One day at a time child; learn to rest. I am a God of peace.

I wanted to make a blog to depict what the Lord is leading in my life. Currently, I am in a season of rest. Rest is so essential when it comes to being with the Lord.

Rest is what He paid for us to have with Him, whereas the world is so contrary to the concept of rest and might even accuse you of being lazy if you rest too much.

But when you're someone that has been through a lot in your life, and you've been in a state of fight or flight for most of your life, your nervous system never has truly known rest. But when we accept Jesus as Lord, He is inviting us into His rest. It is a gift He freely gives, yet you see many Christians striving still. The detriment of staying in a mechanism of striving and stress is actually a system of this world and contrary to what God wants of us.

The word says in:

Matthew 11:29-30 "29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

If we feel heavy-laden or overcome by burdens, it may be because we are carrying things we never were meant to carry. Jesus is saying we need to learn from Him and that we learn from Him when we take His yoke upon us.

His rest is actually a promise, but are we listening to Him?

Rest also doesn't mean we are inactive. It is possible to be active or taking action and to be in a state of rest.

What does that look like, one might wonder?

Well, in order for me to get into a place of rest, I put the Lord first. I don't make it into a religious routine, but instead, I just acknowledge His presence with me throughout every moment. He is always with us whether we realize it or not. I think this is what is meant by taking His yoke upon us. Sometimes other yokes will try to come upon us, and the enemy no doubt will attempt to lie to us or oppress us in some way, but we are to take off that yoke and put on the yoke Jesus has provided. To be yoked means to be joined to. So are we in true communion with Jesus, or are we joining ourselves to other ways of thinking and being?

Once more in His word it says:

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

So what does putting Jesus first look like? It can be different depending on how you personally connect with the Lord, but for me, I love to worship. When you start to praise and worship the Lord, this can shift the atmosphere quickly. It says we are to enter into His courts with thanksgiving and praise; this will help us to become more aware of His presence.

Something I have realized more and more is that the Lord is always with me, and it's not dependent on how I feel, but it's more about how aware I am of Him. He is meek and gentle, humble at heart, and oftentimes we are more preoccupied with our own selves to really tune into Him.

But this is just the reality of being a human being in this body of flesh. The flesh is contrary to the things of the spirit, but it is by the spirit we put to death the works of the flesh. So it is not by our own merit we are able to walk as He walked, but it is purely by His grace alone.

Overall, the book of Hebrews is an amazing read if one wishes to understand the rest we are promised as God's children. In His word, it says we are to strive to enter into that rest.

Hebrews 4:9-11 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. 11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

So the one thing we are striving for is His rest! I think it is only in seeking Him may we receive a revelation of that rest, as Our God is a God of peace, and if we keep our minds stayed upon him we shall have perfect peace.

Resting with my kitty-cat mystery. This cat is full of peace!