I Will Give You Rest

Happy New Year, everyone!
Isn't it crazy that it's 2020 already? Somehow that number sounds so futuristic. ;) I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends! We had many different celebrations around Christmas time--since both Luke's family and mine live nearby now, it makes for a jam-packed schedule of spending time at different homes around the holidays. It was a ton of fun, though, and we are so thankful to have like minded family that we can fellowship freely with and not have to worry about angry dinner conversations or difficult choices on what to refuse participation in politely. I definitely don't take that for granted, because I know so many have to face things like that around the holidays!

Baby boy Orwig is doing very well, and likes to make his presence very known these days with lots and lots and LOTS of movement!! ;) He is such a crazy active little fellow...most especially at night when this Mama is trying to get some sleep. Ha! I'm 26 weeks along, so the third trimester is coming right up. In many ways it feels like this pregnancy is going very quickly, but other times (like when I am trying to get things done and feel like a three ton walrus) it seems like a very long time till he gets here. ;P I know the time will come before we know it, though!

This post is one that I've actually been wanting to write since before Christmas, but I keep putting it off because I keep studying more about the topic, and finding new verses that I love and want to include, and well...just don't be surprised if there happens to be a Part 2 to this post at some point in the future! :)

One of the biggest things God has been working on me about lately is the idea of rest. Both physical and spiritual. Physically, rest has become absolutely vital to me over the last few months, as some small difficulties with pregnancy have made it extremely hard for me to be the go-getter that I typically am/want to be. And quite honestly, as my body grows and changes with every day that goes by, physical rest is becoming even MORE important! :) Much more vital than physical rest, however, is spiritual rest. 

To be honest, I have failed at both types of rest quite often lately. Out of frustration with current physical limitations, I push myself too hard and wind up knocked over and hurting a lot more than is necessary. In a spirit of faithlessness, I refuse to trust God and His promises to me and become fretful and worried, living in doubt and fear and stressing out for no reason.

I've never really done the whole "Word of the Year" thing before...I know many friends who have really enjoyed it, but I had just never actually chosen ONE concept to focus on throughout the year. But at the beginning of this year, I realized that God had been speaking to me about this SO much, it was almost a given: my word of the year for 2020 is "Rest". 

This has been a lot of intro, I know, but I wanted to give some background into my study and how much it means to me before I just launched in. :) Here are a few things I have written down in my study journal over the last couple months. (Alliterated because I'm Baptist and that's just what we do, haha!! ;P)

1. The Preparation for Rest
"And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning." Exodus 16:23

God Himself instituted the practice of resting (specifically on the Sabbath) when He created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Later, He set up this principle for His people to follow. However, God didn't expect or require them to simply drop everything and rest with no preparation or provision for the rest period. They were to make ready in order to be purposefully still and not work. However, this did NOT mean that all tasks were perfectly complete and nothing was left undone before they rested. They made specific preparations for the Sabbath, and when the day came, they rested. Whatever was left undone could simply wait until the next day. In our goal-oriented and perfectionist society today, we sometimes have a hard time resting while there are still tasks to be done. However, there will always be something to do, something to fill our time with. The decision lies with us to let some of that go and CHOOSE to purposefully rest.

2. The Purpose of Rest
Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed. Exodus 23:12

God's plan for rest is that His children will be refreshed and uplifted. His thoughts toward us are of good, not evil, and His commandments to us are not grievous (burdensome or harsh). Rest is a "good and perfect gift" (James 1:17) from the hand of God, meant to bless, not harm. In 1 Chronicles 22:9 and 2 Chronicles 14:6, The Bible speaks of God giving someone rest as a gift or a blessing. When viewed correctly, rest is a valuable resource and should be treated as such.

3. The Placement of Rest
"And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee." 2 Chronicles 14:11

If you are familiar with this story, you'll know that Asa was facing terrible, overwhelming circumstances. As in, going up against a million man army with only half that many on his own side. And yet, in the midst of even that circumstance, he was able to find a place of rest in God.

You may have heard the statement made about joy that it is found in God and does not depend on surroundings or circumstances the way happiness can. Well, from God's Word, it seems to me that rest too can be found even in the middle of chaos, heartbreak, or trial...IF it is a rest based firmly upon God and His promises. It is a CHOICE, not a feeling or an emotion. True rest comes from seeking after God fervently and choosing to trust His Word. 

As I studied this out, it struck me how many things in our Christian lives are like this. Love? It's a choice and an action...though those warm feelings are sometimes there as well, they are a result of the good choices we make, not the other way around. Joy? Same thing. It's a decision we make to not allow our circumstances to dictate our attitude. It's finding our stability in God. Here's a verse that I found during this study that I thought was SO precious:

"And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about."

2 Chronicles 15:15

4. The Price of our Rest

"And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious." Isaiah 11:10

The ultimate place of rest is in heaven, in the very presence of God. This rest cannot be obtained without accepting the price that Jesus Christ paid for our redemption--His own blood. Not only can we not reach heaven without Christ, but even here on this earth we will never find true rest outside of a relationship with him. The world talks a lot about finding inner peace and tranquility, and yet their version of those things are shallow and transient at best if they are not based upon The One who is the true Prince of Peace.

