Finding Spiritual Rest

We’ve been talking about the Sabbath in our sermons at church. So, where does the Holy Spirit come into play?

It’s during our Sabbath rest that we can focus on the Holy Spirit. During this time we allow ourselves to be who we truly are with God. There’s no sense in putting on airs because, after all, he made us and knows everything about us.

Jesus told the disciples that he was leaving a helper to be with us here on earth. That helper is the Holy Spirit. We can’t see him, but I think that I often feel him when he nudges me toward something the Father wants me to do. Sometimes he whispers in my ear, but if I’m not spending time in rest with him, I may not hear.

If we get too wrapped up in religion and the laws, we forget about the relationship with Christ. He paid the price for us and there is nothing we can do to earn it, because he gave it freely. No pride in earning it. God won’t love us any more because we work harder. He already loves us unconditionally.

We can look at the Israelites who wandered in the desert for 40 years looking for the Promised Land. Time after time they saw God produce miracle after miracle to provide what they needed. But again and again they turned back to worshiping idols. They even wanted to return to Egypt and the slavery they’d been freed from!

Sin can cause us to see things that are wrong look so right. That’s the deceitfulness of Satan. He tries to entice us to abandon God and fall for his trickery!

So, how can we defeat Satan in the games he plays? We need to encourage others when we see them struggling. If we blindly ignore what they do in sin as if it’s okay, aren’t we contributing to their condemnation?

But, it’s never too late for someone to enter the kingdom. Today is the day. Never give up on leading the lost to Christ.

• Stay awake to reality. Don’t daydream into sin.
• Read Scripture to follow Jesus. Read it every day. Better yet, read it and discuss it with others. We can learn so much in this way!
• Cultivate authentic spiritual friendships. Encourage each other. Build each other up, because if you fall, you’ll take others with you.

Be intentional about spending time with the Holy Spirit. Pray. Read. Ask. Listen. He is the helper that Jesus left for us!

In Faith,

Pam