CHRIST: THE PLACE OF ETERNAL REST

Christ is a place of eternal rest to those who have found Him. If you are in Christ, you have found rest. Even when the world around us is instigated to fury, and the forces of this world reveal their utmost power to cause great trouble or suffering, if you are well positioned in Christ, you absolutely have nothing to worry about.

Reference: Amos 5:29 New Living Translation (NLT) 'In that day you will be like a man who runs from a lion- only to meet a bear. Escaping from the bear, he leans his hand against a wall in his house- and he's bitten by a snake.'

The above Scripture is talking of perilous times. It says it is likened to when a man flees from a lion and thinks, 'now there's safety'. But immediately, after fleeing from the lion, a bear shows up. If a man suddenly escapes from a bear and finds a house as a hiding place, just as he's about to rest and relax against the walls of the house, a snake will announce its presence in the house and bite him.

This seems like very alarming situations because the Bible says that as he leans on the wall of the house, which is supposed to be his secure resting place, a serpent bites immediately. In other words, there's no guaranteed hiding place in the world. No promised place of safety with lasting and absolute certainty, as long as this world is concerned.

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3 (KJV), 'This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.' It's crisis upon crisis and there is no place to hide from calamities of the world except in Christ Jesus. Psalm 46:1 is a strong Scripture that reminds us that even in the face of trouble, God is our refuge and strength. It says, 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble'. The reality is that there will be difficult times, but God has offered us Himself as our refuge ahead of time. In the extremity of turmoil, God has proved Himself the refuge and strength of His people; a very present help in trouble.

In the world, we encounter both visible and invisible enemies and pestilence from time to time, even though the world itself and its systems have done a lot to give solutions to mankind. Many technologies, smart devices and machines have been invented to advance the world in the most possible way. Yet they are there as solutions for a moment because those solutions can never last forever. Why? This is because everything we see in this world today is designed to function on a temporary basis except the hand of God.

In Mark 13:31 (NIV), God assures, 'Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away'. Jesus is also addressed as the Word of God in John 1:1. So flee to Him because He is the only permanent solution to mankind in every area of life. Whatever you are leaning on, if it is not the Word of God, there is a serpent called the devil just around the corner, looking for means to afflict and devour. If you think that you have found a solution outside Christ, he will bite and the condition may worsen. Stop leaning on the temporary walls, rather lean on the solid rock which can never be shaken. His Name is Jesus, the same yesterday, today and forever.

Outside Christ there is no rest because the world is full of uncertainty and devil is always on the move to cause havoc. The same devil can appear as a bear. He can also appear as a snake because His duty is to function as a roaring lion, a bear and a snake, seeking whom he may devour (see 1 Peter 5:8). However, in Matthew 11:28 (NIV), Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Therefore, run to Christ today, and secure your place of eternal rest.

Scripture Reading - 2 Samuel 22:3; Psalm 61:3; Lamentation 3:40; Isaiah 55:7; Proverbs 18:10; James 4:8.

Exuberant Declaration: I belong in a domain of perfect safety and I function from the place of rest, and that place is Christ Jesus. I am secure in times of trouble because Christ is the solid rock in whom there's flow of eternal rest. In Him I live, move, and have my being. And in Him, I'm immune to disease, evil happenings and corrupting influences of this world; therefore, I can never function in restlessness, come what may. Praise God!