5. The Procurement of Rest

"Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass." Psalm 37:7

This point is similar to No. 3, but I couldn't figure out how to split these thoughts up exactly how I wanted, so two points it is. ;) Like many exercises of faith in our lives, the obtainment of God's rest takes commitment and a daily series of rest-producing choices. This verse in Psalm 37 speaks of waiting patiently for God (choice) and NOT fretting (yet again, a choice). I looked up the dictionary definition of "fret" and thought it was interesting:

Fret: (1) Be constantly or visibly worried or anxious. 

(2) To gradually wear away by rubbing or gnawing.

Fretting both violates a clear command of Scripture (Be careful for nothing...Phillipians 4:6), but also wears away and gnaws at my strength, joy, and hope in God.

I feel like so many times we SAY we want God's rest and peace, and yet the moment by moment choices we make contradict that desire completely. (And I'm as guilty of this as anyone.) One of the biggest things I've noticed in myself is that I hardly ever give myself a CHANCE to actually rest and be still! Every free or quiet moment is squelched by me trying to fill my time up constantly, many times with useless things like scrolling my phone for the twentieth time that day or doing some other frivolous activity instead of taking a moment to just be still. 

Sometimes all it takes to find that rest we crave is to remind ourselves of the goodness and bounty of God.  "Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling." Psalm 116:7-8

Other times, rest can only come through chastisement and repentance/restoration. (As in the case of unrest being due to our own sin or disobedience). "Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance." Psalm 94:12-14

I realize this post may seem a little incoherent, but like I said, I have just kept discovering more and more things in God's Word about rest and being still, and it's been really hard to narrow it down enough for a blog post. ;) Let me wrap up with a few more verses I found that I think sum up all these ideas quite well.

"Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16a

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

"I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope." Psalm 16:8-9

 "For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:" Isaiah 30:15a

This year, I want to choose to rest in The Lord, no matter the circumstance or situation that I face. How about you?

Mykaela

Guest Post: The God of ALL Flesh

Hey there, all you awesome people! :)
Back in February of this year, my dear friend Katie wrote a guest post that has been one of the most popular posts on this blog to date. You should absolutely go check it out at this link if you missed it! Today, Katie is back again, with another thought provoking and convicting post. I am so thankful to have good friends that edify and encourage me to draw closer to The Lord! Welcome back, Katie! :) 

**(Just a side note here, there are going to be a couple of guest posts in the next few weeks due to my trip. But that's ok, because like I said...I've got some pretty amazing friends with fantastic writing abilities. ;)

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“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”
Jeremiah 32:27

The God of all flesh. That means He’s the God of the atheists, the Mormons, and the Buddhists, whether they know it or not. Their life is in His hands… Job 12:10 says “In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” They will all stand before Him someday (Rom. 14:10). Everyone will worship the true God of the Bible eventually, whether they will be spending eternity with Him, or in Hell.

Isaiah 45:22-23 says, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: For I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue swear.” In Romans 14:12, Paul adds after quoting Isaiah, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Philippians 2:11 clarifies it further: “And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

In the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and an atheist. It was difficult to talk to the atheist because since he didn’t believe in God at all, we had totally different worldviews. But it was somehow even more difficult to talk to the Mormons and JW’s because though we agreed on many things, we couldn’t agree on who God is. But they will each bow before Him one day. God makes Himself known in Creation; He does not cause anyone to be ignorant. They are allowed to be ignorant if they choose (II Pet. 3:5), but they have no excuse for it (Rom. 1:20).

What about those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour? Do we act like it? I sometimes forget that I can’t dwell on only the enjoyable aspects of God’s character; I’ve got to take seriously His more terrifying characteristics too. God is good. God is merciful. But He’s not anyone to mess around with! God is my Father. But because He is, He is going to discipline me when I sin (Prov. 3:12, Rev. 3:19). If God sent His chosen people, Israel, into captivity because of their idolatry, it is foolish of me to think that God will always show me mercy and favor when I am putting anything else above my relationship with Him.

God actually desires us to know Him, talk to Him, and have an intimate relationship with Him. He wants to answer our prayers and cause us to live victoriously. We are no more deserving of it than those who reject Him. And yet we forget to thank Him, try to do everything our own way, fall asleep reading His Word, and use prayer as a last resort rather than continually being in a spirit of dependence on the One who gives us all things. How sad. He is giving us each breath we breathe. Let’s act like He’s our God!

Katie

Voluntary Faithfulness

Their deep voices rolled over my 8 year old head in more ways than one. I sat on my living room floor, listening as my preacher father talked to a preacher friend. I remember thinking how much I enjoyed listening to their "doctrinal discourse", as I called it...I'm sure I just heard the phrase somewhere and thought it was neat. ;) Many of the things they talked about I couldn't understand very well, even having grown up in church under good preaching. How smart my dad must be to know so much about God and His Word! As a young child, I thought he must know more than anyone else in the world. 

