Rest - Lord Give Me Strength

Haven't been posting for quite awhile as I learn to rest in Christ for the past 19 days. I do not mean to rest as not posting & simply doing nothing. Strangely, I found casting my cares & worries [rest] in the Lord quite challenging. It seems like I always like to 'help' God, I will tell myself all these problems be it from work or family belong to Jesus as I trust in Him being a Child of Most High God, yet, I will think about it, try to find solutions from my flesh. I end up being confused in perfect irony. Praise the Lord, our Pastor had been preaching about rest & our identity in Christ & I keep listening to his sermons & find myself learning & I'm determined to break the strongholds of my 'nonsense' to REST...

While I was awaiting for my parents after service for dinner, I wondered into a Christian book store, pick up a card with words that comfort me. Title, "Lord, Give Me Strength". Give us your strength, Lord. Because sometimes things get tough, & we are ready to quit. Give us your love, Lord. Because people reject us, & we are tempted to hate. Give us your eyes, Lord. Because sometimes life gets dark, & we lose our way. Give us your courage, Lord. Because often we are put under pressure, & it's hard to do what is right. Give us yourself Lord. Because our hearts were made for you, & we will not rest until we rest in you. A summary of all my thoughts...How great is our God?!

Today sermon was awesome especially when Pastor Prince shared about his revelation about our identity in Christ. "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." 2 Cor 5:17 [NASB] "They will say of Me, 'Only in the Lord are righteousness & strength.' Men will come to Him. And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame [e.g. the pathetic Satan]. In the Lord all the offspring’s of Israel Will be justified & will glory." Is 45:24-25 [NASB] Notice the words "In Christ, In the Lord" In Christ we engage the World with a new mindset where all things are new, being a new creation. In Christ we receive our righteousness & strength...

Jesus revealed this truth as being "I am". In John chapter 9, before Jesus healed the man born blind, the scripture wrote "While I am in the World, I am the light of the World." John 9:5 [NASB] Imagine a blind who lives in total darkness, since the day he was born, the "I am" finished the miracle! Halleluiah! We can do all things through Christ who strengthen us. In another occasion, the disciples asked for the bread of God that gives life to the world, "Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life..." John 6:35 [NASB] We ask for grace, only to find forgiveness already offered. We ask for food, only to find provision already made. We ask for guidance, only to find answers in God's ancient story...

What controls us doesn't control Him. What troubles us don’t trouble Him. What fatigue us doesn't fatigue Him. Is an eagle disturbed by traffic? No. he rises above it. Is the whale perturbed by a hurricane? Of course not, he plunges beneath. Is the lion flustered by the mouse standing directly in his way? No, he steps over it.

If He is able to place the stars in their sockets & suspend the sky like a curtain, do you think it remotely possible that God is able to guide our life? If our God is mighty enough to ignite the sun, could it be that he is mighty enough to light our path? If He cares enough about planet Saturn to give it rings or Venus to make it sparkle, is there an outside chance that He cares enough about us to meet one needs?

Inspired By:

Max Lucado & Pastor Prince