spurgeons rest: 4

Keep step with me, be as I am, do as I do. I am meek and lowly in heart; your heart must be like mine, and then we will work together in blessed fellowship, and you will find that working with me is a happy thing; for my yoke is easy to me, and will be to you.

rest after rest comes from loving the yoke shared with Jesus,

I guess right now I like it but I don't love it.

but it can be loved, for Christ bore this yoke: to love and love completely the sinner.

I can be like Christ, I can bear the yoke, I can love the yoke, not by my own accord, but because of a calling, an invitation.

face Him, and now walk.

And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear; for God has willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
We tremble not for him-
his rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure:
One little word shall fell him. 

the devil can take my joy, my rest, my peace

but he will never take my confidence:

he will never take my Christ.

and although i hold on to Christ for dear life as firmly as i can in desperation,

i realize that Christ holds on to me even tighter because of who i am to Him.

spurgeon's rest: 3

"He has given you rest, but have you found the innermost rest which he works in your hearts? 

it is yours, for it is included in the one gift; but it is not yours enjoyed, understood, and triumphed in as yet unless you have found it, for the rest here meant is a rest after rest, a spiritual, experienced rest, which comes only to those who find it by experience."

Jesus has invited me into the presence of God, into the throne room, but now do I wait with my shoes on in the outskirts or do I lay myself down and press into Him? 

rest after rest, it's not that rest has been unattainable, it's just that I haven't dug deep enough. to take off a yoke that has done nothing good for me and to accept His yoke which is light and to work for something worthwhile. rest. then to work for my Master and He gives me peace. rest after rest. 

on the right track, keep going.

spurgeon's rest: 2

it is only appropriate for the first trial of my sabbath to continue reading about what it is to rest.

If you want rest come to Christ in Gethsemane, to Christ on Calvary, to Christ risen, to Christ ascended.

If you want rest, O weary souls, ye can find it nowhere until ye come and lay your burdens down at his dear pierced feet, and find life in looking alone to him. There is the precept then. Observe it is nothing but that one word, "Come."

as i read this portion of the sermon, i wonder of what it means to practically live out the verb of "come." where to i run to? what direction do i head towards? should i read the bible first? maybe the devotional book first? pray when? before or after or maybe even during?

in the midst of my brainstorming i realized, whatever path i was deciding on, whatever choice i was weighing, nothing was fulfilling the purpose of "come."

if in my heart, there is an urge to begin with prayer, then pray. if there was a tug to read, then read. just go. jesus is already there.

You prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies

surely the Lord who sets up a place for me in the midst of my chaos can certainly find me in this time of peace.

it really just is a command of "come." as simple as it is direct. the only supplement to that command is the one who speaks it. come to me, says Jesus. Want to write a blog post of your thoughts? do it, and continue in My direction, have faith in Me.

hey look at that, one step towards You. let's take another.