Labor to Enter Into God’s Rest – Part 2

It can be a struggle to keep our hearts and minds focused on God and His Word when the storms of life rage. However, Jesus provided a way for us to learn how to control our thoughts and feelings.

Matthew 11:29-30 “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. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (NKJ)

Hebrews 3:12 Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God. (NKJ) “Falling away” = aphistémi (af-is’-tay-mee) – apo’ = denotes separation, departure, or reversal of a relationship. – root word Histémi (his’-tay-mee) = I place myself, stand, I set in balance or weigh, faithless.

What made their heart to be considered “evil?” They chose to believe their 5 senses over God.

Numbers 13:25-33 When they returned from spying out the land… 26 … they brought back word to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 Thus they told him, and said, “We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 “But, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the South; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the Northern hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” 30 Then Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men that went up with him said, We are not able to go up against that people, for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out unto the sons of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone through to spy it out, is a land that eats up its inhabitants; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33 And there we saw giants, the sons of Anak, of the race of the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. (NKJ) (NLT)

The way we see ourselves determines the way we see everything else. Knowing Who’s you are keeps fear from belittling you. Look at how the inhabitants of the promised lands really felt about the Children of Israel.

Joshua 2:9-11 “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” (NKJ)

The enemy fears you because of your God. But, if you don’t stand against the wiles of the Devil, you duped into believing you are defeated before you even get started.

Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

Numbers 14:6-9 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 “If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 “Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” (NKJ)

Fear and unbelief is considered rebellion because it is telling God, “No!”

Numbers 14:26-27 “And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 27 ‘How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me.’” (NKJ)

Faith does not speak death by complaining; it speaks life.

Luke 6:46-49 “And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 “Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 “But the one who has heard, and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” (NLT)

Rest is simply trust built out of obedience. Rely on Him!