The Rest that God GivesSpeaker: Dr. D.G.S. Dhinakaran Gist: A broken spirit is a burden that one can never bear. When you are burdened in your soul, pray to the Almighty God to come and rescue you. He will grant you His Holy Spirit and strengthen you to pray. He will grant you peace and rest. Seek the Lord and you will find rest. The people of Israel sought the Lord, He revealed Himself to them and gave them rest (2 Chronicles 15:15). Our Lord is ready to grant you His rest when you seek Him.
God told Moses, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest" (Exodus 33:14). The same presence of God will grant rest to you even today if you seek Him with all your heart and mind.
Your soul can find rest when the Holy Spirit fills you. The Lord says, "This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing" (Isaiah 28:12).
Dear friend, the Lord grants you His rest through His presence. When you seek Him, He pours His Holy Spirit in your heart and grants you His rest.
"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered." (Romans 8:26)
Here is the experience of a young man who cried in his heart for several years, longing for the Holy Spirit. He wanted power in his ministry and all the nine gifts of the Spirit. One day, the presence of the Lord filled his room. He heard a voice from heaven above: "Come up here!" The next moment a strong arm stretched out from heaven lifted and carried him above. He stood in the Lord's presence, pleading for the gifts of the Spirit, when he distinctly heard someone wrestling in prayer on his behalf - that he should be granted the gifts of the Spirit which he desired. Only then he realized how the Holy Spirit makes intercessory prayers for us as said in Romans 8:26. He was relieved of the burden in his heart. The Lord heard his prayer and filled him with all the nine gifts.
Friend, do you have such burdens in your heart too? Are you bewailing without any rest. The Lord is ready to grant you His rest at any time, but only when you seek Him. Ask Him to grant you His divine rest. Amidst all your sorrows and sufferings He will give you His rest.
It is to give this rest that Jesus went about during His ministry on earth. He granted His rest and blessing to all who came to Him. At a time of sore affliction, He sought the presence of His Heavenly Father.
"Jesus, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear." (Hebrews 5:7)
Whenever Jesus prayed filled with such burden, the Holy Spirit descended on Him and helped Him.
When you pray to the Lord whenever you are burdened in your heart, the Lord will fill you with His Holy Spirit. The Lord will grant you also His grace to walk in this world triumphantly. When you seek Him He will reveal Himself and grant you His rest.
Lord Jesus has promised, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). His promise is for you. Claim it and be filled with the peace of the Lord.
Prayer:
Loving Heavenly Father,
I am tired and am badly in need of rest. I have tried every wordly way to find rest, but all in vain. Please fill my heart with Your Holy Spirit and allow me to experience Your divine rest that You alone can give. Help me to live in peace and rest through the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, I pray.
Amen. |