How To Rest In God’s Presence

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; or anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

Hebrews 4:9-11

No matter how chaotic this world becomes, God’s rest is available to all of us.  It is His peace (rest) that surpasses all understanding, when we cast ALL of our cares unto Him.  There are endless circumstances swirling within the chaos of this world that can send us into a panic and anxious mode: a road detour, rush hour traffic, a delayed flight, a bad health report, etc.  However, we must always remember, as a child of God, we learn to live from the inside out!  The goal is to reach the mindset that we will not let the world’s chaos affect us, because it is up to us to allow God to work on our hearts, which will affect the trajectory of our future.

1. It Is Finished

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.  When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John 19:28-30

He has already paid the price for our sins at Calvary on the cross.  He defeated death, Hell, and the grave. At that moment it was finished–He accomplished His earthly mission.

We were forgiven and healed two-thousand years ago.  No matter what our body says, or what a health report says, we are already healed because Jesus bore that on the cross.  We are not getting prosperous, we are already prosperous because Jesus became poor so we could become prosperous.  We are not getting blessed, we are already blessed, and we are already favored by God.

2. Jesus Is Now Seated Beside His Father

And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

Ephesians 2:6 (AMP)

We must allow this scripture to renew our human-mind.  At that altar, just like at that Cross, our life of sin was finished. It does not matter where we grew up or came from, nor what city we live in, it does not matter what the voices of our lineage declares over our life, salvation in Jesus breaks old traditions and makes new traditions.  We are new creations seated together with our Savior in heavenly places.  Our record is now clean because of what was finished at that cross.

Let us not get stuck in the place of “how can I get,” and instead, find that place where we proclaim “I’m already forgiven, healed, blessed, and prosperous.”  Let us not allow the enemy to talk us out of our Kingdom benefits because they already belong to us.

3. The Righteousness of God

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 

Before the cross, we lived under the curse of the fall of man when Adam and Eve sinned.  They fell out of right standing with God and ran away to hide from Him. But because of that cross, and our salvation, we have become the righteousness of God.  Because of our belief in His son Jesus, we are now in right standing with God and no longer need to hide from Him. We are no longer held back by the lies of the enemy.  We must allow God’s Word to renew our mind. Even if we don’t feel righteous, by faith, not by our feelings, we are the righteousness of God.

Final Thoughts

No matter how chaotic this world becomes, God’s rest is available to all of us. 

We are new creations seated together with our Savior in heavenly places. Our record is now clean because of what was finished at that cross.

Let us not get stuck in the place of “how can I get,” and instead, find that place where we proclaim “I’m already forgiven, healed, blessed, and prosperous.” Don’t let the enemy talk you out of your Kingdom benefits because they already belong to you!