Return And Rest
"
Thus
says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, in returning and rest you
shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength; but
you would not, and you said, 'No, for we will flee on horses' -
therefore you shall flee! And 'We will ride on swift horses' - therefore
those who pursue you shall be swift"
(Isaiah 30:15-16)
The group we call the "human race" has a
"do-it-yourself" mentality. Sometimes people get discouraged and don't
try anymore, but most keep on struggling and won't reach out to God or
other people for help, unless there is nowhere else to turn. We like to
"triumph" on our own.
This is seen in the phrase "
we
will flee on horses" (Isaiah 30:16),
relating to the care we take in insuring our own safety on earth, and
the surprising negligence exhibited in relation to that which is
eternal. We protect our lives with medical and life insurance, and fight
the aging process with plastic surgeons, but the enemy is very "swift"
indeed.
You may decide now to "tune-out" for a happier topic,
but you're encouraged to stick around, for we have a "happy ending."
This is not a "fairy tale" though, it's LIFE, and the good news is that
God intends VICTORY in your life and mine. However, the path to victory
is not accomplished in the way you might expect.
Paul the Apostle was a Jew who grew up in a Greek and
Roman culture. He saw the "games" prevalent in that time and place, and
compared living this life to "running a race" (1 Corinthians 9:24). He
observed that first we must train with diligence and then we run to win.
But how, from a Biblical perspective, do we prepare in a manner that
will cause us to "win", even TRIUMPH, when others fail?
For a foot race, we need strength, quickness, and
speed. We not only need an athlete's body, but also need an athlete's
mind, with a dedication to bringing that body to utmost readiness for
the race. The key from God's perspective is FAITH. Not just any faith,
as in the slogan, "Ya' gotta' have faith, baby", but believing in
Someone who will help you win. This means to trust in the Christ that
can and will help you, rather than just having a warm hope that
everything will turn out all right. To "prepare to run" is to "learn to
trust".
God had judgment in mind for Israel, as Isaiah the
prophet was telling them in today’s Scripture. You and I may be headed
down the wrong road like they were, or we may not. But just like buying
an insurance policy, we don't know what will happen, and we should be
prepared for the race that we call "life". Both the cost and
underwriting of this policy are found in the phrase "
returning
and rest" (Isaiah 30:15).
An obvious problem with an
insurance policy is how much it costs. We hope we will never need the
policy but often purchase it anyway - just in case. There is good news
about this policy, which contains the phrase "returning
and rest" - 1) We are given
absolute safety by receiving the protection offered, and 2) The premiums
have been paid in full - forever.
To "return"
is to come to God on His terms; in His way. Jesus said "Come
unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"
(Matthew 11:28). And Jesus Himself IS "the
way" (John 14:6).
It's like we are small adopted children and our parents have provided a
place for us to live. "This is your room," they say; "the bathroom is
just down the hall, and the refrigerator is in the kitchen. This is your
home and we love you." But you respond, "Yes, you are my parents, but I
respectfully submit that I will not be living here in the safety you
have provided. I got an old pup tent from a boy and I will live in the
park..." The parents of this 5-year old child will reasonably reject his
or her decision.
You may say, "I am a Christian" but Jesus not only
wants your words, He wants your heart. He not only wants you to come to
Him one or two days a week or a couple of times a year - He wants - YOU!
To "run the race" on God's terms is to trust in Him.
To "run " is to see that the "negative" situations we sometimes enter,
are testing grounds where you have the opportunity to flex "muscles" of
faith, and grow. To read the Bible is essential in such training, for "
faith
comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God"
(Romans 10:17). Budding athletes imitate the training methods of proven
winners and we do, too - We grow in FAITH through prayerfully reading
the Word of God, just as many have done before us.
Again, we are in a sort of "race" here in earth,
requiring us to "train" effectively in order to win. We have a great
"Trainer", who will cause us to win the race, and He loves us so much,
that He took out that insurance policy we spoke about, written in His
own blood. His name is Jesus Christ and He gave up everything, in order
that you might have it all. You can trust in Him.
Frances Ridley Havergal, said this: "
We
have not passed this way heretofore, but the Lord Jesus has. It is all
untrodden and unknown ground to us, but He knows it all by personal
experience. The steep bits that take away our breath, the stony bits
that make our feet ache so, the hot shadeless stretches that make us
feel so exhausted, the rushing rivers that we have to pass through -
Jesus has gone through it all before us. 'He knoweth our frame; He
remembereth that we are dust.' Think of that when you are tempted to
question the gentleness of His leading. He is remembering all the time;
and not one step will He make you take beyond what your foot is able to
endure. Never mind if you think it will not be able for the step that
seems to come next; either He will so strengthen it that it shall be
able, or He will call a sudden halt, and you shall not have to take it
at all."
Open His Book (the Bible), learn
about Christ and trust in Him, for He loves you and will bring you
through. Your "happy ending" is when you stop doing it yourself and
place your faith in Him. And the "end" in this context is really the
beginning – for you!
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
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