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RESTING WITH JESUS

(Matthew 11:28-30) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

(John 16:33) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”

Paul and Barnabas as they were returning from their first missionary journey, stopped on their way back to Antioch to encourage the new believers in the budding churches they had started.  We read in Acts14:22 this quote, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”  They apparently wanted these new believers to know that it’s not easy to be a committed Christian. 

In our scriptures from Matthew and John, we find Jesus talking about rest and peace for believers.  This is an interesting contrast with trouble and hardships, but Jesus explains how rest and peace can be found amid trouble and hardships when he says, “Come to me,” and “Take my yoke upon you.” 

I love the idea of being yoked with Jesus.  A yoke is a mechanism that binds two animals together. The animals can only go in the same direction, and they must agree.  Faith and trust are the mechanism that binds us to Jesus, and the work of God’s kingdom provides us with a direction.  When we are in yoke with Jesus, his power and strength are with us.  When hardships and difficult times come, Jesus has the power and strength to get us through.  Trusting Jesus with our lives gives us peace and rest.

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WE ARE BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF ALL BELIEVERS 

(John 1:12) Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

John is telling us that as believers we have gained the right to be God’s children. Paul tells us in Romans 8:17 that we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Collectively, all believers will inherit the Kingdom of God.  The inheritance is already ours to share with brothers and sisters through all eternity.  Okay, so we must die before we reap the full benefits but just think of all the amazing people that will be there to share the joy, peace and wonder of the Kingdom.

When we arrive in heaven, imagine who we might visit with.  Perhaps a visit with our brothers Noah, Abraham or Moses.  Maybe we could talk with our sisters Esther, Ruth or Mary.  These visits will go on for as long as we’d like, because time is not a factor in eternity.

 I’ve been reading in the book of Acts.  The people of the early church experienced some amazing moments with the Holy Spirit.  Won’t it be fascinating to meet these remarkable people. While reading in Acts and thinking of the ones who lived the stories, I had this revelation; though they lived two thousand years ago, they will be there in heaven when I arrive.

These thoughts helped me to recognize that we are full brothers and sisters.  Chosen by God from the beginning of creation to be his children.  The joy to be experienced in heaven is for all his children.  What an amazing future our Father has set before us.  Let there be in our hearts gratitude and great rejoicing at the fellowship we are destined to enjoy.

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A DEEP SENSE OF REVERENCE FOR GOD

(Acts 9:31 MSG) All over the country- Judea, Samaria, Galilee- the church grew.  They were permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God.

The title I’ve chosen for this post comes from the wording of this scripture verse from Acts chapter 9 as worded in The Message.  Eugene Peterson, the translator of The Message, coined some beautiful ways of expressing the scriptures.  I believe these words, “A deep sense of reverence for God,” give a more complete understanding of what it means to fear God.  They seem to incorporate love into fearing God.

It has been my experience that reverencing God happens over time.  As I have walked with God, I have increased in my love and respect for him.  He has blessed me in many ways, and he has been beside me through some pretty tough times.  To my amazement, the tough times have seemed minor.  The devastation that might have been was overcome by his faithful presence in my time of need.

Over the years, I have learned to trust God and rely on him.  I am growing into a deeper sense of reverence for him.

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FEARING GOD

(Proverbs 9:10) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

In the last 60-70 years, our society has worked to limit the reality of punishment.  What was at one time considered good parenting by correcting our children with a spanking, is today called child abuse.  Criminals often get away with minimal consequences for their crimes. The obvious outcome has been that there is a greatly diminished fear of those in authority.  Though we are sinners in need of a savior, It would seem that we are trying to avoid the reality of eventual punishment for our sins. 

(Psalm 33:18) But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.

Recognizing the unlimited power and authority of the God of creation is wisdom.  Fearing him leads us to a desire for the knowledge of him and his righteousness.  That desire causes us to avoid those things that anger him.  When we surrender ourselves to his will, we arrive at the humble place where a loving relationship with him can begin.  We can then confidently put our hope in his unfailing love.

