Entering into Rest

Entering into Rest

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

                                                                                                …Hebrews 4:1

            In Pouso Alegre, Brazil, the man on the sidewalk in front of the bakery caught my eye.  The huge open wound made me turn my head as nausea became apparent; the desired effect from the beggar.  Inside the bakery I asked about this man.  I was told he scraped his wound daily to gain more sympathy; for more money to be slipped into his bucket of change.  Every day this was the routine, a fresh looking wound for the public to see; becoming a part of the daily scene.

            Did he not fear of losing his leg, or worse, his life?  Eventually the man nearly always slightly in a drunken state, lost his leg to gangrene; all because of the sound of money in the bucket.  Many doctors of the town would have helped this man, but the drinking took over his mind, and greed followed.

            Scraping wounds was common to me.  Maybe that is why I became nauseated so.  Then I hit rock bottom and like the man, held out my bucket for sympathy, but no one gave heed.  Having no rest from the enter turmoil for so many years, I was tired, and it showed in my attitude. I knew true rest in Jesus, but just didn’t claim it.  Just like the man, the Great Physician stood there with the solution, but I refused and went about my way.

            The rest here and now, I couldn’t enjoy.  It was there all the time.  Was I waiting for rest in heaven one day?  Did I not realize rest from this weary world started the day I asked Christ to save me?  I am no better than the Children of Israel refusing rest, and walking the desert for 40 years lost. I kept scraping my wounds, which left me no room for rest or celebrating much. 

            At forty years of age, I began to live as God had intended me to live, but only when I decided to give my hurts and open wounds over to him to heal.  Wow! Does it feel good to rest in God’s open arms!  Come try it and let the wounds begin to heal, and don’t wait as long as I did.  Come into His rest!

Father,

Thank you for bringing me back to find complete rest.  What a difference I feel. I give you my hurts and disappointments over to you as I gain new ones in this life; it is inevitable.  Give me rest, your rest in the here and now.  In Jesus name I pray.

Banana Too Green: Please Let Me Preach!

Banana Too Green: Please Let Me Preach!: "Up! Let Me Preach! And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to..."

Please Let Me Preach!

Up!

Let Me Preach!

And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

                                                                                              …Matthew 14:19-20

            All night the branches broke around us every few minutes, sounding sometimes like a gunshot, waking us from our attempted sleep. Hard to rest when nature is in it’s full fury.  The eeriness that hung overhead was all so disturbing, as everyone tried to find warmth in the close to zero weather, by any means possible.

            My husband Bill fell to the flu bug with all of us cuddling in this small place sure to catch it from him.  Hard enough to keep warm normally when you’re sick, but now with no heat for a few days was even more difficult. Besides, he is ill about the fact he isn’t preaching.

            Most churches have been closed for two Sundays now. Bill is wanting to preach so bad that next Sunday I’m sure he will make up for it.  I tell everyone he plans to speak 14 hours; everybody better take their lunch!  It is hard to see someone called to preach, not be able to do just that. 

            Christ loved preaching and declaring the Words of His Father. Here He preached as he had many times, but this time lunch was served by His own hand at the feeding of the five thousand.  It is hard to imagine a group like that having a picnic in the presence of the Savior.  Maybe not everyone wanted to hear His teaching in the beginning, but out of curiosity found themselves on the hillside. 

            Christian, not even curiosity can move many today.  There is no newness, no “I can’t wait till next Sunday,” anymore. Tune your heart in during the music, prayer and message, tuning out the cares of the world.  Then maybe focusing, you might say “Let me preach, teach, sing or praise the Lord!” Tune into the Savior, and you’ll be itching to meet and fellowship again at His house.

Father,

Let not my heart grow cold, unfocused, and drawn away from thee.  Woo me back close to your bosom, that I may rest, renew and regain strength I have lost because of my own attempts to make it on my own.  Help me to feel like Bro. Levergood when he could’nt wait to proclaim your name to the congregation.  In your Son’s name I pray.

Sweet William by Carol Levergood

Outward

Sweet William

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.  For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

                                                                                                …2 Corinthians 4:16-17

            One day Bill and I decided to plant a flower garden using railroad ties to frame it.  This “small” flower-bed ended up being sixteen feet by four feet, and required a ton of dirt to fill.  While working around it one day, Bill and I joked that there was enough dirt to bury us both, and we already have the flowers.   Our own decorated plots!  We even goofed around, arguing who would sleep on which side of the flower garden.

            “We’ll sleep like we sleep in our bed. You know how I like to hang my left arm over the side of the bed.” Bill exclaimed. 

            I thought this is getting too strange now!

            The day caught up with us as we sat on the edge of the masterpiece, just having planted a few more Sweet Williams.

            I sighed, “I’m tired!”

            Bill pipes up, “Come on, we just have a few more flowers to plant!”

            With glaring eyes I replied, “I am not planting Sweet Williams anymore today, unless it’s the six-foot one, with glasses!” We did finish it and even admired our accomplishment.

