It was all who came out of Egypt who would not enter His rest…
for we who have believed
do enter that rest…
for he who as entered His rest has himself
also ceased from his works as God did from His.
(Hebrews 3:16, 18; 4:1, 10)
I began to experience Jesus’ rest
when God led me to begin taking Him at His word. It seemed reckless at first, but I was
willing to be “out of control” and I simply trusted what I read in the
Bible…and I began seeing absolutely amazing truths in the Bible in their true
context. The Bible became a living Word
to me.
I had been basing my life on
second-hand information…on what others told me and what I read as principles in
the Bible to live by. By God’s grace, I
believe I began receiving truth first-hand from Jesus Himself who lives in
me! Now, I want to grow in the knowledge
of Christ Himself, not just in knowledge about Christ and knowledge of the
Bible.
It’s like I reached a point in God’s
breaking process in “my wilderness” and I found myself “on the banks of the
Jordan River” dearly wanting to cross over into the promised land of Jesus’
rest. Joshua 3:15 says that the Jordan
River opened up AFTER the priests stepped into the water with the ark, with the
ark being a picture of the presence of God.
I now know God the Father was with me on those “banks.” I envision His compassionate eyes gazing at
me and assuring me to walk safely and secure in the life of His dear Son.
This is a beautiful picture for me as
the presence of Christ in me led me to take the step of faith into His Word…and
the water of His Word opened up and He began to reveal Himself to me and then
overflow me!