Those of us who learn to fear God begin a father-child relationship with him that involves discipline.  His discipline is always for our good (see Hebrews chapter 12). God is molding us into the beings he created us to be.  His discipline is always purposed for bringing us closer to the righteousness he desires for us. 

God built fear into our psychic; fear can be a healthy way of protecting us. Fearing God is a healthy fear, for it leads to an eternal relationship with him.

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JESUS’ UNLIMITED POWER AND FULL AUTHORITY

(Colossians 1:17) The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For in him all things were created: Things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

I used to read the above scripture to my high school students, and then I’d share, “You know scientists are still not sure what keeps an atom together.  What if Jesus holds all the atoms together?  As you know, atoms are the building blocks of all material things, including us. If Jesus holds all things together, what will happen if he lets go?”  The purpose of this questioning was to start a discussion on the unlimited power of God.

In these words from Colossians, The Apostle Paul tells us that the Son, Jesus, has all authority over creation. Everything that we know was created through him and for him.  The Bible gives us many stories of how Jesus intervened in creation.  He wasn’t just showing off his powers.  He was demonstrating his supernatural powers for the ultimate goal of redeeming us.

I just finished reading the story of Ananias and Sapphira at the beginning of Acts chapter five.  At a critical time in the birthing of the church, Jesus demonstrated his power by striking them dead for lying to the Holy Spirit.  As we read in verse eleven, the results were to cause great fear in the whole church. Jesus obviously deemed this necessary.  He has full authority to give life and to take life. His decisions are perfect; We can’t explain everything Jesus does, but we can trust him in all things.

  We talk about Jesus’ kindness, love and care for us but often forget his sovereignty. Creation is his, and he can do with it whatever he deems necessary. Who can know the mind of the Lord (see 1 Corinthians 2:16)?  He is patient, but we should never take him for granted.  He has unlimited power and full authority over creation.  A little healthy fear seems warranted. 

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FINDING REST FOR OUR SOULS IN GOD

(Psalm 62:5-8) Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.  Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. 

King David wrote the words of Psalm 62 to share what he had discovered. He reminds himself, “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.”  David knew this, but he needed to remind himself.

  We are God’s children dealing with a fallen world full of many evils.  We need our God’s help.  David rehearses all the support God provides for us.  He is our hope, our rock, our fortress, our salvation, our refuge and even our honor.  In the midst of our distress, we tend to get caught up in the troubles and forget that God is there for us.

It’s good to be reminded that we need God.  He is the creator, the source of life, wisdom and power.  It is fortunate that he wants to provide us with all those above-mentioned supports.  All we need to do is ask and then trust him to work out our troubles.  That sounds simple; and it is. In God, we can find rest for our souls.

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COME AND GO

(Matthew 11:28-30) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Jesus gives us the greatest invitation we will ever receive when he says, “Come to me.”  When we come to him, we find rest, and as we commit ourselves to him, he gently teaches us a better way to live the life that he has given us.  He doesn’t lay heavy burdens on us, but be careful, there is a tendency for us to make it hard.

I remember those early days- shaking my fist at Jesus and saying that your burden is not light; it’s hard!  In my pride, I was trying to become a Christian on my own. It turns out that Jesus was patiently teaching me to trust him and learn from him.  As time went on, I found that his burden was light because he was always there beside me.

Like his disciples, Jesus teaches us his ways to live.  As we grow in our knowledge of him and his ways, we are then ready to share the Good News about him.  We are ready to go.

(Matthew 28:19&20) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

When we respond to Jesus’ invitation to come, he calls us to share with others the new life we have received.  We are called to go.  Where are we going?  I believe that we are going into the life The Father set before us.  Some are called to go to other countries, but most of us go to those who are a part of our daily encounters.  Whether we are called to other places or to share right where we are the call to go is for us.

We come and then we go.  We do not go alone, because Jesus has promised that till the very end he will go with us.  As we share and teach about Jesus, he will guide us.  Our receiving of Jesus’ invitation sets in motion an eternal partnership with him, and together we will share the good news with all nations.

