Am finding The Lord is urging each of us, as this universe winds down, for the coming "place" God has designed to make, to replace it, ... as true believers, we all need to get serious about what He has taught us, about "moving" away from our usual thinking, that comes into our minds from our flesh, and "move over" (each moment) into "the spiritual rest" (and the righteous thinking) that our Lord Yeshua the Messiah desires for us to take part in, and join Him in, and also ... let Him use for the good of all whose lives our life touches.
So, am hopin' to share some thoughts with you here, that might encourage your heart, today, ... after being reminded by some thoughts Robin Sampson shared on her blog, yesterday.
This related to our "Spiritual Rest" in our Lord Yeshua,
as shared by Robin Sampson, on her encouraging blog, at this link,
you can experience "spiritual rest" ... as you choose, daily, or moment by moment, to "dwell" in The Lord Yeshua haMashiach. He told us to do this, so He must have known the benefit, the lessening of "stress" having negative effects on us, if we would, and the benefit to our health, beside the improving of our relationships with others, that would come, as well, from our ... just surrendering to His Spirit, and ... choosing (it is a choice) to "rest in" His LovingKindness (as The Lord Who does all things for our good, and Who *is* Compassion), in His Care for us (as El Shaddai, The One Who is just what we need, at any moment, if we will only cry out to Him in our need), and in His generous Grace (which is "sufficient" for every need we have), and in His Shalom Peace (which does pass, go beyond, all our human understanding, and fills us with Peace that overlooks and overcomes all strife, all anger toward us, and all hatred in words or actions toward us, from those who do not understand what God is up to, in us, or maybe, through us, that they are "taking" wrongly).
So often, I forget that my Lord Yeshua is wanting me to "release" my tensions to Him alone, and ... not let what others say or do "affect me" in the old way they used to. Am observing that, in my life, and thinking, some old habits or thought patterns are not wanting to let go, or go away, as much as I believe they should, or as one of my daughters reminded me they should, the other day. I must, instead of following "natural" ways of thinking, choose consciously, to switch over to the Path of Light, that (when I am on it) enables me to think in The Way of The Lord, because His Word He has given us "the mind of Messiah." -- wow! Imagine that! It is true! He *has* given us His Way of thinking, His ability to "choose righteousness," instead of our old fleshly way! If He has set me free (and He has!! Amen!), then I am "free" indeed (assuredly!)!! Hallelujah!!!
The Lord is always right here with each of us who "abide in Him," so, for me, I can overcome my old tendency to let the wrong attitudes of others affect me in a negative way, but only by His Loving, Might-filled, Righteous, Merciful, Kind-hearted Power (dunamis) working in me His Will for my life, as His friend.
As I choose to "dwell in the secret place of The Most High (El Elyon)," I "shall abide under the Shadow of The Almighty (El Shaddai)." (from Psalm 91: 1)
Then, as I practice "dwelling" in His "secret place," I will be able to demonstrate that (from verse 2, of Psalm 91) I can say "of The Lord (YHVH), He is my Refuge and my Fortress: my God (Mighty One); in Him will I (choose to) trust."
*If* I let worry about our family's future in the nation we were born in (maybe we need to make plans to be ready to leave, should The Lord lead us to do that, to opt for serving on a foreign mission field, rather than the large field, ready for harvesting of souls by The Lord, right here in America), or concern for others' actions and words (that damage the lives of those around them) that God will reprove, or observations that lead me to correct another whose life is not going as God would wish it to go, and they are not seeing the path they have left (God's perfect Will), nor the one they have chosen to walk on (which does not please God), which I maybe just need to (surrender my rights to) leave to God to correct that soul (whom He loves immensely), in His own Way, ...
....... then I have chosen, also, to not demonstrate that I am able to "dwell" (by His enabling, abundant Grace, that gives me the desire and the "power," or ability, to do, or accomplish, His Will!) in Him, "under the shadow of His" protecting, Loving "Wings."
... and if I do that, I am also not choosing to run to or dwell in Him as my "Refuge," though my right mind knows He truly *is* my Refuge, and my Strength! If I forget to think on these things, at a time of 'crisis,' then I am guilty of not seeing Him as He truly is, in one aspect, as my "Fortress" ... where He rules and reigns, and overcomes all enemies of His Love-in-action toward all those who put their trust in His Son, Yeshua haMashiach.
