The Rest and the Refreshing!
In today's harried, hurried world, everyone is desperate to find a bit of peace. Time to unwind. A place to get away from it all. But vacations can last only so long, and soon it's back to the same old daily grind.
Everyone gets busier all the time. Modern conveniences somehow don't lead to a life of ease, after all. One must work more and more to support the habit of "things" and "hobbies" and "necessities." We work to have the wherewithal to purchase that which we are told will make us happier... and then we must work more to provide a roof under which to store those things... and to insure them, clean them, and regularly maintain them.
And Christians are no different from the world in this, are we?
What, exactly, is "worldliness?"
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
We are not to love the world... nor the THINGS that are in the world.
Question: how do we know what, or whom, someone loves?
Isn't it by what , or whom, that person spends time with?
Isn't it by listening to what (or whom) a person talks about most?
Jesus said it takes more than seeking to enter the kingdom of heaven, to get in.
He said it takes striving. It is a fight. It's an upstream swim.
Many will think about going to heaven, and won't make it.
Many will even seek to enter, but will not make it.
You have to strive.
The current of materialism and entertainment is strong in our culture.
It will sweep our souls downstream, away from God, if we allow it!
We sing old hymns that talk about spending hours, days, and even full nights in prayer.
Can you imagine living that way?
That's the path Jesus walked, ahead of us.
That's the path He calls us to walk.
And that means making some hard choices.
It means doing without the materialistic lifestyle that seems a necessity in America.
"Opting out" of things the world thinks they need, but which robs a Christian's time with his God.
Yet, somethings, like a house and groceries for a family are expensive! And jobs are demanding! And we DO get run-down and tired. Even Jesus said to His disciples, "come ye apart, and rest awhile."
God wants us to have times of refreshment and vacation.
But one who pursues God will vacation differently from one who simply seeks enjoyment and entertainment.
In fact, God Himself prescribed something in particular, for His children's rest and refreshment.
Isaiah 28:12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Listen to this verse! God WANTS to give His people rest and refreshment, but they don't want to hear about it!
Why would anyone refuse God's prescription for refreshment and rest?
The context tells us why.
Isaiah 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest;
and this is the refreshing:
... yet they would not hear!
13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Notice the progression.
A little child at first is only a baby. He does nothing but drink milk and play. And he grows.
There comes a time the child must enter school. And then it's line upon line, and precept upon precept. He needs to learn first principles, before he can have the privileges of adulthood.
But there comes a time when that child is supposed to be able to graduate. The "line upon line and precept upon precept" was the schoolmaster, to bring us to Christ. (Galatians 3:24,25)
And once we come to Christ, God has another way for us to learn.
It's by the Spirit, teaching us the things God has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Cor 2:9-10)
We speak these things in a mystery, not with human-generated words, but with words spoken by the Spirit. (1 Cor 2:7,13)
Yes. This is one reason God ordained for us to pray in tongues.
"Stammering lips and another tongue" is for those who have graduated from the schoolmaster approach to God.
And what a REST and REFRESHING to the spirit it is!
When the brain can just stop wrestling with logic, trying to make everything fit into boxes and spaces, and just allow the spirit to flow out as the Holy Spirit gives the "other tongue"... or even if it's just "stammering lips"... it rests the weary soul!
But some aren't secure, unless they can stay in control. They prefer the "line upon line and precept upon precept" mentality, where they can define and label boxes for bits of knowledge gleaned.
These refuse to enter into the rest and the refreshing.
God offers them His perfect prescription for their weariness, but they refuse.
"They would not."
So, back they turn to their "line upon line and precept upon precept"... and it becomes a snare to them.
It becomes legalism. It makes righteousness a check-list.
It makes earnest Christians so self-conscious, and condemnation-minded!
Those in this mindset are very prone to depression and power-games.
God is inviting you to rest.
He has a vacation for you that you can take every day, that will rejuvenate your soul like nothing this world can offer!
If you want it, you can have it.
But it means giving up control. It means trusting beyond all that you have known.