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OUR LIGHT AND MOMENTARY TROUBLES

(2 Corinthians 16&17) Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Bad things happen to good people.  Actually, bad things happen to all people. No one escapes. Here on planet earth, amidst the beauty and wonder, there is much danger and trouble to be encountered. 

This week, I finished watching the fifth season of The Chosen.  The last episode shows what it might have been like for Jesus as he prayed on the Mount of Olives before he was arrested.  It was painful to watch Jesus as he wrestled with the anguish and emotions over the torture he was about to endure. John shares this prayer that Jesus prayed that night (John chapter 22 verse 42) “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Jesus was about to encounter bad things, but the results of his endurance brought about, “an eternal glory” that made salvation possible for the whole world.  Considering what Jesus went through, we can understand why the Apostle Paul called our troubles “light and momentary”.

I know that our troubles don’t usually seem light and momentary when we are in the midst of them.  Yet Paul gives us this promise, they are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So, with wholehearted trust in our God, we can endure our circumstances. And even though we don’t fully understand, we believe that someday we will see the eternal glory that our struggles here have produced.

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COMPLAINING IN THE DESERT

(Exodus 16:1&2) In the desert the whole community grumbled against moses and Aaron.  The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in Egypt!  There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

I remember wondering what was wrong with the Israelites.  God had delivered them from slavery, and he did it with amazing demonstrations of his power.  Why would they not wait patiently for God to provide?  Well, the answer to this question can be easily answered; they were human beings.  How do I come to such an easy conclusion, because I am just like them.

I have recently been cured of cancer for the second time.  Not only have I been cured, but I have seen the hand of God and experienced his peace and provision through it all.  What reason would I have to complain?

After Chemotherapy, The last part of my cancer treatment was radiation.  I endured three weeks of daily radiation to my throat and neck.  One of the side effects was the complete, hopefully temporary, loss of my ability to taste, and this was coupled with a very painful sore throat.  I was told that the pain would subside, and my tasting ability should return within two to four weeks.  Before the end of my first week of recovery, I had had enough!  Trying to get nourishment was a challenge I was not winning.  Everything I put in my mouth tasted like paste, and my natural instincts said don’t eat that to the point of nausea. I was in a desert of nutrients, and yes, I began to complain.

Now I am in my second week of recovery, and I’ve had a few signs that recovery might actually happen.  With an improved attitude, I was able to stop complaining and repent before the Lord. I am relying on God’s abundant mercy for his forgiveness.   

Like the Ancient Israelites, in my fallen nature, I fell into complaining about my condition; and like them, I forgot all about the miraculous things God has done in my life.  Surviving cancer twice might be a good place to start remembering.  Being patient and trusting in God’s timing always remains the right choice.  Sometimes, in a moment of despair, we can forget that he’s for us and not against us.

So now the question is, will I become discouraged and start complaining again, or will I patiently wait upon the Lord?  I am reminded that without Jesus I can do nothing; with Jesus, I can do all things.  I’m going to give every effort to stay close to Jesus.  With his help, I can overcome my frustration and wait patiently.

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THE VALUE OF PRAYER

(2 Corinthians 1:8-12) We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia.  We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death.  But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.  He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again.  On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you helped us by your prayers.  Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Here in the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he shares about the trials he and his fellow workers experienced during their ministry in the province of Asia.  He makes sure to recognize the value of the prayers of the many brothers and sisters who prayed for them through their difficult time.

In my ongoing battle with cancer, I have been blessed with so many brothers and sisters battling with me through the power of their prayers.  Together we have seen the hand of God as he has continually blessed me with miraculous recovery from the chemotherapy, and now radiation therapy.  We have joined together to praise and give thanks to God our Father for his great care.

So, what is the value of prayer?  Praying is an exercise of faith.  In that alone, we see great value for it strengthens our faith.  Prayer has value in that we are communicating with God, and it allows for us to express the love we have for others, as we request God’s intervention on their behalf.  Prayer is an expression of love for our God and love for our neighbors.  Loving God and loving our neighbors fulfills the two greatest commandments. 

My best thought on the value of prayer is that it is a collaboration between God and his children, and, as we pray, we grow closer to God.