Spiritual Reflection – 30th December 2007 am
Isn’t it amazing how much rushing around is associated with Christmas.. We have been so busy as a church – it was wonderful… I would like us to take time to reflect on our Spiritual lives and have a year end stock check. Let’s make sure that everything is ok and still in working order.
I. A Time of Stillness – Psalm 46:10-11
Be still, and know that I am God.” We cannot know God if we are rushing here and there with so many things pulling us in so many directions.
God, family, church
One of Satan’s traps is to get us so busy and involved in activity that we have no time to be still in the presence of God. Sometimes God must force us to be still. We must take time to get to know our Lord, to spend time with Him and listen to His still small voice.
1 Kings 19:11-12 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: [12] And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
Maybe the men will understand this. Has anyone been trying to talk to you when there is something on the TV? How can you hear when there is so much noise going on, it is difficult.
How then can you expect to hear what God is saying to you if there is so much business (noise) in your life and He is trying to talk to you in that still small voice and you can’t hear Him.
Verse 11 – This is such good news that the psalmist wrote it twice. (Verse 7)
Think about it! The Lord of hosts is with us. God almighty is our strength. The mighty Jehovah of all the ranks of angels is our strength. One angel in one night could smite all Sennacherib’s (king of Assyria) host!
2Ki 19:35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
All the angels of God are gathered around His throne, they rush to do His bidding, they are sent to minister to those who are the heirs of salvation. But the good news is better than that. The Bible does not say that these hosts are with us but that the Lord of hosts is with us.
Is it possible to believe that, with ten thousand times ten thousand angels to occupy His mind, He could be with us? To think that He is with us… with us in a desperate domestic need… with us in a financial bind… with us in our loneliness… with us in our weakness… with us despite our faults and our failings… God is with us!
Let’s take time to be still. Take time to know His presence. Take time to feel His presence. Take time to hear His voice… Be Still
II. A Time of Waiting – Isaiah 40:31
Often times when we rush or are busy we can become week. We need to renew our strength – how do we do that? By waiting upon the Lord.
We all grow weary physically and spiritually. There are times when we need to have our Spiritual strength renewed. That strength comes when we quietly wait on the Lord in studying His Word and praying.
God knows how we feel and how we fear and He is adequate to meet our every need. If we trust ourselves, we will faint and fall, but if we wait on the Lord, we will receive strength.
The word “wait” does not mean that we sit around and do nothing. It means “to hope,” to look to God for all that we need Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. This involves meditating on His character and His promises, praying and seeking to glorify Him.
The word “renew” means “to exchange,” as taking off old clothing and putting on new. We exchange our weakness for His power. As we wait before Him, God enables us to soar when there is a crisis, to run when the challenges are many, and to walk faithfully in the day-by-day demands of life.
“I can plod,” said William Carey, the father of modern missions. “That is my only genius. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything.”
The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. The greatest heroes of faith are not always those who seem to be soaring; often it is they who are patiently plodding. As we wait on the Lord, He enables us not only to fly higher and run faster, but also to walk longer.
When our strength is renewed, we find that:
We can SOAR like the eagle - "...mount up with wings as eagles."
We can have STAMINA for the race - "...run and not be weary."
We can be STEADY in our walk - "…walk and not faint."
III. A Time of Rest – Matthew 11:28-30
A. The call for Salvation – Verse 28
Does the word "weary" ever describe your life? After a busy period we can become weary. When we get to this place it can render us ineffective for the Lord.
In verse 28 can see that there is an invitation for men to come to Jesus. In Him alone can one find salvation for the soul. There is no other place to find true saving grace than in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 4:12; John 14:6.
Notice also that He called out to those who laboured and were heavy laden. The word "labour" refers to those who are absolutely worn out from effort, while the word "heavy laden" calls to mind those who have been pressed down by a great weight. The reference here is to those who are struggling with sin and to those who are labouring under the bondage of religion and vain attempts at self-righteousness.
Jesus promised all those who came to Him that He would give them "rest". This word speaks of "quietness, calmness and refreshment." He promises to allow them to rest from their labours and their attempts at self-righteousness. He promises to save them fully and freely by grace alone without any works whatsoever.
B. The Call for Service - Verses 29-30
Three words sum up the call for service; “take,” “learn,” and “find.”
"Take my yoke upon you" Jesus said. Once we are saved, we are called to be harnessed to Him, to work alongside Him. He doesn’t force His yoke on us. The Lord invites us to come and share in His great work in this needy world.
It is apparent that Jesus expects us to get into the "yoke". The yoke was a wooden instrument that was placed around the neck of the ox and was then attached to the plough, the wagon, or whatever burden needed to be moved.
Jesus says that His yoke is easy. What does He mean? Is He saying that life lived under His will is a life of ease and perfection? No! You see, each yoke was carved in such a way that it perfectly fit the shoulders of the ox for which it was designed. Each yoke was as different from every other yoke as were the oxen who wore them.
What Jesus is saying is that "His yoke fits." When we surrender to the Lord and to His will for our lives, we can be confident that He has perfectly and individually designed your yoke just for you. He has made your life to be a perfect fit. That is why He can also say that His burden is light!
When we are surrendered to the Lord’s yoke and are pulling the burden He has designed for us, there will be satisfaction, even in the midst of trials and afflictions.
When a yoke is first placed on the shoulders of the ox, the ox will rebel against the yoke. It doesn’t quiet feel right. However, when he surrenders to the yoke and puts his shoulders to the task of pulling his burden, he finds that the yoke makes the job of pulling the burden much easier than it would have been.
There is a lesson here for you and me! We should all strive to yield to the yoke Jesus has designed for us to wear. It may not feel right when we are first exposed to it and we may want to buck and kick against it, but if we will surrender to it, we will find that it may actually make our lives easier than they would have been otherwise.
There are a bunch of the Lord’s oxen who try their best to wear another yoke. Some people who are saved try to wear the yoke of worldliness, but they will find that it doesn’t fit. Some try to wear the yoke that has been designed for someone else by trying to do things that Lord hasn’t called or gifted them to do, they, too, will find that the yoke doesn’t fit.
When we wear the wrong yoke, we will find ourselves exposed to unnecessary pain and bruising that could have been avoided by merely surrendering to our own individual yoke of service.
"Learn of Me"
The Jews rejected Jesus because He was meek and lowly. They didn’t want a meek King, they wanted a King that would destroy the Roman empire and make Jerusalem the capital of a new world governed by the Jews. They wanted a King who would humble their enemies in the dust and plant His feet on the neck of Israel’s foes.
They didn’t know who Christ was. During this time of reflection, we need to heed the words of Christ as He says, “Learn of me…” We need to learn to be like Him. Our development should be characterised by an ever growing grasp of the eternal.
"Ye shall find rest unto your souls…"
Rest is the true service for the King. True service does not involve anxiety, restless activity, constant pressure, endless deadlines, exhausting haste.
True, there is work to be done; there are things to be accomplished for God, but all acceptable service results from our rest in Him.
