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Four
Keys to Rest
Do
you ever get irritated, upset and anxious, disrupting your inner-peace?
Do you ever become
sharp-tongued and needlessly lose your temper?
Do you want to enjoy that
inner peace which the knocks of life cannot shake?
Do you want to rest? Are you
seeking a peace in your heart which will keep you calm, no matter how difficult your
circumstances and how violently the storm rages about you?
If
so, this article is for you. Here you will find four principal keys to
obtain this inner rest.
Let’s
take Joseph as an example. His circumstances were very difficult. Scripture says:
"The archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him and hated him" (Genesis 49: 23).
He
had a privileged position of favour above his brothers, so they envied him. They threw him
into a well in an attempt to dispose him and pretended that he had been killed by a beast.
How terribly painful it must have been for a man as sensitive as Joseph! It also must have
been hard for him to be imprisoned although he was innocent (Genesis
39: 7-20)!
But
this is only half the story. The other half is bright and encouraging. It testifies to our
wonderful God, who converts curses into blessings (Deuteronomy
23: 5). It witnesses to the God who gives rest to the weary.
He
healed Joseph’s wounds for He is the Great Physician. He more than compensated
him, because He is "rich in mercy" (Ephesians 2: 4).
He completely surrounded him with peace because He is "the God of all grace" (1 Peter 5: 10).
He
gives "grace upon grace" (John 1: 16) out
of his fullness.
Consider
this verse: " The Lord was with Him and whatever he did, the Lord made it
prosper" (Genesis 39:23). Please note here the
word "whatever", because it demonstrates the love and generosity of our Lord.
Take a look also at Joseph’s words which witness to the fact that God healed his
emotions.
"For
God has made me forget all my toil, and all [that I suffered at] my
father’s house [from my brothers]" (Genesis 41: 51).
Consider
these following words. they proclaim God’s goodness to him. "God has
caused me to be fruitful" (Genesis 41: 52).
Scripture
reveals the keys to Joseph’s success; how he triumphed over his bitter circumstances
and arrived at a place of rest.
You
can use these very same keys because Joseph’s God is your God.
Believe
that you too are called to rest.
The First Key: Have Confidence in His Love for You
Joseph
was sure that God loved him. He never let his circumstances cloud this assurance.
He was convinced that God’s love for him was stronger than anything else.
"Many
waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it" (Song
of Solomon 8: 7).
Please
meditate on the following words about Joseph: " And the favour of him who dwelt in
the bush [thorny bush], let the blessing come on the head of Joseph" (Deuteronomy 33: 16).
Joseph
knew the favour of the one who dwelt in the thorny bush. This is the bush which Moses saw;
the bush which, though on fire, was not burnt up (Exodus
3: 2).
Beloved,
pressing circumstances may have robbed you of peace and may have driven you to become
entangled in immorality and addictions. Are you full of thorns? Are you enslaved by
sins that have hurt both you and others deeply? Have you become unbearable, even to
yourself? Beloved, do not be too ashamed to confess it. It does not matter what kind of
thorns you have inside. Your God will never burn or destroy you. He is the God of all
grace.
He
wants to fill you with His love. His love is like a fire which will consume the
thorns in its bright light.
He
is not far away. "The Lord is at hand" (Philippians 4:
5). When He glimpses your return, He will run to welcome you and catch you up
in His arms. He wants you to rest.
Are
you tired of life? Do you hate yourself? Do you feel rejected by those you love most?
Close your eyes now and imagine the Lord holding you, healing your wounds. Imagine Him
carrying you in His arms, dandling you on His knees (Isaiah 66:
12).
There
is absolutely no way God wants to destroy you. He wants to heal and restore you. He
wants to make you happy and give you complete rest.
Do
you truly want to repent? You can begin with this key.
Trust
in God’s boundless love for you. Rest in His fatherly, forgiving arms of
love. Allow His love to fill you and you will be able to crush every sinful pleasure
underfoot. "A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb" (Proverbs
27: 7).
Do
you need healing? Do you need release from the chains that Satan has wrapped
around you? You too can begin with this key. Have confidence in God’s love for
you. He will never leave nor forsake you. He will not rest until you are completely healed
and delivered.
Do
not concentrate on the thorns. Do not focus on your sins or the bonds which hurt
you. Rather fix your eyes on His great love, on His forgiving blood, on the Holy
Spirit who gives power.
Do
not focus on the thorns, but on the fire of His love. It will not burn you, but
purify and make you shine brightly. "For you were once darkness, but now you are light
in the Lord" (Ephesians 5: 8).
The
first key to rest is for you to be confident that you are still very much loved in
spite of all your sins and faults. God’s love for you is infinite, and He wants you
to rest.
The Second Key: Let the Hand of the Lord Touch You
Consider
what Scripture says in the following verse about Joseph: "The arms of his hands were
made strong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob" (Genesis
49: 24).
What
does this mean? Joseph’s arms were weary from fierce battles and they needed
strengthening. The Mighty God loved him. He did not forsake him. He put His hand on his
arms to strengthen them.
Beloved,
are you tired from spiritual battles? Are you fed up? Have you lost your previous
motivation and enthusiasm? If so, then employ this second key. Allow God to put His
hand on yours.
Joash
the King was weak, and thus unable to confront the Syrian Army in battle. So
he went especially to see Elisha, the man of God. Elisha put his hand on Joash’s hand
and everything changed! Joash was now able, in faith, to go and see the enemy vanquished
at
his feet (2 Kings 13: 14-21).
Act
now! Go and have a special time with God. Go and relax at His feet. Ask Him: Touch
my hands O God Almighty, who "teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can
bend a bow of bronze .. Your right hand has held me up. You have armed me with strength
for battle" (Psalm 18: 34,35,39).
