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T
he devout disciple is often perplexed at
the apparent contradiction between
promise and experience. The teaching of Jesus
is unequivocal- “And all things whatsoever ye
ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”
Yet who has not prayed unavailingly
for the life of one beloved? Who
has not sought for the solution
of one of life’s problems
which persistently eludes
the grasp? Continually, the
mind is thrown back upon
the Lord’s promise: “Ask,
and it shall be given you.”
The experience of Jesus in
Gethsemane perhaps best illus-
trates the divine method of fulfilment.
“With strong crying and tears,” Jesus prayed
that the cup of suffering might pass. He asked
what every fibre of human love would have
striven to give. It is impossible to believe that
the Father’s heart was not wrung at the Son’s
agony, yet the answer was not release, but an
adjustment of outlook to the divine perspec-
tive. His viewpoint, temporarily beclouded
by suffering, was cleared by
strengthening angels. Before him
opened a glorious vista of
salvation- of life and joy
unspeakable for all his
brethren. In the realisation
of the ultimate victory of
love, he went forward to
death unfalteringly.
God did not impose His will on
His son; He attuned His Son’s will
to His eternal purpose. Thus many
prayers are answered, not by giving what our
weakness craves, but by bestowing what we
really need.
“Ask, and it shall be given you”
“And this is the
confidence that we
have in Him, that
if we ask anything
according to His will,
He heareth us.”
T
he Lord God did His work of creating all of
creation in six days, and on the seventh
day He rested from all His precious works
(Genesis 1:31-2:2). He then blessed this day
and made it holy, because God had Himself
rested on that day (2:3). God knew that man
would want to rest.
He gave this rest to the Israelites at Mount
Sinai through the man who led them from
Egypt- Moses. The Israelites were given a
Sabbath rest. They were to remember to
observe this day, keeping it holy (Exodus 20:8-
11). None of them were to do any work on this
day, nor do any cooking. From that time, some
people have claimed to be Sabbath keepers.
But do they really understand this rest? Are
those claiming to keep this day holy doing it
in the right manner? I don’t think so.
We may be aware of the Sabbath but still
fail to comprehend this set-apart day. The
Israelites were given this day to fully
remember how God brought them out of
Egypt. But did the Israelites actually rest from
their day-to-day troubles? No, spiritually they
could not since “The rest is not yet.” So there
still remains a true Sabbath rest? Yes, the
Jewish Sabbath was just a shadow of what is
yet to come, the rest promised to believers by
Christ (Colossians 2:16-17). This tells us that
the Law of Moses was done away by Christ
once-for-all. This includes Sabbath keeping;
we are of Christ and look forward to the
spiritual rest in the kingdom to come (Hebrews
10:1).
When Jesus returns, he is going to confirm a
people of his choice at his resurrection. He
will make the world a better place. Good
people who will be found worthy to be in his
kingdom will then rest from all their works
just as God did from His. “Let us therefore
strive to enter that rest which is awaiting us”
(Hebrews 4:10-11).
What a time it will be, resting from the
world’s troubles, from today’s stressful works.
Indeed it will be the greatest time, an
excellent Sabbath for us.
The Rest Is Not Yet (Hebrews 4:8-11)
| Bro Chrivious Chimka (Mazabuka, Zambia)