"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder...Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end..." [Isaiah 9:6-7]
Typically, we only hear the above portion of Scripture around Christmas time. This is part of Isaiah's prophecy concerning the coming of Jesus. And...there's something here for you.
I was listening to a sermon by Steve Thompson the other day and he shared these verses. What he said next is worth hearing: "The reason we have difficulty in sustaining a supernatural life is because of the lack of rest and peace at the core of our lives." Isaiah told us plainly that the government would be upon His shoulder - not ours. He also said that the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. Religion is good at keeping us busy but it can never bring us rest.
Have you ever noticed that some of the most spiritual people are usually not the busiest people? They're not lazy; they have just figured out something that we have been missing. And what we have been missing is the power of peace and rest.
Most of us could testify to the fact that our busiest seasons are usually our less spiritual seasons. We may be getting a lot done, and burning the midnight oil but we are normally running on adrenaline. I think a lot of folks have taken the phrase "an idle mind is the devil's workshop" and created a business mentality. It's like saying if we aren't busy enough then the enemy will have his way in our lives. The fact of the matter is that it's quite the opposite.
When we learn to rest in His peace then we will be able to hear His voice. When we learn to be still and know that He is God, then we can experience His presence. I want to encourage you to look at your calendar. If it is anything like mine then it's full of appointments, ballgames, orthodontist visits, and etc. Is there time for rest? Is there time to collect our thoughts? Is there time to simply sit in the presence of God to hear what He has to say in our lives?
Think of the words of Jesus: "Come unto me all you who are burdened and heavy laden. I will give you rest." Doesn't sound like a man who is preoccupied with keeping you busy. Of course, He saw what the religious leaders had done to the faith. The people in Israel were under a heavy burden of dogma, activity, and tradition. Jesus came to set us free from anything that would get in the way of a love relationship with God.
Are you ready to rest? Would you love to simply enjoy His peace for a while? As you think about the answer to those questions, allow me to share a quote from Kris Vallotton that will take this a little further: "Sometimes God is more interested in what He is doing in you rather than through you."
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