Entering into God's Rest by Trusting in His Love

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. Psalm 63:3

Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy was one of the commandments, Exodus 20:8.  We tend to play it down compared  to “You will not commit adultery or murder.”  I’ve heard some atheists mock this as to why God rested – why does God who is the Almighty Creator have to rest?  No, he does not have to rest – maybe he chose to rest.  It says that Jesus “was the expressed image of the Father” and he healed on the Sabbath and he picked corn on the Sabbath.  Maybe God was setting an example that we should not work 24/7.

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Hebrews 1:3

Our society would have us believe that we should focus on what makes us happy. Which is basically pleasing ourselves.  I agree to love others, we need to love ourselves, but I believe a higher calling is making God happy.  It’s my goal in life.  As a woman, I was raised to be a people pleaser, but I find that you can’t please everybody all the time.  I find it is a lot easier to be pleasing to God first in understanding I’ve been “accepted” in the beloved through Christ.  Seeing ourselves accepted by God whether we lift a finger and basking in his love. I believe entering into God’s rest is entering into God’s love for us. 

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:6

Not only have I been accepted in the beloved, but I am beloved (dearly loved of God).  It says I should live a life of love. Corrie ten Boom said that it does not matter how long we lived our life, but how we lived it (quality).  We can give our bodies to be burned and if we have not love, it profits us nothing.  Loving our family and others.  We are not to love this world.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15

I found that when I was pleasing God in my life, it was easier to get along with my husband.  It was nice to come home and just rest in my husband’s strong arms at night and that to me is what resting is in God’s arms.  At the end of the day, no matter what the step children or my children did or said, what happened at work, I rested in my husband’s arms every night.  I’m resting in God’s strong arms. 

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears (you will rest in his love). He will rejoice over you with joyful songs." Zeph. 3:17

Nothing that we go through in life no matter what can separate us from God’s love.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

When we enter in God’s love is unconditional and he accepts us as we are, it’s takes the pressure off of us.  God does not say, “Go straighten up your life and I’ll love you.”  He loves us as we are, “Just As I Am.”  His love causes us to change our ways and lay down our idols.  Even before I became a believer, I felt God’s hand on me.  I thought it was my great grandfather reincarnated in me, but I knew there was this voice inside talking to me, but I did not recognize it was God’s voice.  My husband who is deceased said when he took a hiatus from God for 13 years after going on a mission at 19 years old, he still felt God’s hand on him.

Paul warned not to “judge” our brother and sister for keeping the Sabbath (going to church on a certain day) and special feasts anymore since we are under God’s grace.  Jesus was more focused on worshipping God being a lifestyle seven days a week (a relationship with God) than just a onetime one hour event on Sunday.  I’ve gone to four Bible studies during the week at times.  It says, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20”

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. Col. 2:16

Our love for God should be greater than anything or anyone on this planet in comparison to God.  Jesus compared our dedication and love to “hating” others.  In the book of Hebrews it talks about some never entered into God’s rest because of their disobedience.  I believe it is an obedience in letting God’s love flow in us and out of us to others.  First, it has to be flowing from our direct fellowship with the Lord like Mary had in sitting at his feet.

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Hebrews 4:9

With all the various teachings going around it can become confusing at times.  I am not against prosperity teaching or that God wants to bless us.  I look at it like Rosa Lee Parks that God does not want us to be sitting in the back of the bus when it comes to the devil.  We are to be the head not the tail in life (Duet 28).  Paul said that he “knows” how to abound and how to abase so if Paul knew how to than that was a lesson that Paul had to learn correct?

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Philip 4:12

The secret to Paul’s contentment was recognizing that the greater one lives on the inside.  The greater one (the Holy Spirit) is capable of handling difficulties and trials. The Holy Spirit went with them now he is in us!  We are not alone.  “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Duet 31:6/Hebrews 13:5

And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Exodus 33:14

I find that most trials I go through in life try to shake up my faith in a loving God.  When people hurt me or bad things happen to me. I’ve gotten down on others or myself because of trials, and some trials get me feeling down about why am I going through this trial in the first place when I serve a loving God? James warned us when we go through trials and the temptations that God is not testing us.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;  but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 

Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  James 1:12-7

I’m hanging on to my mustard seed of faith when I don’t feel God’s love and power, when things are not going smooth in my life, and I’m thanking God that he loves me and the greater one is in me and capable of facing every difficulty in life.  I’ve passed those trials on those days, and then sometimes I give into discouragement and give into my feelings and live by sight instead of faith and start sinking like Peter did when he was walking on the water and looked at the wind and waves.  Sarah had a hard time holding on to the promises of God for 25 years.  She laughed at the angel when he said she was going to conceive when she was passed child bearing.  I am looking forward to that big crown of life I’m getting from my Lord. 

I know God is aware like Jesus said that the “spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Mark 14:38)

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8

There have been some mornings in my life it was like there was a dark cloud over my life and I just got up and said, “I am loved and blessed of God” contrary to any physical evidence or feelings.  I ministered to someone at a Bible study a man who was married who said that he went through 18 months of affliction or oppression.  The woman in the Bible with an issue of blood who was a daughter of Abraham went through 18 years of oppression.  God forbid any of us would go through 18 years and according to Jesus she was seeking God.

Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” Luke 13:16

Many people don’t think that married couples go through afflictions, but I’ve spoken to many married couples where the enemy is trying to tear Christian marriages apart.  Same with some of my friends who have gone through the affliction of a major illness like cancer.

We are going to experience trials and afflictions in life.  Storms are going to come.  They came with Jesus in the boat which shows yes the storms are going to come even when Jesus is in our boat.  It says that “many” are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all, Psalm 34:19. 

The four Hebrew children chose to follow God whether God delivered them from the fiery furnace or not.  They chose not to bow the knee.  They got thrown in the furnace.  In Revelation it warns about some of us will be thrown in prison.  More Christians have been persecuted for their faith than in any other time in the century in different countries. A Catholic woman who stayed with me a few months in my home watched this movie about when priests were being killed in Mexico during a corrupt government.  The whole book of Hebrews 11 talks about Christians who held on to their faith without seeing the promise of deliverance like these people have done.

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. Rev. 2:10

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.   People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.   If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.   Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-16

There are times in life financially to lighten up (enjoy life) and times to tighten up.  I heard this one minister say that recession is tightening up your belt, depression is losing your pants.  Economists have a common saying that recession is when your friend loses his job, depression is when you lose your job.

We are to wash each other’s feet from the contamination and pollution of this world.  The world tends to dump it’s garbage thinking on us.  This world has a lot of airways pollution for our minds, It’s like McDonalds Supersize me only in the mental realm that we need to get our minds wrapped around God’s word!

I like what the Bible says that “he will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him because he trust in him.”  Isaiah 26:3

I like these scriptures about how I am "God's beloved." Like my grandsons are dearly loved. God said, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased" and his son by the Holy Spirit lives inside of me. (For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." 1 John 1:17)

Not only is Jesus my beloved, but I am his beloved. "I am beloved and he is mine." Song of Solomon 6:3

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he gives his "beloved" sleep. Psalm 127:2
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 1 Thess. 1:4
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and beloved (dearly loved), clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12
But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren "beloved of the Lord," because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:2 Thess 2:13
1 John 4:7, 1 John 3:2, 1 John 3:21, 2 Peter 1:17