The Secret of Rest

And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31).

T

he journey gets long for all of us. Every one of us, without exception, needs to find that place of coming aside to be refreshed in the place of rest.

Jesus said that He came to give us rest (Matthew 11:28), and yet we Christians are some of the most worn out people on the planet. Hebrews 4 clearly states there is a rest that remains for God’s people, but it’s very possible to miss it. God’s rest is avail- able but not guaranteed. There’s something we must do to enter this rest (Hebrews 4:11).

Those who neglect the secret place always seem to struggle with stress and demands. Their lives tend toward a constant flurry of incessant activity. Jesus designed that there be a portion of our day when we just STOP. Stop the frenetic pace, get off the merry- go-round, and calm our hearts in the love of God.

God’s rest is uncovered through a diligent pursuit of the secret place. The rest of God can be found only in ceasing from all our own works and learning to just “be” in the presence of the Lord

The Secret of Rest

(Hebrews 4:10). Here is our source of rejuvenation, revitalization, invigoration, and renewal.

God instituted the Sabbath (one day of rest out of seven) for several reasons, but one of the most compelling reasons is found in Exodus 31:13, “‘Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”’” God was saying, “When you set aside a day each week for worship and rest, you are a fragrance to me, separate (sanctified) from all the peoples of the earth. All the other peoples work hard, seven days a week, trying to get ahead and establish their lot in life. But you are different. You have faith to believe that I can bless you more in six days of labor than the heathen can glean in seven days of labor. Your honoring of the Sabbath is proof to Me that you believe in My provision, and it’s a stunning garment that sets you apart from the strivings of all other peoples of the earth. Your rest in My lovingkindness makes you beautiful in My sight!”

The Sabbath is to the week as the secret place is to the day. What I mean is, even as the Sabbath was an appointed day of rest in the course of a hardworking week, the secret place is an ap- pointed place of rest in the course of a busy day. Our commitment to the secret place sets us apart (sanctifies us) before God from the unbelieving who do not honor God at all in their day. When we take an hour to commune with our Lord and be renewed in His rest, we demonstrate our faith that God can empower us to be more effective in 23 hours of Spirit-filled service than the 24 hours that the world has without His indwelling presence.

What could be more energizing in the course of a busy day than to stop and gaze upon the glory of His enthroned majesty? Look at the effect this glorious employment has upon the living creatures in heaven’s throneroom: “The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’” (Revelation 4:8). How is it that they do not rest? Are they never tired? No, they do not weary of gazing upon the beauty of the Lord for they are living

Secrets of the Secret Place

in the place of eternal rejuvenation. Instead of tiring from their service to God, they are actually energized and made alive by it. They cherish this secret, and would to God that we would learn it! It is the understanding that spending time in His presence does not diminish our productivity in life, but rather becomes the wellspring from which flows Spirit-empowered effectiveness

and fruitfulness. It is the only abode of true rest.

Thank you, Lord, for providing a way for us to surrender the burdens and stresses of everyday life and be renewed in Your pres- ence. Thank You for the privilege of burning with fiery affection before the glory of Your ineffable splendor. Thank You for the rest that empowers us to complete the marathon. Thank You, Lord, for the secret place!

Chapter Title

Part IV

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Дата добавления: 2015-10-23