Will I choose to fully trust Him ? Will I, at least, try to trust Him a big jump more, toward Him, than I did yesterday ? Am I willing to give up, or yield to Him, my rights to correct that other person, who is also "on" God's pathway of Life, but who is stumbling, perhaps, or making a few wrong choices in thinking, as I have, so often ? Am I willing to show more patience toward others, whomever they may be, in order to let God work in their hearts, rather than expressing what I am observing that they are doing that I know God will judge in His wrath, toward those who do evil ?
He is surely in charge, and in control of all things that occur in this universe! I must choose to remember that that is The Truth! It is!
I can let Him take care of 'fixing' things that go on, in the lives we live on this earth, before we get promoted to His Glory Land!
He does know the right thing to do, even if it does not "look," to me, like the one doing what is wrong, or being allowed to remain alive (though even this nation's laws would say that one deserves to die), or like the one whose life touches my own, and what that one is doing, or has done, has had a very negative effect on my own, ....
I must remember that The Lord is fully able to deal with each of these circumstances, and each person whose life touches mine, in a negative way.
If He knows best what to do, in each of life's situations that He allows to come up, and affect our hearts, or our emotions, or our income levels, or our children's lives, or our country's leaders doing what is evil, or planning evil behind "closed doors," or ... then I must leave it to Him to do what is best. I do know He is able to deliver me, and anyone else, from those who plan evil, in this country, or in any other, if He wants to use that deliverance to bring more lost souls to a saving knowledge of His Truth, and of God's Son, Yeshua haMashiach. He can! I must leave it to Him!
His Mercy endureth forever! I must show mercy, in action and in words, and attitude, from my heart and soul that God is sanctifying, as He works in my life, daily!
My concerns for the welfare of others, or for the provisions I want to help them with, or for some blessing I would like to see them experience as a result of the right choices they could make, with regard to an area of their lives God wants, very much, to bless, or for the healing God wants to do in the heart or emotions, or more so, in the physical health, or lack of it, that someone I know is experiencing, painfully, or for the good God desires to do, in the spiritual growth of a believer, to enable that one to grow much more close to His Heart, but they do have blind spots, they are not "seeing" are causing themselves much pain, and they do not, if made aware of them, want to make the necessary changes that would open the door for God's abundant blessing to pour down on them, from Heaven, so much so, that they would not know how to receive it all. But what a huge blessing it "would" be, if only they could "see" what they cannot now see, with their spiritual eyes, due to hardness of heart, or due to resistance to His Holy Spirit's work in their lives, as believers in The Lord.
Anyway, Robin Sampson's short article on "Spiritual Rest," inspired me today, as well as The Lord urging me, has led me to write this.
I do hope it offers you the hope He has available for us all, if we will just "cry out to God," for the "Help" that He truly is and has for us.
He patiently waits on us, to "move." (over to His way of thinking)
... that must be why, David wrote, in Psalm 27, verse 14, as he sings: "Wait on The Lord (YHWH): be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine (your!) heart: wait, I say, on The Lord (YHWH)."
In Isaiah 30: 15, The Lord urged Isaiah to write down these encouraging and helpful words, to guide us to make some right choices, with regard to "spiritual rest" we can find only in Him: "For thus saith The Lord (Adonai, our Master) God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved (delivered); in quietness (trusting Him) and in confidence (knowing He has a plan to do good for us, at all times) shall be your Strength: ...."
And ... in Isaiah 32: 17, the prophet shares with us another insight God wishes us to know and think about: "And the work of Righteousness shall be Peace (Shalom); and the effect of Righteousness quietness and assurance forever." wow! That is what we all want, and need, especially in these times of uncertainties.
... but God has not forgotten us! He never will! His thoughts about us and toward us (for us) are so numerous, daily, that we cannot count them all! And all His plans for us are for our good, and they "are" good!
Please visit Robin's site, to read her article there, at the Heart of Wisdom (her blog area), using the link below:
Fruit of the Spirit Friday - Spiritual Rest
God is able to fill us with all Goodness, Gentleness, Joy, Peace, Love, and Strength, and even with His Kindness He can enable us to demonstrate toward those who are His enemies! He can make even our enemies (His enemies) to be at Peace with us, if we are staying on His Path of Life, by choosing, moment by moment, to "dwell" in His Son, Yeshua haMashiach, The Lord Who made us, and knows us, and wishes for us to come to Heaven, so we can enjoy the inheritance He wishes to share with us, in Glory, for eternity! Hallelujah!!
