I can count the times on one hand that the Lord has given me a writing to go along with a particular holiday, and that is over the past ten years, nevertheless, this is what God spoke to me about today, laboring to enter into His rest.
As we celebrate Labor Day in the United States, I want to talk to you about a different kind of labor.
Hebrews 4:9-11 says; ‘There therefore remains a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
This scripture is talking about those who didn’t enter into the Promised Land because of their unbelief. That is only one thing that can keep us out of our Promised Land, or out of the blessings God has promised us and that is unbelief.
If we are laboring in our own works, we have not entered into His rest. Now, I know there are times to fast and pray, times to seek God and press in, times to confess His word, read His word and worship Him. There are times for ministry, to minister to others and pray for others and sometimes that all seems like labor and at times, it is. You only have to be careful that you are not doing these things in your own strength but in His and that you are not worrying and fretting and trying to make it happen.
I realized I had fallen into this trap one day last week. I was texting with a friend. She was talking about trusting God for this and that. In response I made a statement to her, something God had told me years ago; if you have to fight (in your own strength) to lay hold of it, you will have to fight (in your own strength to keep it). When I said those words it hit me like a ton of bricks.
You see, I had been struggling with some issues with the ministry and growing the ministry and I was doing everything I could to MAKE it happen in my own strength, nothing was working. As I said those words to her, I remembered how this ministry started, how it was birthed.
It was not through me, God started it. He started it as a way to be a blessing to others, I simply wrote each day and I only wrote what He led me to, I still do that today. Then He started having people email me about giving to the ministry – I had sent out teachings for years without ever taking or expecting a donation. However, when He wanted it to grow, people started asking me how they could give. Therefore I went through the process of having it set up as a Non-Profit Ministry. It was so easy, He gave us favor, we were approved immediately and we grew from that point – it was nothing I had done – it was ALL HIM. I did not strive to start it, why was I striving to maintain it? That moment in time set me free. From that moment I chose to no longer strive to make it happen, He started it, I simply follow Him. That day my only labor was to enter into HIS rest in this area.
The scriptures I shared with you do not speak of the Sabbath day, they don’t speak of a day at all, they speak of a place in Him. A place where you cease trying to make it happen on your own and simply trust in Him and His word. Boy! That is a hard place to get to and it is certainly labor to get there – but there is where our promises reside….in the place of His rest. Ceasing from our own labors and leaning into Him and His unfailing word.
It is a time of Gods will being accomplished THROUGH us and in us. It’s all about His presence. We simply have to make sure we are in Him and He is in us and we are following His lead.
I can’t tell you how much better it feels – I don’t work less but I do work differently and from a different perspective. God is so good!
Friends, today if you labor, labor for one thing….to enter into His rest. There is no other place like it.