It's stepping out of your boat, onto the water.
He's bidding you, "Come!"
Everyone gets busier all the time. Modern conveniences somehow don't lead to a life of ease, after all. One must work more and more to support the habit of "things" and "hobbies" and "necessities." We work to have the wherewithal to purchase that which we are told will make us happier... and then we must work more to provide a roof under which to store those things... and to insure them, clean them, and regularly maintain them.
And Christians are no different from the world in this, are we?
What, exactly, is "worldliness?"
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
We are not to love the world... nor the THINGS that are in the world.
Question: how do we know what, or whom, someone loves?
Isn't it by what , or whom, that person spends time with?
Isn't it by listening to what (or whom) a person talks about most?
Jesus said it takes more than seeking to enter the kingdom of heaven, to get in.
He said it takes striving. It is a fight. It's an upstream swim.
Many will think about going to heaven, and won't make it.
Many will even seek to enter, but will not make it.
You have to strive.
The current of materialism and entertainment is strong in our culture.
It will sweep our souls downstream, away from God, if we allow it!
We sing old hymns that talk about spending hours, days, and even full nights in prayer.
Can you imagine living that way?
That's the path Jesus walked, ahead of us.
That's the path He calls us to walk.
And that means making some hard choices.
It means doing without the materialistic lifestyle that seems a necessity in America.
"Opting out" of things the world thinks they need, but which robs a Christian's time with his God.
Yet, somethings, like a house and groceries for a family are expensive! And jobs are demanding! And we DO get run-down and tired. Even Jesus said to His disciples, "come ye apart, and rest awhile."
God wants us to have times of refreshment and vacation.
But one who pursues God will vacation differently from one who simply seeks enjoyment and entertainment.
In fact, God Himself prescribed something in particular, for His children's rest and refreshment.
Isaiah 28:12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Listen to this verse! God WANTS to give His people rest and refreshment, but they don't want to hear about it!
Why would anyone refuse God's prescription for refreshment and rest?
The context tells us why.
Isaiah 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest;
and this is the refreshing:
... yet they would not hear!
13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Notice the progression.
A little child at first is only a baby. He does nothing but drink milk and play. And he grows.
There comes a time the child must enter school. And then it's line upon line, and precept upon precept. He needs to learn first principles, before he can have the privileges of adulthood.
But there comes a time when that child is supposed to be able to graduate. The "line upon line and precept upon precept" was the schoolmaster, to bring us to Christ. (Galatians 3:24,25)
And once we come to Christ, God has another way for us to learn.
It's by the Spirit, teaching us the things God has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Cor 2:9-10)
We speak these things in a mystery, not with human-generated words, but with words spoken by the Spirit. (1 Cor 2:7,13)
Yes. This is one reason God ordained for us to pray in tongues.
"Stammering lips and another tongue" is for those who have graduated from the schoolmaster approach to God.
And what a REST and REFRESHING to the spirit it is!
When the brain can just stop wrestling with logic, trying to make everything fit into boxes and spaces, and just allow the spirit to flow out as the Holy Spirit gives the "other tongue"... or even if it's just "stammering lips"... it rests the weary soul!
But some aren't secure, unless they can stay in control. They prefer the "line upon line and precept upon precept" mentality, where they can define and label boxes for bits of knowledge gleaned.
These refuse to enter into the rest and the refreshing.
God offers them His perfect prescription for their weariness, but they refuse.
"They would not."
So, back they turn to their "line upon line and precept upon precept"... and it becomes a snare to them.
It becomes legalism. It makes righteousness a check-list.
It makes earnest Christians so self-conscious, and condemnation-minded!
Those in this mindset are very prone to depression and power-games.
God is inviting you to rest.
He has a vacation for you that you can take every day, that will rejuvenate your soul like nothing this world can offer!
If you want it, you can have it.
But it means giving up control. It means trusting beyond all that you have known.
It's stepping out of your boat, onto the water.
He's bidding you, "Come!"
Comments
Post a Comment