We often say that we need to "rest" in God's goodness, promises, in Jesus. Great teachers say that then we will surely see blessings, healing, breakthroughs. But what does "rest" really mean?❓

DEFINITION

The place of rest is a place where we are at peace, we are nurtured, protected and where we can develop.

Hebrews 3 and 4 explain excellently what "faith rest" means. It is compared to having reached the Promised Land of prosperity, fruitfulness, the land of easy yoke. 🏵️💥 Hebrews 3, 8-11. We reach this rest, peace, calmness, confidence – that we can know that we have already won - in our hearts first, and then in the physical.

☝️"Rest" means that we are confident that whether we win or lose - depends on God, not on us, not on our self-effort to believe. (Hebrews 4,8- 10) ☝️We look to Jesus' perfection, power, goodness - not ours. Faith-rest = looking to Jesus' performance and rest.

HOW TO REST?

PRAISE!

📙"As we enter into God's faith-rest life we cease from our own works, just as God CELEBRATES his finished works..." Hebrews 4:10.TPT

Rest means that we don't try convince God to help us – through prayer, fasting or good deeds. We celebrate the finished work, we thank Jesus that He has already healed us, helped us – through His sacrifice and resurrection. He has already blessed us and given us all blessings. Eph 1, 3. 1Peter 2, 24.

What are our own works?

Anything that tires us out and does not give us peace and rest. For example fasting- out of bad motivation - if we don't do it because we long for enjoying God's presence- but want to impress God to take action. "Works" can be even the opposite of trust, if we say long prayers to beg God to help us – when He has already done everything, He has given us Jesus and with Him everything we could ever need! (Romans 8, 32.) "Works" could be even praise or forcing ourselves to feign peace- to convince God that we can get the blessings. "Our own works" could be torturing ourselves with strict diets. But all things depend on the motivation, because fasting, praying, healthy nutrition can be great, too.

FOCUS ON GRACE!

📙 Grace is enthroned, grace is lifted up when we rest:

"So now we draw near freely and boldly to where grace is enthroned, to receive mercy's kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to STRENGTHEN us in our time of weakness." Hebrews 4:16 TPT

When we praise God for His grace, love -> we stop worrying about the problem, our weaknesses. That brings joy and rest and STRENGTH! Rest= lack of worrying, joy, praise.

KNOW: BLESSINGS ARE NOW!

"We still have the opportunity to enter into the faith-rest life and experience the fulfillment of the promise! For God still has ordained a day for us to enter into called TODAY" Hebrews 4, 7. TPT

So here we can see that when we rest, we can see the fulfillment of God's promises! And He calls this day, this Promised Land, this confident faith, this "faith-rest": "TODAY". This means that we can see the fulfillment of the promises now, we don't have to wait.

USE THE WORD!

"Resting is not passivity, but spirit-led activity." (a quote from Nerida Walker)

We can rest as we know that our sword, 🗡️ the Word is mighty, active.

📙"For we have the living Word of God, which is full of energy, like a two-mouthed sword. It will even penetrate to the very core of our being where soul and spirit, bone and marrow meet!" Hebrews 4:12 TPT

All these ways of how we can rest- are connected, the whole chapter (Hebr. 4) is about rest. So faith is resting in Jesus' promises, ability, victory, love for us.

BLESSING

🙌I bless you to know you are in the land of TODAY, in the Promised Land, where the blessings are present and abundant by grace. As you enjoy Jesus and speak the Word, they flow.

Please share testimonies, prayers, Words, prayer requests.