Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. (Hebrews 4:11)
The word for today is rest. Are you entering into his rest? Notice the verse above..."Let us labor." Those two words labor and rest seem to be an oxymoron or contradiction but upon careful study, we find an answer to this.
If you study Hebrews 3:15-19, you will see an example of not entering into the Lord's rest. The Hebrew children had spent 400 years as slaves in Egypt. The Lord had delivered them from Egyptian bondage and led them into the wilderness. While in the wilderness, God manifested many signs and wonders, yet the people were complaining.
The tipping point was when God had promised them the land of milk and honey as their inheritance. They saw themselves as grasshoppers and were afraid of the giants. (Number 13:33) God, already, said that the land was their inheritance. (Exo 3:8) Here is the key item---They had mental assent of God's promise but it did not sink into their hearts. This event displeased God and caused them 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.
Sowing and resting.
Everyone in the body of Christ is going to come across many storms in life. How you react is either going to give you the victory or have you be defeated by the enemy. Let's look at another example of rest. Jesus had finished teaching on the different scenarios of seed planting, among other things. (Mark 4) Notice the words sleep (Mark 4:27) and asleep (Mark 4:38).
Now, I want to call your attention to the fact that Jesus spoke the words---Let us pass over to the other side. (Mark 4:35) Now, the question to ask---Why was Jesus asleep on the ship? The answer is simple. Jesus had learned to enter into the Father's rest.
Before this incident with the storm, Jesus, probably, spent hours teaching on the different types of seed. One important item that Jesus mentions is the farmer who sows seeds. He knows that there is a process for growth. He goes to sleep and just trusts in the laws of sowing and reaping.
When Jesus said--Let us pass over to the other side, he was sowing his words as seeds and trusting that come what may, they were going to go to the other side. As he got on the ship with his disciples, he fell asleep. Suddenly, a storm came to the scene.
His disciples woke him up. Jesus went and spoke to the storm. After he calmed down the storm, he got upset at his disciples. Why? Because they did not believe Jesus' words that they were going to the other side. They were focused on the storm instead of going to the other side.
Learn to sleep in your storm
Don't let the storms of life steal your identity in Christ. The word of God says that we have the mind of Christ. Learn to capture every thought that does not align itself with the word. (II Cor 10:4-5) Apply the laws of binding and loosing. Bind those thoughts that are not from God, put them under your feet and release the mind of Christ to work on your behalf.
Then, you can rise up and say---Peace, be still. The other side awaits you. It is time to remove all obstacles that slow down our progress with the Lord and move onward to victory. Learn to get that word deep in your heart so that you, too, can be sleeping in your storm and enter into his rest.
Prayer--Father, thank you for speaking to me. Help me to learn to enter into your rest. I take now the mind of Christ and speak to every thought that is contrary to your will. I have the peace of God. I enter into your rest knowing that I will go to the other side. In Jesus name. Amen.
For further biblical studies, click on this link below...
https://thechristiancorner.org/changing-your-destiny/
Picture byGarth Manthewhose works can be found on the Unsplash website
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