WHEN I started getting serious about my Christian walk I was privileged to be exposed to a very dynamic Bible teacher who had a way of presenting things in a very pointed and memorable way. One needed to really pay attention, focus, and do a lot of note taking to benefit from his rapid fire presentations!
HE packaged many doctrines in teachable titles or phrases. One I vividly recall from today’s excerpt from None But the Hungry Heart was titled “The Faith Rest Life.” I still have many of those notes taken at that time, topic outlines tucked away in several notebooks. I highly value those initial foundational truths.
I’M also reminded on this point of another “early on.” unforgettable instruction pertaining to the blessings found in Christ. But, I’m going to leave that for next week. For now, here is another reminder of what it means to rest in Christ, with an introductory verse to prime our thoughts: “…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6).
In the inexorable riches of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10; Isa 30:15; Job 2:10; Jas. 1:2; Prov. 21:30
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1-10. Rest In Him
“He has created us through our union with Christ Jesus for doing good deeds which He beforehand planned for us to do” (Eph. 2:10, Wms).
The turning point in our Christian life comes when we begin to “let God be God,” the day we throw all caution (fear) to the winds and look to Him to carry out His purpose for us in His own time and way.
“Our Father never does a thing suddenly: He has always prepared long, long before. So there is nothing to murmur about, nothing to be proud of, in the calling of God. There is also no one of whom to be jealous, for other people’s advantages have nothing to do with us. ‘It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy’ (Rom. 9:16). Our heritage, our birth, our natural equipment: these are things already determined by God. We may pick up other things in the way, for we are always learning; but the way is His way. When we look back over our life, we bow and acknowledge that all was prepared of God. To have such an attitude of heart, that is true rest.” -W.N.
“Let us take care lest we get out of soul-rest in seeking further blessing. God cannot work whilst we are anxious, even about our spiritual advance. Let us take Him at His Word, and leave the fulfillment of it to Him.” “For it is God Himself whose power creates within you the desire to do His gracious will and also brings about the accomplishment of the desire” (Phil. 2:13, Wey).
