HOW TO REST IN TIMES OF UNREST
Like most of you, this season of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic has caused many different emotions in me. On more than one occasion I have asked God, "what are you doing in this midst of this world crisis?” I never want to miss a divine moment even if the moment comes in a package that doesn’t look the way I expected. Jesus came as a baby, not a warrior. Certainly not the package that was expected. I am not saying that God caused Covid-19, but I am saying God never misses moment’s to do something in us, and for us, despite the package. You could say it like this:
God may not cause all things, but He will use all things.
Busy-ness has a way of warring against our awareness of God. Don’t waste your moments. Remain in a place of tenderness and rest. God wants us to draw near to Him and I believe He wants us to come back into rhythms of rest in Him. God is increasing our faith by increasing our rest. It starts with surrender.
We don’t expand our awareness of God’s presence by striving. We enlarge our awareness by rest. I'm not talking about taking a nap, although I love a good nap! I am referring to internal rest. Faith is not the result of striving, but surrender. In this time especially, we need to not be afraid to surrender our schedules, plan and agendas. This is especially true for those who like to be in charge or in the know. Though things are changing rapidly, God remains the same.
A heart of rest is more likely to believe!
Romans 8:6-8 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
This scripture is pretty straight forward - no beating around the bush. It literally states you are hostile toward God and unable to obey the commands of God. The mind set of the flesh is a mind bent against God and not capable of obeying His commands. If you start your day with anxiety and fear your mind is set on the flesh. In other words, your mind is at war with God and can't obey God.
Positioning yourself is so important. Don’t position yourself through anxiety, fear, bitterness and loss. By doing that you potentially set yourself up to miss what God sends your way. You can have a demonstration without revelation, but you will never see lasting transformation without revelation. Transformation is what happens inside of us and changes us.
We need to destroy the deadly spirit of Amalek and come into a place of rest.
Exodus 17:8-16
8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, “Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Here is some background. The nation of Israel had been delivered from the hands of their enemy by signs and wonders. They had demoralized the most powerful nation in the world. Israel was freed from 400 years of slavery and on their way to the promised land. Through His servant Moses, God led them forward. Part of Israel's journey required them to walk through the wilderness.
It is hard when we want to be somewhere, but in order to be somewhere you have to go through somewhere.
In the wilderness God taught the Israelites a life-altering truth; man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
When the Israelites were in bondage to slavery in Egypt they were in the place of not enough. Moving into the promise would be a place of more than enough. In the wilderness it would be a place of just enough. Before you can move from prophecy to destiny you have to learn God is your sufficiency. If you don’t learn that lesson you will never be able to stand in a place of victory. God is inviting you to stop trusting solely in yourself. It's time to learn to depend on Him!
The Amalekites plan was a preemptive attack to prevent Israel from walking in their destiny; to take them out while they were weak and before they had their strength and resources. The Amalekites attacked with the purpose of destroying Israel. As a result of Moses' hands being lifted up by Aaron and Hur, they won the battle. God instructed Israel to write down the events that took place in a book and to make sure Joshua heard of it.
Moses' lifted hands represent dependence on God and worship. Moses named the place of the altar Jehovah Nissi, "The Lord Is My Banner". This literally means because my hands were raised up. God worked through Moses to defeat the enemy.
As Christians we are on a journey. Unlike the Israelites we are not going to a geographical location, but we are headed to a spiritual position called rest.
Canaan, the promised land, was a type and shadow of the rest that we inherit in Christ Jesus. When you study the writings of the Old Testament you see the promised land is referred to as a place of rest.
Deuteronomy 12:10 But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies roundabout, so that you dwell in safety,
Matthew 11:28-29 - 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
· Canaan was a place of experiencing the fullness of God’s provision and God’s covenant blessing.
· Canaan represents a place of safety from our enemies were we experience peace and safety.
· Canaan was a place of habitation, not visitation.
There are so many believers and churches that are still living in the wilderness. We aren't meant to stay in the wilderness, we are meant to grow through the wilderness. God wants us to learn the things we need to learn so that we can transition out of wilderness and into a place where we experience the fullness of His covenant promises, peace, and freedom.
Colossians 2:17 says that Jesus literally fulfills our Sabbath rest.
Sabbath is not just a day that we take a nap. Sabbath is now a way of life of complete rest in God.
The spirit of Amalek is still at work today. God says I am going to be at war with Amalekites from generation to generation. Rest is a place where we no longer trust in ourselves but we trust completely in God. We lean not on our own understanding.
John 5:19 (Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.)
Is this scripture true of your life? Rest is a place of complete surrender. God’s inheritance to Israel went beyond giving them the promised land. He desired to be their all sufficiency. He wanted them to know that He provides their food. He provides the land. He provides your peace. He formed your children. He formed your spouse. He put creativeness within you. God's lavish giving unto His children wasn't only about land and property. God desired to be the BEYOND MEASURE God that was their all sufficiency, in all things.
Sabbath isn’t just about one day off. We certainly need physical rest! But Sabbath is a life lived in Christ and unto complete surrender. I encourage you today to destroy the deadly spirit of Amalek in your life and come into rest. My friends, don’t let this moment pass you by! As bans are lifted and “normal” life begins to happen again, I pray that God does something so deep and transformative in our life, leaving you changed forever! May things never be the same.
Come into rest my friends!
- Scott