            The flower bed was beautiful from the highway, and the outward appearance added to the front of the house.  No one would ever know the struggle of finishing this project.  We sure were weary by the end of the day, sort of like Paul referred to in the written Word.  He is physically weary as age seems to be the big factor, plus his ministry wasn’t an easy ministry with beatings, imprisonment, travels, etc. 

            Paul is comforted by the thought that spiritually he is being renewed daily; a refreshing thought to me.  Spiritually he is in great shape, led and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. He exercises his faith, and understood when his physical body wore out he was prepared to meet the Lord.  Outwardly Christian, old age will come to most of us unless the Lord comes, but like Paul our hope or trust in Christ, sustains us for all eternity; it won’t fail us like our physical body most certainly will. 

            Take your eyes off the physical and place them on the eternal.  Yes, even me and my “Sweet William” will go back to dust.  We might be buried together here, but we will walk together there.

Father,

We praise you God Almighty and thank you for your promises to each of us as believers. Remind us we are fragile and we are dust and that no plans made on this earth, are permanent, written in stone, except the guarantee that each of us will meet our Maker.  May my tombstone say the world, “Carol is forgiven!  She believed in Jesus.”

In All Their Journeys

In All Their Journeys

And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

                                                                                                            …Exodus 40:36-37

            “I am moving North today no matter what Moses says!  We have been in this desert long enough!  Pull up stakes woman! We’re getting out of here!” 

            Can you see someone trying to leave when it wasn’t time to pull up stakes?  I get restless at times and get ahead of God.  If we are honest with ourselves, most of us have one day or another.  Tugging on the tent material would be my first step, then pulling up the stakes and packing them in back packs for the journey. How did we get so much stuff?   

            “Gather up some of that quail and manna for our trip!” Bill said. 

            “But Bill, God instructed through Moses to not gather manna for the next day, that he would provide enough for us each morning.” 

            “Well there might not be any out where we are going!” He hurriedly adds, “I ‘m sure He will understand.”

            Questioning him further, “But what about the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, those can’t be duplicated?”

            Why would we think we’d act any differently than the Children of Israel?  We grumble and complain so much like they did. 

            When the cloud by day or pillar of fire by night moved, so would the Children of Israel, and not until then. When God acted …the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: No picking up stakes and moving onward was allowed without God’s instructions to do so.

            Let the Power of God move ahead of you just as the cloud did for the Israelites, preparing the way.  Tug at the heavy tent material and pull hard at the stakes, but sorry to say you won’t get far without him. 

            If we were to look at the grave sights of those in the wilderness wanderings, we might see many who dared to go ahead of God---on their own; actually left behind in the dessert; even generations.

            Go with God’s blessings moving onward in all your journeys. 

Father,

I am nothing on my own.  Teach me how to listen and obey your instructions.  Help me not to want to pull up stakes every time life is hard.  I wish not to be one of those casualties in the dessert.  I am weary! Please give me strength to keep going onward in all my earthly journeys, Gracious Father. In the Name of Your Son Jesus, I pray.

Eagles Nest by Carol Levergood

Eagles Nest

For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

                                                                                                            … Psalm 5:9

            The first time I remember hearing about the famous Eagles Nest, was from my father who served in the United States Army in Germany.  Eagles Nest is a resort area, given to Hitler by some of his government officials on his 50^th birthday.  In a most beautiful setting, the retreat for Hitler’s dignitaries and mistress sets high in the German Alps, near Berchtesgaden.

            After the war until 1960 the resort was used as a military command post.  My father went to famous resort area, when as a “pop” or driver he took one of the Majors to the mountain, where a cable car would then take him up.  In thinking about this interesting time in my dad’s life, I couldn’t help but think of what power Hitler must have felt he possessed, when he overlooked his position, beating his chest like Tarzan, king of the hill! 

            Hitler wanted to rule the world and build a destructive form of government of his own kind.  No, I take that back; it originated with Satan.  Remember when he tried to tempt Christ?  When he offered something that wasn’t even his to offer?  Satan offered Hitler all this and he fell for it.  Adolph Hitler was an evil, obsessed man, living and dieing at the hand of his maker, with nothing more than dust in his coffin.

            Satan’s the one offering Adam and Eve the world as they had never known, sad to say.  Yes, he’s the same one high on the mountain where Christ was tempted, but did not succumb to his tactics; sinless before the tempter. And oh yes, he is the same that took Hitler above the scenes of reality and said you can have it all.  Now you, my dear friend, are being offered more than what you have in your possession, or Satan would not be offering it to you. 

            Remember, if something comes from Christ, you will know the difference, because there are no strings attached and our Lord will never offer you the world.

            Hitler is the prime example for Psalm 5:9.  His inward part was very wicked and his throat an open sepulcher.  The inward parts, is where evil begins to germinate.

Father,

May I not stand high on the mountain to even listen to what Satan has to offer.  Make I not make that first step to look or peak at his deceitful methodical plan disguised to take me down.  Help me to recognize when he tries to imitate You.  Remind me that your Word says I will know your voice, so teach me to listen and recognize it daily.  Clean and purify my inward parts that I may walk in Your ways, In Jesus precious Name I pray.