The Devotional - 124 - Faith and Rest

Thought for the Day – 124 – Faith and Rest

Proverbs 3:5-7 – These verses of scripture are fresh in the minds of those who we fellowshipped with over this Labor Day Weekend, so is the thought of Faith and Rest. The personal heart/soul needs a rest or a safe haven from the world. If you are not depending on God by faith; this rest will not be a good experience. As trusting in the LORD is the only way though life where the bumps will be made smooth. Proverbs 18:10 and Psalm 61:1-4.

 

Comments and challenges

Have you noticed the world around us these days? Most people in my community are striving to survive. When we first arrived here in 2001 our residential street saw only a few cars daily. Now it is very busy, I am still able to walk the dogs in the morning after the rush hour, but I believe that when the new super store opens less than two miles from the house we will see another surge in traffic. The consciousness of God is not in the hearts and minds of people these days, thus our ability to seek peace has a different definition.

There are not but a few people today who can confidently say: “Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved… Psalm 62:1-2. As we continue to look at the gospel of Mark, we see in chapter 1:21-28 the movement of Marks heart as he observed the LORD Jesus Christ in His early ministry. Mark overheard the astonishment of the elders in the synagogue as Jesus taught.

Mark also observed the authority of Jesus and of the Word of God as Jesus with AUTHORITY over the synagogue teaching and the spirits of evil to obey Him. Now we could spend a volume of writing and time on healing, casting out demons and a host of other spiritual truths the gospel of Mark and the other gospels reveal, but this would be in the best interests of the devil and not the LORD. Jesus is God of heaven and earth; He is also the Creator, the Author and the finisher of FAITH therefore He is the BETTER conversation as the devil and his works are all counterfeit.

The striking difference: Notice… while all of the people of the synagogue observed the activity of the day we must remember that this day was not much different than any other Sabbath Day. The one difference, the LORD Jesus was there in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. He taught with the Authority of the Spirit of God, causing even the entrenched demons to obey Him; something that many of the priests of that day could not do. Read Malachi chapters 1 through 4 and see the condition of religious leadership in those days.

The doctrine of the gospel of God is not new yet we see that the people of this day were saying; “what is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him. I immediately see that the members of the synagogue knew that evil was present within their fellowship, but these folks had wandered away from the truth so far that they did not have the capable spiritual ability to rid their services of the demonic indwelling of certain members.

Also fame is not in the performance of individuals or in super natural acts that are quickly forgotten. In fact; FAME is not in the any person, note the response of Jesus in Luke 4:42-44. At the right moment Jesus leaves the crowd and went to a secluded place to fellowship with His Father, the crowd followed seeking to keep Him in their sights. I see this as another attempt of Satan to distract the LORD from His mission, yet this is the reply of Jesus.

“I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent” so Jesus continued to do His Fathers will, preaching the gospel of God throughout the cities and towns of Judea. God has provided that each of us should follow Jesus. To enjoy a faith that knows how to rest by abiding in truth, then with a willing and obedience heart, present the gospel with all authority in the Holy Spirit with power and through prayer.