Time passed, and seasons melted one into the next as the years went by. More preaching, more doctrinal discourse. I accepted The Lord as my personal Saviour at age 10, and began to grow in knowledge. Still, my convictions were formed based on my parents thoughts and study of God's Word. They taught me right and wrong, and why we believed certain ways about certain things. They wanted me to have wisdom and discernment about issues such as modesty, music, friendships, relationships, Godly leaders, role models, and entertainment. As a child, it was enough for me to know that they knew.

At some point, however, a shift had to happen. A change had to be made. I was growing up, as were my siblings, and soon--very soon, that would no longer be enough. As we grew older and made several moves in my teen years, we began to have more exposure to the world and the sparkly but lethal attractions it offered. I can't tell you the day or moment it happened, but all at once, I had to make choices on my own whether or not to chase after those attractions. 

There had to be a change of heart from me holding my parents' beliefs because they said so, and me holding those beliefs because I myself believed they were true. They had to become MY convictions. When you face a strong temptation, it doesn't work very well to say, "Oh, well...my parents say that's not a good thing to do..." No. There is a huge fall coming for someone who does that. 

Thank God, that change happened. I don't know the day or the moment, but in His infinite grace, He brought me into firm convictions about the truth of principles in His Word. I no longer hold to what my parents believe simply because they say so (though I am so deeply grateful for their teaching in my life!!!)...I do it because I truly want to follow the ways of God myself. I want to live out His Word in my life, with all my heart. And I fail, oh, I fail so often! But I can't express in words how thankful I am that God is willing to take me back and show me the way over and over. To cleanse me when I mess up yet again. 

Here is the heartbreaking part of this, though. I have many dear friends who have never made this choice. All through their teen years, they still served God like their parents did, but only because they had to. Once they turned 18, they had no reason to stay because their parents' faith had never become theirs. These are people that I love and care about, that I grew up with for a good piece of my life! I am thinking through name after name in my head as I write this...Over a dozen names of people I was close to at one time. Now, they have left church and their families. Some of them are married to or dating people they should never be involved with at all. Some of them are into drugs. Some are simply not interested in the things of God anymore...they have much more important things to think about and work towards, in their eyes. And when I think of and pray for them, it hurts so much, because I know how they once were. On fire for God, serving Him, and following His way, but never on their own. They never made the choice to grow towards God in their own lives, even if everyone around them were to fall away. And as a result, they themselves fell away, dragging many others with them. They have hurt the name of Christ, caused heartache and pain to their families, friends, and leadership, and discouraged others around them, all because they didn't make the shift from mandatory to voluntary faithfulness. God is able to draw them home and bring redemption in their lives. I know this, and I pray so often for it to be done. However, how many broken, wasted years have already gone by! And how many more will pass before they come back to the sheep fold!

I truly hope and pray that every one of us, myself most of all, will strive after the things of God. Not just because others say to, but because we truly want to be good soldiers ourselves. I know how hard it is sometimes to keep up the good fight. Things get discouraging. Times get tough, and the grass on the other side of the fence looks so much more appealing than the path God has us walking at this moment. But think of the reward! Think of hearing Jesus say "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"! Is it worth it to walk away? To drift around, not knowing your own convictions and beliefs? Think about it...your stand for Christ will ALWAYS be rewarded and blessed. Your stand against Him will only cause pain, grief, and heartbreak. By the grace of God, may we make the right choice!
Mykaela

To Know Him More Fully!

Psalm 42:1-2 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

"When we look to God, we trust. When we look to things, and circumstances, and surroundings, we grow anxious." ~~J. McConkey

"[Salvation] is where we begin [to know and pursue God], but where we stop no man has yet discovered, for there is in the awful and mysterious depths of the Triune God neither limit nor end." ~~A.W. Tozer

"The deepest fact about us is our desperate need of God." ~~Unknown

I would like to share with you something that I wrote in my prayer journal a few weeks ago. As I looked back over the things I'd written, these quotes came back to me as going hand in hand with it. I hope it is a blessing to you!

Prayer Journal, entry for ~July 30, 2017

Lately God has been teaching me an invaluable lesson. It is one that many others have learned, and even written about, before me. It's a lesson that, sadly, we can't seem to learn second hand. We must each find our way through it on our own. It is the path of realizing that there IS no complete and total fulfillment outside of knowing God. I will never find the fullness of joy in writing. In music. In a relationship. In a friendship. No mere thing and no mere human can ever take the place of the deepest longing of my soul--that of knowing and communing with God. Nothing can fill that hole. The more I try to fill it, the more weary and heartsick I will become. He is my strength, my Redeemer, my portion, my salvation, my Rock, my Fortress, the lifter up of mine head, the One True God, my King, my God. He is all. He. Is. All. Only God.

And another glorious wonder? God wants to know me. I am priceless and full of worth in His eyes. I have done nothing worthy of the God of the universe even noticing me, and yet He tells me that His thoughts of me are more numerous than can be counted. He loves me. How? I will never know. He is God. He is perfect. He is The Holy One, and yet He condescends to care about ME. I, who wanders away from Him at every turn. I, who is foolish and ungrateful, and does not love or praise Him as He deserves. He loves me. He wants me to know Him, He wants to fill that deepest longing of my heart. Wonder of all wonders, I am His. And He is mine. 
Mykaela