The
Spirit will give you the faith to see the enemy weakened; you will laugh at your
circumstances. God will touch your hands. You will be strengthened. You will lift
up your hands in praise. You will lift them up in declaration of victory over the enemy.
"Yet in all these we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us’ (Romans 8: 37).
Consider
what Elijah did when he was full of the Holy Spirit. He touched the body of a dead boy and
new life flowed into him. He was dead and he became alive again.
Let
the Lord’s mighty hand touch you in every area of weakness and death. When the Lord
touches you, real power will flow from Him into you. You will sing for joy:
"Let the weak say, I am strong" (Joel 3: 10)
and "when I am weak, then I am strong" (2
Corinthians 12: 10).
This
is not a soulish deception. It is a real working power, which flows from the hand
of God " you have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, and high is Your right
hand" (Psalm 89: 13).
Beloved,
do you feel weak and weary? Do not give way to sorrow and despair. Repeat the words
of Paul, in faith: "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that
the Power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians
12: 9).
Come
to the Lord in all your weakness and weariness. Come and have a special encounter
with Him. He will now put His hand on you, so you can go "from strength to
strength" (Psalm 84: 7), and "from glory to glory" (2 Corinthians 3: 18).
The Third Key: Build your House on Rock
Do
you waver? Are you sometimes strong in faith? Then at other times do you give way
to dark thoughts which attack your mind? Why does this happen? I tell you the truth, you
have not built your house on rock.
Be
honest, do you derive security from money or power, from friends or emotional
relationships? These things may change, so your sense of security must be built on
rock
- on your confidence in God’s faithfulness.
Do
you want to have a stability within, that is not dependent on what you see around? Build
your life, effort, thoughts, emotions and everything on the real rock - on the words
of the Lord. You can rely on His faithfulness in fulfilling them.
Consider
this verse in Psalms about Joseph: "The word of the Lord tested him" (Psalm 105: 19).
What
does this sentence mean?
Joseph
was put to a test. The Word of the Lord tested him, and he was found to believe.
For when he was in jail, he still believed God’s promise to him. He did not give way
to what he saw with his own eyes. He chose rather to believe God’s Word.
Joseph
had built his house on rock, which is why he enjoyed rest. Scripture says:
"The arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob (from
there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel) [i.e. the Rock of the believers]" (Genesis 49: 24).
Joseph
believed that the Word of God was always true, no matter how contradictory
the events he saw with his eyes, or the words he heard with his ears.
You
too, need to build your entire life on what God says - this is the Rock.
Do
you suffer from an illness? Do not yield to anxious thoughts. Build your thoughts on rock;
build them on what God says: "I am the Lord who heals you" (Exodus 15: 26), and, " I will take sickness away
from the midst of you .. I will fulfill the number of your days"
(Exodus 23: 25, 26).
Does
the enemy have a stronghold in your life through emotional or sexual addiction? Do you
feel unable to resist it? Come now and build your house on rock - on what the Word
of God says. Jesus died in your place to cleanse you from sin with His blood. He carried
your sufferings to deliver you from them. He was bound, so that you could be set free.
These
are the promises of God, the rock, upon which you should build your life.
All
Joseph’s circumstances were difficult, but he lived by faith. He scorned the high
walls that Satan built to cripple him. What does Scripture say of the Lord’s
faithfulness? "Joseph is a fruitful bough .. his branches run over the wall"
(Genesis 49: 22).
Stand
on the promises of God and your branches will climb over any wall that the enemy
builds. This is the third key to rest - dependence on the words of the Lord. This is
building life on Rock.
The Fourth Key: Be Refreshed by the Holy Spirit
Look
at what the Bible says about Joseph: "Blessed of the Lord is his land .. with the dew"
(Deuteronomy 33: 13).
Dew
falls from heaven to refresh the plants before the sun rises. It symbolizes the Holy
Spirit. He refreshes you like the dew at the start of each day to give you
strength.
The
Holy Spirit is the "dew" that refreshes you.
His
name is the Comforter (John 15: 26), which is a
translation from the Greek word "Paraclete" which also means defender, helper,
stand by. Let the Holy Spirit be your companion at all times. Remain in
continuous fellowship with Him.
Enjoy
this refreshing through your conversation with Him. It will come as you ask for
wisdom and guidance; as you listen to His advice. "For as many as are led by
the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:
14).
Enjoy
the refreshing when you pray in the Spirit (1 Corinthians
14: 15). Enjoy the refreshing of the Spirit in your quiet times with
the Word. Enjoy the refreshing of the Spirit all the time.
Ask
the Spirit to work in you all the time. Ask that you be filled with Him.
Please
meditate on the Scriptures written about Joseph: "Joseph is a fruitful bough, a
fruitful bough by a well" (Genesis 49: 22).
He
was fruitful because he always drank from the living waters of the Spirit. I
encourage you too, to keep on drinking from the waters of the Spirit. The Spirit will
anoint your life with genuine gladness. He will renew your mind so you can understand the
things of God. He will flood your heart with comfort.
The
Holy Spirit will make you sensitive to His voice. He will lead you. He will make you a
light for others. They will see in you the Lord, who gives rest to the weary.
There are 4 important keys to Rest:
Have confidence in
God’s love for you.
Let the hand of
the Lord touch you.
Build your house on Rock
(The Word).
Be refreshed by the Holy
Spirit
Lord,
I
believe You are my rest.
I
know, I won’t be shaken.
Your
blood protects me.
Your
Word builds me up.
Your
Spirit leads me.
Your
angels guard me.
I
go from strength to strength,
and
from glory to glory.
Amen.
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