The new is operating from a place of rest. Where is it and how do we get there?
Deb Peacock
The new of the Lord is that we will operate from a place of rest. We often think that a brand new thing will be big, it will be wow, and it will be exciting. It’s true, this new season does have elements of that but there is an aspect of the new being restful. We will be operating from a place of rest, we will be well rested and having good rest.
It's all well and good if we are already in a place of rest, to be able to live from that. If not though, where is that place of rest and how do we actually get there? The place of rest that God is referring to is IN HIM, in his presence. In Hebrews it talks about entering into his rest and this is how he wants us to live our lives. This is sitting with the Lord in his presence. It can be a real challenge for us to get into.
TIME WITH GOD OVER TIME LISTENING TO GOD
A few weeks ago when I was with God, I felt like he said to me ‘Stop spending time with me to listen to me and see what I might say or the directions I might give. Spend more time sitting with me because of me, simply to be with me, absorb who I am.’ So, I’ve entered this phase of going into his rest. It can be a real wrestle, a real challenge, because we like to talk. We have lots of things on our mind that we want to get information on but right now, the Lord is calling us to simply spend time with him.
A lesson that I learnt some time ago is that when life gets busier, more stressful with more things going on, and things I need to think through and work out - that means I actually need to spend more time with the Lord.
GOD IS BEYOND TIME AND WORKING ON ALL THE SPACES AT ONCE
The great thing about spending time with the Lord is that he is beyond time. He is in every space that needs work done. All the time. It is not just a part of him in each space, he is not spread over each space. He is fully present as the full version of him as God. Fully God, fully present, in every space that needs his attention at all times. When we enter into spending time with him and simply being with him in his presence, every space of our lives that needs the Lord to be working in it, he is there with us.
WE CAN FOCUS AND LET GOD MULTITASK
When we spend time with the Lord, we can have a single focus of God as our number one with nothing else in the way. We can know that as we do this, the Lord who is our God will be working on us and in us in every space in our lives that we have things going on. We can be free from working it all out because our attention, our focus is simply on him completely.
And doesn’t the Lord God Almighty who created us and the earth and everything in it, deserve our full attention? What a wonderful concept that as we let go of working everything out, keeping track of everything in our mind for a time and turn our attention to a singular focus on him, he will be at work in all the spaces in our lives.
I have noticed too that as I do this and spend time with him, even if I spend a lot of time with him, there seems to be a redemption of time when I go to do the practical things. I do them quicker and more efficiently with a much higher level of effectiveness. I encourage you that you can spend time with him, focused on him and entering into the place of rest and know that he will take care of how all this fits in time wise. He will take care of that for you and cause you to be able to operate in a much more efficient and effective way.
THERE IS A BATTLE TO ENTER THE LORD’S REST
There is a wrestle on this. There’s a real battle that makes it difficult for us to choose to settle down and simply be with the Lord worshipping him for who he is. Without any agenda other than to focus on him. So take up the challenge, it will require an intentional choice to focus and a discipline to go in. It is well worth it as we get to be in the house of the Lord and every good thing comes from him.
I encourage you today to dive in, enter in, go into his presence. Once you are in his presence you are entering into his rest and over time you will begin to operate and live from his rest. You will begin to do your life from a rested place which is what the Lord has for you.
Blessings,