June 29, 2023

Oftentimes, without us realizing it, we want everything to be in our control. We want everything to be fine, safe, and not a single problem at all. Whereas in reality the facts that occur are often different from our expectations. As a result, we become easily disappointed, angry, afraid, worried, and anxious.

There is restlessness that keeps on following. We can not enjoy the seventh day where God had finished everything and His presence that had rested from all that had been done. Understand this, man was created on the sixth day and man entered the seventh day with God.

Genesis 2:1-3 (Easy-to-Read Version) So the earth, the sky, and everything in them were finished. 2 God finished the work he was doing, so on the seventh day he rested from his work. God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day. He made it special because on that day he rested from all the work he did while creating the world.

Do you know that there are a lot of people who can’t enjoy their lives ? There is always a sense of worry that comes up, fear, anxiety and suspense and numerous other negative thoughts and emotions. That is the pattern that has molded man, not to forget that even believers experience the same thing. So that man continues to live their days outwardly with exhaustion and man must ‘go through’ ‘humane’ days (Monday – Sunday) with struggles!

Are we aware that God has prepared another day ? It’s not Monday to Sunday but REST DAY. That’s where we should be. That is God’s world. That’s where we stop struggling, toiling, let alone anxious, afraid or worry.

Before discussing the rest day further, we need to come to an agreement that happiness is not determined by money, possessions, and all kinds of symbols of success that the world gives and that man pursues from Monday to Sunday.

Proverbs 15:15-17 (NIV) All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil. Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.

THE REST DAY is a place or spiritual dimension where there is no sorrow, lamentation, and death. Where man as worshipers is with God, and make God the center of life.

This is the place that God wants us to get in. That is ‘a place where Israel also wants to enter’, but unfortunately, they have become so humane and outwardly that it is difficult for God to bring them into the dimension of glory that God has provided!

Hebrews 4:8-11 (NIV) For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[a] just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

How to enter the rest day that God has provided? Before answering this, it’;s good for us to know how man at first were able to GET OUT OF GOD’S REST DAY! We all already know when men were in the Garden of Eden did not obey God anymore, they were out of the rest day. And they rejected the peace efforts initiated by God (men didn’t want to repent). As a result, they enter the cycle of physical days (the law of sin and death) where man must continue to experience evil. Even if you experience goodness, there is always a bad effect in goodness.

Genesis 3:17-19 (NIV) To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree

about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

If we want and really wish to enter God’s world or the rest day, then we will enjoy life on this earth without a sense of anxiety and fear one bit! We desperately need peace that surpasses all understanding in His presence. That’s what sets us apart from most other people. We need to go back to live in TRUE TRUSTING FAITH.

The Holy Spirit corrected my heart this morning with a question: Are you really a believer? If you have faith in God, why is there still fear and anxiety? Even if it’s only a little, it already shows that you are not in the day of rest!

I received correction from the Holy Spirit and I want to repent to take a stand of BELIEVING AND OBEYING ONLY HIS WORD! Because this is the key for us to enter the DAY OF REST (Hebrews 4:1-13).

To live by believing fully in His Word alone requires humility, not with our own strength. We need the prayers of the Great High Priest who has gone through even the most complicated situations on this earth. He is the one who understands the best our real condition. The prayers that He lifts up will automatically bring the Father’s mercy and grace that will enable us to BELIEVE!

When we believe, we will live in day of rest filled with peace, eternal joy, and especially serenity. Because that’s where we have seen that everything God promised or said has HAPPENED and is good.

Now is the time for us to FULLY BELIEVE (fully obey because we love Him) and live in peace in His presence. It’s out of place if we are afraid, stressed, let alone depressed. Not even a little bit, it’s not normal!

We are the tabernacle of God, where we are the dwelling place of the Lord. It is in us that He wants to live and manifest. We are the dwelling place of God where He has finished everything. It is through us that other humans who are in suffering will be delivered by God!

Revelation 21:3-4 (NIV) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself

will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[a] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Don’;t underestimate the condition of our mood, make sure we are in the serenity of His presence which is full of eternal happiness and joy. Amen.

Ps. Steven Augustinus

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