NEEDING REST

Do you find yourself exhausted from the issues of life. Maybe you are mentally drained from
beating your head against the wall, trying to figure out how to solve some issue that is robbing
you of the joy in life. Maybe it is some seemingly impossible difficulty that is pressing in on you
and exhausting your resources to manage your life or health or money or relationships.

There are endless things in this broken world that can swoop down, like an unseen hawk from
above, steal away every ounce of energy we have to keep our hopes lifted high. When all of our
energy is required to survive, then thriving becomes an unrealized broken dream.

In such circumstances where do find rest for our souls? Wherein lies that peace that passes
understanding and that joy for living in spite of the heartaches of life?

There is only ONE place to find such rest. In truth our place of rest is not a location but a person.
In Christ Jesus, our Savior, ALONE will we discover the rest needed. When you are embraced
by His eternal love and are settled in the hope He establishes; then you find the security you need
to remain anchored to His eternal truth. Such an anchor is the reason for the hope in Christ.

Such truth exposes the lies that seek to deceive, discourage, and destroy our lives. With eyes
wide open fixated on the love of our Savior and the truth of His Sovereignty we can rest. Truly
rest. Rest from fretting, rest from fears, rest from having to “be the one”, The Gospel truth is that
only Christ can be “the one.”

The truth reveals that in all of our troubles God is after our good, not bad. He is fumigating our
lives from the toxic lies of our flesh, or the world, or the tempter. He is purifying our walk so
that we can enjoy partaking in the plans of God; rather than be anxious about having failed those
plans.

Find rest. Sweet abiding rest! Rest whereby God says do what you can with what I give. I have
you covered, I add what you are unable. God enjoys your participation, NOT because He expects
you to prove anything, or earn anything but because He just derives pleasure from your faith and
love in what He is doing.

Did you ever hang your child’s artistic endeavors on your refrigerator? Was it because they had perfected the art? Or, was it because you were just glowing with pleasure at the works of your children? So, it is with our Heavenly Father. He gloats over our work, not because it is without flaws but because it is done in faith and love – His work in us through Jesus.

So rest in the joy of the Lord over your life in His and enjoy doing what you do with Him.

The failures and flaws God removes. The beauty and life God perfects. To HIM be ALL glory!
Pastor Craig