Entering into God’s Rest
The subtle trap that is spread before us is the temptation to live addicted to searching. It is a powerful addiction to live unsatisfied with what you have and to search for the next novelty in life. Many individuals are addicted to searching for a better relationship or better possessions. Others are looking for a greater high with less of a hangover. Even religious folks jump from one church organization to another because they can’t find rest. A person will never have rest until they have come to full submission to Christ. Before I knew Christ I was searching. After I submitted my life to the Lord, I stopped searching and I began serving. The human soul will not rest until it has developed the awareness that God is pleased with its decisions. People who continue to search will only find frustration and emotional burnout. They are looking for something that cannot be found in the world. They are hunting polar bears in the desert and lions in the arctic. They will stress their minds into depression and their bodies into sickness. Your heart was designed only to be satisfied when and only when you know you are in God’s perfect will for your life. With Christ, the search is over.
Rest is not only a matter of sleep; it is a matter of being aware of God’s plan for you. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you…and you shall find rest unto your souls.” The yoke is referring to a farming implement that is used to connect teams of oxen together to make them operate as one unit. This is what Christ is saying to us: “Connect yourself so completely with My plan so that any other motivation in life is obsolete. Then and only then will you be actually doing what you were made for therefore coming to rest.” When people do not have the right priorities, the soul responds with a deep dissatisfaction. Typically, people try to fill the void with something else only to remain unfulfilled.
People cannot rest because they have no confidence with God. Confidence before God is a powerful resting tool. Jesus slept on a cushion in the stern of a boat as the wind and waves crashed upon Him. (Mark 4:38) He was simply enjoying the benefits of being in right standing with God. Confidence with God was His rest. God rested on the seventh day of creation. (Genesis 2:1-3) Why did God rest? Was He fatigued? No! God didn’t rest because He was tired; He rested because He had confidence after things were in proper order. When your life is in proper order, with God first, then rest will begin to dominate you. Rest will overtake you. It will not be something you seek; it will be something that finds you.
Rest is essential for faith. The Bible says that God created the world with His faith. (Heb 11:3) The Bible also says that faith requires rest in order for it to be faith. (Heb 4:3) God rested on the seventh day to complete His faith! In like manner, our faith is incomplete without rest.
Pastor Tim
Family Church Jamestown is a non-denominational church located in Chautauqua County in Jamestown between Lakewood and Busti, NY. The senior pastor of Family Church is Pastor Tim Stahlman a native to the Jamestown, NY area.
