We work blunders while He works wonders…!

Let’s read Exodus 3:11, 12 & 16, 17(NIV); Matthew 11:28-30(MSG); Philippians 1:21(NIV) & Romans 6:23 (NIV)

“…Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 

And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”……“Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

“….to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”

“….the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”

Did you ever wonder what our primary calling is as Christians? Simply to REST. Yes, sounds controversial, but true. Some ideas if left unexplained or even explained in part result in being blasphemous, hence let me explain. The original Hebrew word for “rest” used above (Matthew 11:28-30) is “NUACH”, which means “to guide or lead another into a place or state of rest”. This does not mean a place or state of being lazy or sluggish and “do nothing” but a place or state of total reliance on His all-sufficient grace.

Moses thought for a moment that God was asking him to do the mammoth task of bringing the Israelites out of Egypt all by his own human strength and might. But God clarified Moses’ misunderstanding instantly by saying “I will be with you (Moses)….. I have watched over you (Israel) and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. 

And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt”. Moses eventually testified of God’s faithfulness thus – “…The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” (Deuteronomy 1:30 & 31). God asked Moses to partner with Him but as it is the case ALWAYS – God did it all by Himself but used Moses to exercise His grace, to perform unbelievable miracles and to glorify His name.

The opposite of “rest” is to “work”. And the opposite of “gift” or “inheritance” is “wages”. One does close-to-nothing when it comes to accepting a gift or inheritance. But one needs to work in order to receive wages.

If you feel like you are working unbearably hard (burdened with a heavy yoke) in your walk with God then you are most likely all by yourself trying to bear the yoke all alone on the wrong way, the way of Sin(not following His commands correctly) which leads to death.

Which is easy? To accept His “gifts”, “inheritance” and “total-support” freely and “rest”? Or to work on our own for a pay-cheque of death??

Let us take the example of Moses or even better the example of Jesus in letting God our Heavenly Father take full control of our lives and “rest” in His blessed assurance and unfailing hope for Him to live in and through us for His eternal glory…!

HE provides, HE clothes & HE shelters – through CHRIST…!

Let’s read Deuteronomy 31:6(NLT), Psalm 91:2-4(NLT) & Isaiah 61:10a (NIV) in tandem

“…be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

 “This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust Him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armour and protection”

“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness…….”

Strength and Courage are attributes of the brave. Fear and Panic are symptoms of the cowardly. If left alone in unpredictable circumstances, even lion cubs fear and panic. Who goes ahead of us determines our level of strength, confidence & courage. On whom we rely for safety & security determines our sustenance & hope.

A child’s hope of tomorrow’s provision and protection remains in the trust he has on his parents. A responsible father/mother takes whatever measures he/she can to protect their children and provide for their needs. Similarly, our Heavenly Father protects and provides for us, who are His children.

There are 3 basic requirements which everyone in any part of this world would need – food, clothing & shelter. Similarly and much more importantly even in the spiritual realm there are 3 basic requirements – Life giving Word (food), God’s spot-less righteousness (clothing), Spiritual refuge/fortress (shelter). Our Heavenly Father has provided us with these and much more through His son Jesus Christ.

1.      Jesus Christ is the Word who became flesh and made his dwelling among us – John 1:14

2.      Jesus Christ is the Righteousness of God given to us(all who believe) through faith - Romans 3:22

3.      Jesus Christ is our Lord, whose name is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe - Proverbs 18:10

Are you receiving His daily bread (nourishment through the Word)?

Are you clothed in His ever-glowing robe of righteousness?

Are you eternally secure under the shelter of His wings, standing firm on His rock-solid promises and dwelling safe in the unshakeable name of Christ?