His Rest!

And he said, 

My presence shall go with thee, 

and I will give thee rest. 

~Exodus 22:13~

Moses was not alone in questioning where the Lord was leading him. He was chosen for the overwhelming task of leading thousands of Israelites into the Promised Land, and sometimes God did not choose to make the path way explicitly clear--and then, Moses would plead with Him for direction. The verse preceding verse 13 says this: Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, and I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. Moses truly desired to know God--he also realized the impossibility of leading thousands of people without God's aid. And in the midst of Moses' query and confusion, God alleviates his fears, promising that His presence will go with Moses, and He would give him rest. 

In today's fast-paced society, we often forget to just "Be still, and know that I am God". (Psalm 46:10) His rest is set-apart from everyday activities. Jesus took the disciples aside from the crowd to rest with Him. (Mark 6:31) God gave us a natural means of rest by giving us one whole day of the week. God knew that or physical bodies and mental capacities would need a means of refreshment after six days of work. 

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Just because we come to Christ doesn't mean that we won't have any more work, but that He will give us the strength and refreshment to carry on for His kingdom with even more fortitude than before. Also His "burden" will be lighter than any we would choose or place on ourselves, because He knows exactly how much we can handle and exactly how much we need. Just like Moses' often sought God in the midst of confusion, so our foresight will be cleared when take God's "burden" and receive His rest, instead of struggling under our own imposed load. 

Because God is the ultimate source of our rest, we will be at peace when we claim His hope. We have hope because...

"I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope." (Psalm 16:8-9) 

Because God is always with us, because He is our protector, because He is the one in control of our circumstances, we can be glad, and rejoice, and rest. And also rest because we are possessors of His hope.

"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him." (Psalm 62:5)

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." (Romans 15:13)

He is our hope, and He is our rest. Rest in His hope, for only then will you know the "peace that passes all understanding". (Philippians 4:7) Rest not only gives us a break physically and mentally, but it also provides us with the vigor and stamina to go on and do greater things for God. We need to learn to seek rest, so that we can more thoroughly fulfill the will of God. 

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." (Isaiah 30:15)

"Prepare me always for what Thy providence shall bring forth. Let me never murmur, be dejected, or impatient, under any of the troubles of this life; but ever find rest and comfort in this, this is the the will of my Father, and of my God: this is for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen." (Thomas Wilson)

Be still my soul; the Lord is on thy side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul; thy best, they heavenly Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still my soul; the hour is hastening on

when we shall be forever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,

all safe and blessed we shall meet at last. 

Be Still, My Soul

In Christ,

Kaleigh

Going Home

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." -Revelation 21:4



A place where there is no more cancer, no more dying, no more need for morphine to kill pain, no more tears to wipe away, no more bullets killing innocent school children, no more fear of government take overs. Heaven will have no broken friendships, no more car thefts or junkies. Heaven won't have drunks or poor people. No more careers, no more need for money, no freezing temperatures. No enemies will be there, nor weapons needed to fight battles. Heaven doesn't sound real, but it is.

As most of you know, my Grandpa Duerkop passed away last week, Monday the 7th. The service that was held on Friday was not sad, though most of the people who came didn't have a dry eye before it was over. Our family did not even call it a "funeral" as Grandpa didn't die (1 Corinthians 15:54). Yes, he left his weakened body of dust behind, but now he's alive and well in Heaven (2 Cor. 5:8)! As Christians, we know we where we will go. As Christians who know other Christians who pass on before us, we can be reassured that we will one day be reunited in God's Kingdom. Though we feel that separation on this earth, we realize that our loved ones are in a better place. A place free from pain and anger and drought and storm.

One thing that my Mom wanted at the Memorial Service, was the salvation message. A perfect time to share with those who are not yet in Christ, the message of Jesus and to give them hope for their souls. My Grandpa was strong in his Savior and his faith was steadfast. He was also a man of few words. He could spin a good story for you about his adventurous farming days though. He'd tell stories about how he'd have to go out and chase the draft horses down so he could hitch them to the farm equipment. That's where his strong dislike for them came about.

As my cousin's wife told me at the service, "we don't get over the loss, but we can get through it." But I urge you to not forget the person. Don't make it a point to lose the good memories that you have with him or her. Remember the part they played in your life and feel grateful for having known them and loved them. Because as Alfred Lord Tennyson put it, "Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all". You may have lost a loved one or will in the future, and the verses below can be a comfort to you as you go through those times.   

We see the dying convict who believed that Jesus was the Messiah, had the reassurance of being with Christ that day.....

Luke 23:42-43:
"42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

Revelation 21 also provides us with comfort......

Revelation 21:1-7:
"1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."

Satan has not won the battle of a Christian's life. Sin is destroyed because of the power of Christ's blood on the cross......

1 Corinthians 15:54-58:

"54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

When we have passed from this earth....

2 Corinthians 5:8:

"We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."

No, I'm not happy that I've lost my "earthly" Grandpa. But I do have a Grandpa who's up in Heaven sitting at Jesus' feet. I have a Grandpa who's been reunited with two of his children, his mom and dad, his brothers, and all of the many other Christians who preceded him. He's not floating around somewhere in peragatory; he's up there in all of Heaven's glory! 

In Christ,

Anna