Rest

“Jesus calls us to his rest, and meekness is His method. The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort.”

― A.W. Tozer, Pursuit of God

Look no further!

Only Jesus can give you rest. Deep soul rest, understanding of the world's pain rest, contentment in suffering rest, purpose in failure rest, birth to death rest, only comes from Jesus.

Been stabbed in the back? Been lied about? Been majorly crushed by disappointment? Been dumped? Been passed over, let go, overwhelmed, pushed to the limit? Jesus has too! He understands.

More importantly, he, as your maker, can do something for you none else can. He can give your soul rest, he can share your burden.

Rivers are refreshed, canals are stagnant.

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:25 NIV

*********** *********** ***********

The freshest water is flowing.

Do you feel a bit stagnant? Are your resources running low? When we're struggling our response is often to dam up our outflows and say, "I just need a little me time!, " When what we often need is to focus on others. It seems like turning in and focusing on self will pump us up. But or judgement is false. We need to give; we need to be in need. Because when we have an outflow that isn't selfish we make space for God to fill us up. And God works in this way. He will fill you up when you are genuinely generous.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this verse over the years. And I can't help but see the truth in it. My experience bears it out.

Some of you may think you've been giving and you have run dry. And I'd suggest two things.

You weren't giving out of a generous heart. If your service, gift giving and "generosity" is actually motivated by your image, or your duty, or some other selfish motive, of course you'll run out. This is because you are giving out of your own self generated and hoarded resources.

To constantly be filled with new blessings every day you must be looking to an unending resource. You have to have an eternal supply. God must be your source. Let God's purposes be your aim. If you allow the limitless fountain of God's blessing become your supply and the generous just and righteous purposes of God be your reason for giving you will always have God's new blessings for yourself.

Give until you have nothing to give, so that you can only depend on God and like mana from heaven you'll have a new supply every morning.

I can tell you in the hardest situations under the most difficult circumstances I've found this to be true.

It won't make you rich but you'll be wealthy in refreshment from God and secure in his abundant spring of life bubbling up inside you.

Go give for God and get refreshed.