Rest is a very important word. When our Lord Jesus came He said, in Mathew 11:28, ‘come to me you that are heavy laden and I will give you rest’. He called us to give us rest; He wants us to rest. It is not the rest of talked of when one says ‘Rest in Peace’; of death. God wants us to enjoy the rest while still on earth; to have a calm and rested life while still on earth. Rest is for fulfillment on earth not after death as some think. This is the rest I want to share with you.

Rest is the key to receiving and walking in the blessings of God. In the Bible, the many times that the Lord appeared to people the first words were He spoke were ‘Peace be with you’ or ‘Do not be afraid’. He always said all this because He knew that there is nothing that can move well in your life when your heart is not at rest or when your mind is troubled. Prosperity begins with resting in God. Blessing comes with rest in God. That is why God calls us to rest in Him.

What is rest? Rest is a state of calmness; it is to be settled in the heart in spite of many worrying and troubling situations. In the midst of problems and sickness and troubles, you are not worried, but at peace. It does not mean that the problems are not there you have a heart that is settled in God. For instance in Mark 4 when Jesus was in the boat and there was a stormy sea, the Bible says that Jesus was sleeping and the others were troubled, asking Him Lord do you want us to
die? Though the Bible says He was sleeping, as He was God, He was watching. He was rested in God because He knew that His father who never sleeps or slumbers was watching. Now this is one of the miracles that the disciples missed. They missed arriving on the other side through a stormy sea. They panicked.

We miss many blessings and miracles because of panic. But that which Jesus did, sleeping in a storm, is what resting means. When God wanted to bless Adam with woman, after seeing his unrest after naming the animals, God first put him to sleep. When Adam woke up, no one told him that is woman, he was mesmerized and he named her woman. Sleep suspends one’s activities; it makes one oblivious of what is going on. That is the way God is too, there are certain things He cannot remove immediately but you overcome them because you are resting in Him. Situations go on around you but you are at peace. Some people panic because of situations and even commit suicide. This is because they are not at rest in the Lord. Even some born again Christians have not discovered the rest in the Lord.

We need to begin to rest in God. We cannot overcome the world without a rested heart. Resting is seeing God in control of the situation. It is to be and receive the revelation that no matter the situation, God is in control. Not that the problems have been eliminated; even Jesus said that in the world you’ll have troubles but what will make one victorious is to have a heart of rest. Rest is a manifestation of faith. People with faith stay calm in the midst of turmoil. They are never
bothered by what the devil is doing or the circumstances but more focused on what God is doing. Many Christians are living a life of pressure instead of pleasure. They pray, fast, go to church and even minister by pressure. But God wants Ministers to minister with joy.

The keys to receiving rest (Psalm 46:10)

1. Seeing what Jesus did for us by His death at Calvary. If we get the revelation of what He did for us and know that He took it all for us we shall be at rest.

Daniel 3.

2. Seeing where Jesus is now – getting the revelation of His glory and majesty. Church history says that John the revelator when they tried to kill him and he survived the burning oil, they decided to send him to a deserted Island. When He got there, it seems he began to fear death from wild beasts. God then appeared to him in His glory and power; he ceased to fear and never prayed for relief but more to listen to Him. Seeing the glory of the Lord brought him rest.

3. Seeing what Jesus is doing now; what he is doing for you now. Acts 7:54-60

4. Hearing the word that brings faith and

5. Staying in His presence.

By Pastor Godfrey Kasaijja