God's rest has come

Dearly Beloved

There has been a shifting in the last few days weeks and months - the Lord has caused us to enter his rest. It's not as if challenges and shakings don't come but God has given us such a resilience from the inside. Our hearts have been so filled with his love, we have become rooted and grounded and thus we have become steadfast and unmovable.

I will testify of what came to pass recently that convinced me of this.

I recently faced two crisis situations, they happened suddenly and were so unexpected, normally I would respond with the emotions first but on these two instances I chose instead to trust that God had already made a way. I got into God's presence and even began searching the word for God’s answer - to hear his voice and will above all else, to understand his mind concerning these matters. I turned to the Psalms, we know the Psalms offer us such good Spiritual food and comfort in our times of trouble. I was washed with encouragement and received specific answers and direction as

I turned to Psalm 118

The words so encouraged and strengthened myself and another prayer partner.

I find the answers coming quickly in response to the heartfelt prayers in the last few weeks. I looked deep as I have been for 60 years an emotive person (usually I respond with how I am feeling). What was the difference?

In the past in response to certain situations - like crisis, trauma or dissappointing news maybe one may "panic" or respond with the emotions giving way to fear, self pity, anger and more. We may not be aware this is happening but this actually moves us out of the place of Walking in the Spirit (complete faith and trust in God).

God has done a shifting in the hearts of many of us. He has made us resolute. He has grown our character well, matured us and established the charater traits of patience and endurance.

So when challenges come these days we don't respond with - "I wonder if? I wonder why? How am I going to manage? Or Woe is me". Instead our responses are now "dictated" by the Holy Spirit to reflect God’s mind and will in any given situation.

We now like the 3 Hebrew boys facing dire situations, respond with faith, hope, trust and confidence in God assured that God will help and deliver us

Daniel 3

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you on this point. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up

h, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

Amen

I even find though I may feel broken hearted or a tiny bit fearful....I am confessing what God ordained over and above what I may be thinking or feeling

Truly I/We have proved God so many times, we at this stage are able to "shift gears" without hesitation or delay when confronted with adversity and crisis.

God has truly brought us to a place of rest in him - rooted and grounded in his love, we have become unshakeable!

I pray that you will have such abundant grace extended to you for each day. May you just remain in the centre of God's perfect will, abiding in his presence and thus walking under an open heaven.

God bless you and keep you

Walk good in Christ till we meet again

Pastor J

Psalm 118

1 Oh give thanks to the Lord for he is good

For His mercy endures forever.

² Let Israel now say,

“His mercy endures forever.”

³ Let the house of Aaron now say,

“His mercy endures forever.”

⁴ Let those who fear the Lord now say,

“His mercy endures forever.”

⁵ I called on the Lord in distress;

The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.

⁶ The Lord is on my side;

I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

⁷ The Lord is for me among those who help me;

Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.

⁸ It is better to trust in the Lord

Than to put confidence in man.

⁹ It is better to trust in the Lord

Than to put confidence in princes.

¹⁰ All nations surrounded me,

But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.

¹¹ They surrounded me,

Yes, they surrounded me;

But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.

¹² They surrounded me like bees;

They were quenched like a fire of thorns;

For in the name of the Lord I will ^[a]destroy them.

¹³ You pushed me violently, that I might fall,

But the Lord helped me.

¹⁴ The Lord is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation.

¹⁵ The voice of rejoicing and salvation

Is in the tents of the righteous;

The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.

¹⁶ The right hand of the Lord is exalted;

The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.

¹⁷ I shall not die, but live,

And declare the works of the Lord.

¹⁸ The Lord has chastened^[b] me severely,

But He has not given me over to death.

¹⁹ Open to me the gates of righteousness;

I will go through them,

And I will praise the Lord.

²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord,

Through which the righteous shall enter.

²¹ I will praise You,

For You have answered me,

And have become my salvation.

²² The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

^23 [c]This was the Lord’s doing;

It is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴ This is the day the Lord has made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵ Save now, I pray, O Lord;

O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity.

²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.

²⁷ God is the Lord,

And He has given us light;

Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise You;

You are my God, I will exalt You.

²⁹ Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Amen