Naturally speaking, when we rest, we don’t work. So what does working out of rest mean? Well, let me explain by sharing with you what the Lord had taught me.
Many years ago, when I first started preaching, I would prepare diligently for all my sermons. I fine-tuned my points and made sure that everything was in place. I would think to myself, “Man, I am going to share this...and that…”
But when I preached, I would forget to mention certain points. Because of that, I would get angry with myself. I would tell myself, “That was such a good point. Why didn’t I remember to share it?”
Then, God began to speak to me. He said, “Son, your preaching is not out of rest. It is out of your memory.” What He said next changed my life, not just in the area of preaching, but also in every other area, and I pray that it will bless you too. He said, “Prepare everything you need to. But when you stand in front of the people, whatever you need to say, I will give to you.”Yes, there must be preparation, whether it is your sermon or sales presentation. I am not telling you to be lazy and just do nothing. You need to prepare, but don’t depend on your preparation. Just trust God and tell yourself that whatever you forget, God wants it forgotten. And whatever you didn’t plan to say but said, it is because God wanted it said. Don’t be stressed out and lose your rest by thinking, “I must know everything! I must remember everything and do everything I have prepared!”
No, believe God and be at rest. When the time comes, whatever you need to know, there and then, God will let you know. Whatever you don’t need to know, you don’t need to know. And don’t worry about what you didn’t say—believe that God didn’t want it said.
My friend, when you live life like that—trusting God and resting in His love for you—you become cool and collected. And when you are peaceful and at rest in Him, what you do prospers!
"I'M HERE TO TELL YOU" EDITOR'S NOTE
The lesson for today deals with Hebrews 4. It's about entering into God's Rest and not struggling and striving through life. The chapter starts out by saying: "Let us fear therefore, lest perhaps anyone of you should seem to come short of a promise of entering into His rest". The bible is full of the saying "fear not", Jesus would always say that when He appeared to people. The only time in the bible, that I'm aware of that says to fear something, is here in Hebrews 4 where it says fear that we won't enter into His rest. The Lord's Sabbath Rest is special. It refers to what God did on the 7th day. The bible says in its beginning that at the end of the first week, creation week, God rested. God almighty didn't rest because He was tired, He rested because His work was finished. Hebrews 4 says that "God rested on the seventh day from all His work". This is the Sabbath and keep it holy... It goes on to say that "There remains a Sabbath Rest for the people of God. For he who has entered into His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His". Today, pray to your Heavenly Father that you would like to rest. You'd like to live a life free from struggle and strife and that you would like to simply rest in the knowledge of His Son and His Son's finished work on the cross. Ask God for His Sabbath Rest.
