Limitless in 2012 - Part 4

This picture of a swing was a vision that my wife had representing resting in the Grace of God and not striving in our own strength. It is a beautiful picture, because when one thinks of a swing, one thinks of relaxing and having fun. And, in our younger years, we didn't even have to get the momentum going, it was usually our parents pushing us.

The Scripture that accompanies this picture is Hebrews 4:9 - 11:
"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience."

The context this passage is referring to is the Israelites in the desert with Moses. They kept moaning about how life would have been better in Egypt, and yet God kept providing for them supernaturally. Eventually, that generation missed out on the Promised Land because they couldn't come to believe God that the Promised Land truly was their inheritance by His Grace and not their own strength. In Number 14:44-45 a number of the Israelites went to attack the giants of the Promised Land despite their earlier unbelief, and in their own efforts they were defeated because God had already sworn not to give them the land due to that unbelief. Had they originally gone in the Grace of God they would have beaten them effortlessly.

This is what this passage in Hebrews is referring to. Those Israelites fell short of their inheritance because they didn't believe that God was good enough to be with them and give them the land despite the giants inhabiting it.

You see, God wants to make thing easy for you. He wants to open doors supernaturally, multiply your work beyond your own ability, give you business deals that you didn't even see coming! But He wants you to believe Him for those things, and He wants you to step out as if you do believe Him for those things.

It's no use believing Him for supernatural favour over your work and dreams and acting as though you have none!

Now, the passage encourages us to "make every effort to enter that rest". Sounds like an oxymoron, right? The reason it says this is because it is the nature of mankind, ever since "The Fall", to work and labour for their keep. It is a default belief in our DNA that the harder we work, the more successful we will become. But this verse is telling us to slow down, and believe God to make us successful by His Grace and not our own hard works!

Does that mean we don't work at all? No, I don't believe that. Noah still had to build an ark. Abraham still had to get into bed with Sarah. Gideon still had to go into the camp of Midianites to defeat them. David still had to pick up the stones and use his sling. But in each of those cases, it was the Grace of God that allowed their work to be abundantly blessed and the results were supernatural.

Think about it, just one throw and the giant that had been threatening an entire nation was defeated. Just one throw from a little shepherd boy! That's the rest God is talking about. Did David do nothing and say "God will defeat Goliath for us?" No! It was because He believe God was faithful that caused Him to get some stones and take Goliath head on!

Friends, if you believe God is for you and wants to bless you, then you will step out and do some audacious things. You won't sit back passively. You will take this world head on! And by God's Grace, your work will be abundantly blessed!

One of my goals this year is to make more time for my wife and coming son, and to trust God that whatever time I spend on my work and fulfilling my dreams will be supernaturally multiplied by the Grace of God. That is the "rest" I am trusting God for this year!

Believe God for the same this year. Trust Him to accomplish more this year without compromising time with family or friends. Get on the swing with Jesus, and watch Him take you to new heights effortlessly by His Grace!