Rest in God..Craig Denison Ministries

 Rest in God

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

The Christian life is meant to be marked by simplicity. Jesus summed up our purpose with two statements: love God and love people. But in our humanity we have made complex what God designed to be peaceful, purposeful, and simple. A. W. Tozer remarks in The Pursuit of God, “Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all. If we would find God amid all the religious externals, we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity.” May we discover the peace and joy that come from pursuing a simple Christianity this week.

Scripture:“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Devotional:

One of the simple, core values of restored relationship with our heavenly Father is rest. From the beginning God exemplified its importance. Genesis 2:3 says, “God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” And Hebrews 4:9-13 says,

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

I fear that we as children of God have allowed the busyness and stress of the world to influence us in greater ways than the “living and active” word of our heavenly Father. We are designed for rest. We are designed to have a full day and various times throughout each day set aside to simply enjoy God and the blessed life he has given us. When we value success and busyness over relationship with God and obedience to his commands, our priorities begin to fall out of place. When we choose busyness over rest, we place more value on whatever we are working toward than on our restored relationship with God and the abundant life he died to give us.

We are created to work. Prior to sin entering the story of humanity, Adam and Eve labored for God. Work is not a symptom of the fall but rather an incredible joy and privilege given to us by the hand of our Father. But our society promotes a lie that resting is directly related to laziness or selfishness and working is always good. Too much work takes us outside of the grace and provision of God for our work and forces us to labor in our own strength. God has perfect plans and grace for everything he has laid before you, but it is often in rest that you will be refueled and made ready to receive that grace to accomplish your tasks. It’s in rest that our souls are restored, replenished, and filled. And it’s in rest that we are able to take time to be thankful and celebrate what God has helped us accomplish, rather than always bearing the burden of the never-ending list of tasks before us.

May we be children who choose to live by the word and systems of God rather than the values and structures of the world. May we be children who live with the simple, core value of rest as we follow the model of our heavenly Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire to bring you rest. Allow Scripture to renew your mind and transform the way you make decisions and live.

“Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.” Exodus 34:21

“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:9-13

2. Where have you forgone rest for busyness and work? In what ways have you allowed society to influence you more than God’s word?

3. Confess to God any ways in which you have forsaken rest and receive his forgiveness. Ask God to fill you with a fresh vision for his purposes behind rest. Ask him to guide you into a lifestyle of taking a Sabbath. Rest in him right now, and allow him to replenish and rejuvenate you with his presence.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

A large part of being led by the Spirit is following where God’s grace takes you. God has grace and provision for every task he has laid before you. He will help you accomplish everything you need to do in a timely and productive fashion. If you don’t feel grace for whatever task is before you, take time to ask the Spirit what he would have you do. Sometimes he will replenish you on the spot so you can keep working. Other times he’ll have something else for you to do instead. But often he will guide you into a few moments of rest and finding satisfaction in him so that you can work with proper perspective and his strength rather than just your own. May you work and rest in the grace and glory of your heavenly Father today.

Extended Reading: Hebrews 4

The Basis for Discernment..Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Basis for Discernment

Dr. Charles Stanley

Hebrews 4:12-13

Since spiritual discernment is the ability to see life from God's perspective, it requires that we know how He thinks and acts. The Bible is His unchanging, infallible revelation of Himself. However, the Lord doesn't simply give us a list of facts about His character and ways. All throughout the pages of Scripture, He illustrates who He is and how He operates.

Although the Bible is ancient, it's not a dead book. It's alive and as fresh as if He were speaking directly to you. The stories may have taken place centuries ago, but the principles and applications are current and relevant. It's our instruction book about how to live. Guidance for decisions and discernment about situations are found from Genesis to Revelation.

God's Word is active and piercing. The words don't simply sit on the page. They penetrate our hearts and judge our thoughts and motives. This convicting quality is why some people don't like to read the Bible. But self-discernment is essential if we don't want to keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Some Christians live on a surface level, never understanding why they react to situations the way they do. But if we'll approach the Word of God with an open spirit, it will bring to light our hidden motives and reveal unrecognized sins.

Spiritual discernment involves seeing not just our circumstances but also ourselves from God's perspective. Have you learned to embrace the piercing sword of Scripture, or have you avoided doing so because it makes you uncomfortable? Remember, God's Word cuts only so that it can heal.

Is Unforgivenss Evidence of Unbelief?..Lynette Kittle

 Is Unforgivenss Evidence of Unbelief?

By Lynette Kittle

“But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” - Matthew 6:15

There are some pretty strong words written in Scripture concerning unforgiveness. Many of us don’t want to consider how our sins being forgiven might be related to our forgiving others. We like to believe God forgives us regardless, whether we choose to forgive others or not.

We don’t want to deal with the possibility that an unforgiving heart might be able to hinder the forgiveness we receive ourselves. Most of us want to just sweep these verses under the rug, convincing ourselves we’re unconditionally forgiven by God.

Sadly, unforgiveness is widely accepted in the world and sometimes even unknowingly supported in various Christian communities. Maybe people aren’t seeing it this way but the whole concept of rejecting “toxic” people focuses on unforgiveness rather than redemption and reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 explains, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”

If God didn’t love toxic people, then Jesus wouldn’t have come to earth because sin makes us all toxic until we receive God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross.

Toxic Unforgiveness
Because Scripture addresses the issue of forgiveness in very specific ways, unforgiveness is extremely toxic in the life of a believer, maybe even an indicator and evidence of unbelief. As it goes, unforgiveness in a Christian’s life is unacceptable because we have been forgiven by God. In receiving His forgiveness, God asks us to surrender our right to be unforgiving towards others. Maybe it hasn’t ever been explained to most of us in this way, but in receiving His forgiveness, we give up our right to be unforgiving towards others.

