed resting posture. It is also a sign of authority as we learned last week when Kelsie taught on Jesus being seated at the right hand of the Father. We are also taught that we are seated with Him. 

Col 2:6: "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus."

Jesus is huge on rest and so is the book of Hebrews. Just for fun I looked at how many times the word rest is repeated in Hebrews 4:1-12......Fifteen times!  Whoa! I won't go into all 12 verses for the sake of time, but God is huge on rest for my soul, my mind, my body and most of all my spirit!!

Look at Hebrews Verse 7:

"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: don’t harden your hearts. Today when you hear his voice".

 While praying and preparing for this message,  I felt the whisper in my heart

1) Gods provision of peace is coupled with His rest

2) True peace and real rest require surrender...sitting down on the inside. 

3) I'm thinking based on the feeding of the 5000 that His provision requires rest and surrender as well. 

He even warns us in Hebrew 4:11 that if we don't learn to rest we will fall. 

Today is the day to surrender to His rest.  It's awesome.  It's peaceful! Let's do it.  

My prayer for us: 

LORD this work in my hand, this grip I have is keeping me wound up. This person I am trying to change resists me, this anxiety keeping me up at night is wearing me down. I am needing your rest.

I am wanting and needing your rest Lord.

Holy Spirit show me where I am trying to control. 

Teach me surrender that leads to rest and peace.

I need peace for my soul. I need you holy spirit.  I SURRENDER.  Amen. 

My prayer for you:

Lord tear down the enemy's plans to keep my sisters all worked up and stressed. Clear their eyes to see and their ears to hear like never before, I pray. Bring rest and peace and provision. let them renounce and reject worry and control of anyone or anything. Grow trust in us I pray. Amen

Love- Keely