Catherine

Rest is important. If we run for a long time and just keep running we will fall from exhaustion. This is also important with our relationship with God.

I recently spent a week at a Christian summer camp called Soul Survivior. It was an amazing experience that ill talk through later, but it was so important for regenerating my soul.

Sometimes our brains can get clogged with day to day thoughts of family issues, personal issues and work issues. I’ve said before that the people who get the most weight from God and the most problems are the people who are the strongest. We all have junk. All of us. And also we take junk from loved ones. We get so pulled down that our walk with God is slowed. Its harder to walk with the weight on your back.

But we shouldn’t stay in this dark mindset. We should walk on. It might be hard, it might be very hard. You might have questions about unanswered prayer, but God is faithful and all things are possible with Him. Because of the nature of some peoples junk it might consume us. Like a poison, we might not be able to see Gods light amidst the darkness of our junk.

Jesus wants to take our junk. He wants to take the stuff from our backs so that we can walk with Him.

Matthew 11:28-30
²⁸"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

There is so much hope in this quote, and it has given me comfort in hard times.

Rob Bell, who is a personal inspiration to me said this in his book Velvet Elvis.

‘Different rabbis had different sets of rules, which were really different lists of what they forbade and what they permitted. A rabbi’s set of rules and lists, which was really that rabbi’s interpretation of how to live the Torah, was called that rabbi’s yoke. When you followed a certain rabbi, you were following him because you believed that rabbi’s set of interpretations were closest to what God intended through the Scriptures. And when you followed that rabbi, you were taking up that rabbi’s yoke.

One rabbi even said his yoke was easy.

- Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis : 47.’

Jesus said His yoke was easy. Following Jesus is easy, you just give yourself to Him. And in return He will take all your junk from you.

Which brings me back to my point. We need rest. Jesus will take our junk if we ask Him too. He will take our junk so we can rest with Him.

Its seems like a odd thing, because we cant really go on holiday with Jesus. But it could be as simple as taking 15 minutes out of a busy day to listen to God. That again is a odd thing ,because I personally have never known Gods booming voice to come screaming into my head, but its the ideas He plants, thoughts he puts into your head ect.

Only in the silence can we hear Gods voice.

If we keep rushing through life and never take the time to hear God, how will we know where to go? We need time to rest. ‘Rest’ doesn’t mean lounging around and not doing much. ‘Rest’ is taking the time to let the world go past and to spend time with God.

I’m going to leave a few encouraging verses.

Agape. Gracia. Pax. ♥

Psalms 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

1 Peter 5:6-7
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

1 Corinthians 1:8-9
He will keep you strong until the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord is faithful.

I quickly wrote in this blog before I replaced it 'this is a test', and I realised after about a week of comtemplating that is what my first topic should be testing.

Ive experianced that this week, but no matter how hard a experiance in the moment, God's plan is always good.

On Monday I said something rude about a class mates girlfriend. I didnt really register that I said anything wrong until later on in the day. It was a moment when my mouth was running faster then my brain could register. I sent a message of apology over Facebook, which probably wasnt the best medium of apology. I ended up feeling quite anixous about the situation for the rest of Monday and Tuesday. Until I logged on Facebook on Wednesday morning, and it told me that the couple had broken up. If I had anything to do with their break up is another thing. But thats the first of two incidents this week where I have said something without thinking and got into trouble for it.

Now those moments of anxiety were very testing for me. Not Job type testing obviously, but there was certianly a message to be heard and a lesson learned. And you might think 'Oh, God doesnt care if im a bit judgemental and say things without thinking' but he does. And Im not a saint, ill admit that. But I've learned from this week to take one of the most basic lessons into practice. 'What would Jesus do?' I get that most of us arent 5 years old, but its so true. So simple. What would Jesus do? Think that thought before doing anything and I can guarntee your life will change. So even if this week was quite testing for me, ive took something away from it. God has control in everything.

Even if you think life has gone off the rails,He has control. You might be more broken down then you have have been in your life, but its just a test. God doesnt give weight to people if they cant handle it. I find that the people with the most weight are the people who praise God the most.

 Dont ever think that God has abandonded you. He is always there and His plan is always for good.

For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:10-12

Agape. Gracia. Pax.