As Mark 11:26 points out, unforgivenss in our lives hinders our receiving God’s forgiveness, explaining “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Although most of us believe being unforgiving punishes the other person, it really hurts and eats away at us. We are the ones who truly suffer the toxicity of unforgiveness.

Signs of Unforgiveness
Often we believe we have forgiven others but in asking ourselves a few questions can help reveal if our hearts have truly forgiven others. Questions such as do we remember every sin others have committed against us and can list them when triggered? Wives are often notorious for saying they forgive their husbands until he does something more that upsets them, triggering all his past sins to flood their minds and thinking.

As well, are we purposefully withholding things from others who have hurt us, like ignoring them, or leaving them out our plans by not inviting them to family gatherings and events, or by keeping beneficial information from them? Likewise, do we slander them to others? Maybe we don’t see it as slander but justify it as a warning or making others aware of their failings, recounting their past failures under the guise of  protecting others from being hurt.

Finding Freedom in Forgiveness
Practicing forgiveness in our lives is vital to our relationship with God. It helps to measure our faith in Him. Matthew 6:14 describes, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Forgiveness is a daily and ongoing choice. In life, there are times when things will surprise us, catching us off guard, with the purpose of stirring up unforgiveness in us. So, we want to be prepared in advance to dismantle and prevent it from roaring its ugly head in our lives. We can do this by keeping God’s forgiveness forefront in our hearts and minds.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Is there anyone you need to forgive? Ask God to examine your heart and reveal any lingering unforgiveness, especially any you may unknowingly be harboring towards someone else. If so, seek to receive God’s forgiveness for it and ask Him to help you forgive as He forgives us.

How God Empowers Believers for Spiritual Warfare..Debbie McDaniel

 How God Empowers Believers for Spiritual Warfare

By Debbie McDaniel

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:11-17).

God reminds us not to go into the day without being prepared and equipped for battle. He tells us to take up his full armor in order to stand against the enemy’s schemes. Each piece has a specific purpose and is designed for our protection and covering. Just as a soldier would not go to battle unprepared, we also should be fully ready for the attacks we will face.

God arms us with the sword, the Word of God, to stand against the enemy’s lies. He equips us with strength, wisdom, and discernment through His own Spirit to stay strong in the battle. He invites us to spend time in His Presence, through prayer and worship, pressing in to know Him more.

As we grow to know God’s Truth more and more, understanding what is real, we also grow to know more what is false. We’re able to quickly discern when something’s not right. We are stronger to stand against it in the powerful name of Jesus. He never leaves us to fend for ourselves in a dark world, but reminds us He is constantly with us, fighting for us, even when we cannot see.

When we belong to Christ, the enemy never has the final word over our lives. We are secure in God’s hands.

Press on – courageous and free – never held back by fear or defeat. The battle belongs to the Lord, and He has the final victory!

A Prayer for Our Kids to Follow Christ..Kristine Brown

 A Prayer for Our Kids to Follow Christ

By Kristine Brown

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6 ESV)

Psalm 23 is a place I’ve turned to many times in my life when my heart ached, and I didn’t have words to say. Times when I longed for something only God could provide because the hurt cut deep, and nothing I did on my own would ease the pain. Somehow the psalmist David knew the words I would need.

Each verse of Psalm 23 feels like it came straight from my longing heart. So when I turned to this familiar psalm the other day to read it again, God surprised me by bringing to mind something different. I expected to be drawn in by God’s promise to “restore my soul” like many other times. I also expected the truth, “he is with me,” to offer needed comfort. But with every line, I couldn’t focus on my own situation. Instead, I pictured the faces of my children. 

True to God’s nature, he revealed a new thing through something I’d read at least a hundred times. More than anything, I wanted my kids to know this same comfort. I wondered if they turn to Psalm 23 in times of trouble. If they know God “leads them in paths of righteousness” and prepares a table for them, right in front of their enemies. (Psalm 23:3,5) Do they understand the hope available to them?

We want the best for our kids, and we know it’s our job to teach them about God and his love. So, how do we know we’ve done enough? It’s fun snuggling up with their favorite books about Jesus or watching them say sweet prayers before bedtime, but what about when they grow up? We want assurance that they will continue to follow Christ through their teens, young adult years, and beyond. It’s hard to rest knowing their spiritual choices are out of our control.

But through the gift of praying for our children, God gives us a promise. He is faithful, and when it comes to our kids, that’s all the assurance we need. 

2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” Yes, our children will experience difficulty. There will be hard days, when they will “walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” but we can speak the truth of Psalm 23 over their lives and ask God to be with them. Just as he has brought us through, he will do the same for them.

God calls us as parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to sow seeds of faith in our children’s lives. He encourages us to talk about him day and night. (Deuteronomy 6:7) However, without prayer, our efforts will be fruitless. Thankfully we can call upon God and pray for our children to follow him all the days of their lives. As we pray, let’s insert our children’s names.

Let’s pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the love you have for my child. I can’t fathom the depth of your love, but because of your sacrifice I know there is nothing more important to you than your children. You’ve made a way for my child to know you as Lord. You are a good Father.

Forgive me for my mistakes as a parent. Forgive me for feeling like my efforts aren’t enough. You are in control, not me. You have good plans for my child. You are my “faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations…” (Deuteronomy 7:9)

I pray the truth of Psalm 23 over my child today. I ask that you lead her beside still waters and also in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake. May she know you are with her, and that your rod and staff will comfort her. I pray your goodness and mercy will follow him all the days of his life, and that he will dwell in your house forever.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.