A Present

I wrote a piece earlier this morning in which I wanted to say more. However, I believe that is all the LORD wanted me to say in that posting.

The “Rest” the LORD was speaking about since the beginning of time, was for us to put to “rest” all of the troubles we experience every day. Put to rest our anger. Put to rest our worry. Put to rest self-centeredness. Put to rest hatred. Put to rest fear. Put it all to rest. Lay it down.

We shouldn't revisit times of hardships we’ve experienced. Put it to rest. They are in the past. The only things in the past we should revisit are pleasant memories and put down the sadness, regret and wishful thinking. Be grateful for those times instead.

When the LORD was finished creating the earth He said it was "good". The only things we really need to focus on is what is good. If we are to magnify anything it should be the good. The bad never really lasts very long. Just moments in time. Even in the midst of the most terrible times in our life there is gladness if we are willing to allow ourselves to see and experience it.

We often grieve over what we have lost. Our family members that are no longer with us, the friends, and so on. It’s hard but that’s life. Death of any kind is a part of life. We don’t like it but that’s the way it is.

I miss my mom and dad but not like others do. When I think about them it brings me joy with gratitude that God chose them for me. It is just selfishness missing them. “Poor me” syndrome. Instead I choose to honor their memory and be grateful I had them in my life as long as I did. I know they are both in heaven and it would be cruel to wish they were back here with me, to endure the hardships of life when they now live in glory never to face pain and suffering again.

We often look at work as if it were a curse and not severing the LORD. Even work can be fun when we know that God is behind the scenes. Murmuring and complaining about our job or work to be done will keep us in the wilderness instead of allowing God to take us to the promise land. We will be stuck in what we don't want if we are ungrateful for what we have. Why would God give us something better when we aren't grateful knowing eventually we will only complain to Him once again if He gave us something else?

I didn’t always feel this way. I looked at life like so many others and actually thought earth was a living hell until I saw the light and a new way of looking at life. Now every day is as if I’m already in heaven living life to the fullest at least the fullest I can in my current situation.

Today I’m obedient to God’s Word. It’s a marvelous way to live. Sin seems enticing but actually eventually it brings us misery. God’s way of living is like being on a natural high without the need of drugs or alcohol to bring me down.

My only regret is that I didn’t trust God and live this way my entire life.

Today I do what I can and leave the rest to God. I seek His advice always. I know whatever comes my way I will get through it. I have always in the past. But this time is different. I go through it with happiness of heart knowing I’m never alone and God has provided everything I will ever need to go through. I refuse to get stuck and remain in the troubles even though they have ended.

I now understand why my mom refused to have a past. She only lived in the present. A present is a gift to be enjoyed. Today, I like her will enjoy the gift of today that the LORD has given to me. I will give all of the problems to Him to work out on my behalf.

It’s really kinda fun laughing at the things that come my way knowing they have to face God and not me. God is more powerful than I am so why not enjoy His power so I can live in peace.

I am truly blessed and honored to be a child of God. An heir of the most powerful Being in the universe. A universe He created with me in mind. Therefore, I will live today in the "rest" of the LORD.

Mark 2:27
And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Put it to Rest

Last night before retiring, I started reading a message given by Smith Wigglesworth on January 14, 1924 “Possession of the Rest” in which he referred to Hebrews Chapter 4.

I love Hebrews 4 now that I have a better understanding of what it means. I recently listened to a series of messages on the subject which I had never heard the way he approached the subject which I could back with hundreds of scriptures bringing my understanding of the Sabbath Rest to an entirely new and exciting level. Many of my questions about life were answered by the message.

As I got into the welcoming, warm bed last night, I realized I now live in His Rest. What a wonderful, glorious place to be. I urge you to read Hebrews 4 over and over again until it hits you what it means. You will never look at life quite the same.

Satan is real and he will cloud our mind to prevent us from enjoying the wonderful life God wants for us by keeping us in darkness, never seeing the light of truth.

This morning I was reading Exodus when I was reminded once again about murmuring and complaining keeping the Israelites from entering into the Promise Land. We experience the same as the Israelites when we murmur and complain. Exodus 16:8 tells us:

Also Moses said, "… for the LORD hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the LORD."

When we complain and murmur it is against the LORD and not our situation. We think it isn’t but it is. We are driven away from the promise land into the wilderness. We become miserable, angry, sad with all the emotions we do not enjoy.

Paul tells us to “Rejoice in the LORD always, again I say rejoice.” He said this while in prison and prison during those days make our prisons look like palaces.

Rejoicing even in times of trouble keeps God in our presence helping us through the difficulty with a smile on our face and hope in our heart. Even the tribulations that satan brings against us can be a time of joy letting us continue to live in “God’s Rest” allowing Him to handle the stresses and worries of life while we live Jesus’ abundant life.