The
back of this Angel Food Card says: There are times in all our lives when we feel we’ve fought
and fought and don’t know what to do next.
The
winds of adversity just don’t seem to let up. We think surely there will be a “lull
in the storm” but it doesn’t seem to come.
What
can we do at a time like this? We can’t seem to go forward and there is danger if we fall
back.
So,
when we’ve done all we can to stand, we just: STAND SOME MORE!
(Ephesians 6:13)
I
was praying for some of my friends who seemed to be in this very place when the Lord reminded me of
His 7-Year Rest.
Is
this your 7th year and you are still pushing and pulling and plowing up the ground? Have
some of God’s children worked so hard that they are ready to sing this old song?
♫Oh
land of Rest, for thee I sigh!
When
will the moment come?
When
I shall lay my armor by,
And
dwell in peace at Home?♫
This
song, “We’ll Work Till Jesus Comes” was written by Elizabeth Miles, a young
woman who lived from 1805-1829. She was only 24 when she went to Heaven. Surely she was a
hard worker and this song must have been the theme of her life.
But
when our Lord shows us that there is a time and season for all things, I pray that we each have ears
to hear. There is a reason for Him to say, LET THE LAND REST every SEVEN years.
“But
in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD:
thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. (Leviticus 25:4)
“That
which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of
thy vine undressed: [for] it is a year of rest unto the land.” (Leviticus
25:5).
I don’t know who this is for but you will know when you read it. My first thought is of
my missionary friends and friends in special ministries for our Lord. They have pushed and pushed
and pushed with all their might in total dedication to the Word of God that says, “Go ye into all
the world and preach the Gospel.”
They
have searched diligently every avenue that could be His desire. They have worked faithfully night
and day to promote God’s message of love, healing, and deliverance. They have worn their
armor; faced and conquered many physical and spiritual battles. They have won many souls for the
Kingdom of God. They have searched God’s very heart and followed His path. They
have fought the winds of adversity and are still standing by His might, but may feel like they are “barely
standing.”
Could
it be that their land needs to rest? Is it their season for their 7 year rest? How many 7th years
have they passed over and not allowed this refurbishing of the land…their land…themselves?
As
the land rests, so does the farmer. He doesn’t stop living. He just stops plowing for
one year. As the land is being refreshed so is the farmer. He doesn’t run and play
at this time and forget about the land…but the spiritual farmer takes this time to Rest in the
Lord. To be at Peace with God and allow God to do His part in restoring the Farmer and the Land.
GOD – BIG
GOD – FATHER GOD is back on the scene . His people need to learn how to Rest in Him now
and expect Him to do Great Things. To sit back, relax, and watch God work the land.
To
do this, one must TRUST God completely. They must have faith that He is in control of all things;
that He knows what He is doing. We have plowed, planted, and watered the seed. Now we must
sit back and watch the Hand of God as He hovers over the earth.
This
is a season, I believe, when we must enter His Rest as never before. To be aware of the moves
of God, we must know His Word. He will reveal many of His desires to us as we refrain from
plowing for a season and just sit on the front porch swing with Him, fellowshipping with Him and allowing
His Holy Spirit to console us, encourage us, and show us His Plans for our individual lives, the church,
and His Return.
The
world has become a whirlwind. Like a giant tornado, people are being pushed here and there, not
really where they want to go, but by the circumstances of their lives. Communication and information
is so abundant, it nearly overwhelms us. Speeding cars and even faster planes, childrens’ school
activities, and organizations that everyone is pushed into joining. It’s all a ploy to push
us so fast that we have no time for quiet Rest in the presence of our Lord. We are so use
to these things and the approval of man, that we have forgotten how to say, “No.”
We
just keep plowing, trying to run ahead of the wind. It’s an impossible challenge. We
must find a place to STOP this insanity. We must remember HOW to chose priorities for our families
and not feel pushed to join every natural or even religious organization that reaches out to either
our ego or our heart. This is NOT wisdom.
NO. I
think the time has come for many of us to Enter His Rest and watch God work. We need to simplify
our lives so that we have Time with Him. Our time with Him personally should become our priority. There
are things He wants to tell and show us about what HE is doing in the LAND.
When
God says PLOW…we PLOW. When He says let the land Rest…we REST. No
matter where we are…even in the middle of a big ministry with many people depending on us. I
pray that we can walk in an Attitude of Rest…which shows that we are allowing God to prepare
the land. We watch HIM work and we Praise Him for what we see Him doing.
When
we know by His Word and in our spirits that God has asked us to let the land rest for a year…then
we have NO GUILT about NOT PLOWING. The winds around us will settle down. And no matter what
is going on in the world around us and in our daily lives, we will remain sheltered in the Rock…in
the palm of His Hand.
I
don’t mean that we stop living. Oh no. We will continue in our daily lives, but there
will be a fresh peace about our lives because we have been given PERMISSION and even DIRECTION, to
ENTER HIS REST.
If
you’ve never experienced your 7 Year Rest, perhaps you can take advantage of it today. May
God’s will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. May we STAND STILL and WATCH the salvation
of the Lord as HE replenishes us and our individual field.
When
the fields are ripe unto Harvest, just be ready for those the Lord is bringing to you. The Plowing
has been completed for this season. Admire the Work of the Lord. See the Hand of God in every
situation around you. Fill yourself daily with His Love and His Word so that those He sends to
you may be gathered.
HE
is the Lord of the Harvest and He and His angels are coming soon to gather the wheat. Just Be
Ready…by watching the signs of the times, expecting His Glory, and looking for His Return.
The
plowing I am referring to is the pushing, digging, struggles in our minds and spirits. As the
slaves on the plantations years ago sang about Poor Ole Joe, “Lay down the shovel and the hoe. There’s
no more work for Poor Ole Joe. He’s gone
where the good people go.” [My dad who was raised on a plantation use to sing this to me.]
We
don’t have to go to Heaven before we put down our shovel and hoe. We can have Heaven on
Earth, if we will simply hand our shovels and hoes over to God now…and TRUST Him to complete
the work HE has begun in us and for us.
We
have permission and direction to ENTER HIS REST this year.
In Exodus 14:13-14, Moses said to
the people, Fear ye not, STAND STILL, and see the salvation of the Lord…. The Lord shall
fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
So,
if this is your 7th Year of Rest, what will you be doing? You’ll be like the
little girl at the top of this page…standing on the Promises of God.
Reviewing them and cherishing them
and allowing your faith to rise. You will go about life as usual, except something will be different. Your
eyes will be more on God than yourself as you Watch Him Work and move on your behalf…while you
Rest in His Grace. Whatever you do, will be much easier…because you have permission to
rest in Him at any time, since …this is Your Year.
[At
the end of receiving this message…I felt the Lord smile and say,
“Now, you go and do likewise,
Gwen.” So I did. And I had the most marvelous easy day. I saw God’s
hand moving everywhere I went. I don’t understand all of this myself…but God always
has a Purpose. I felt like the girl in the swing below.]
