Be Anxious for Nothing: The Art of Casting Your Cares and Resting in God
Page 7
We are living in the times these Scriptures describe.
In verse 11 after Paul describes the persecutions and sufferings he endured, he then states, out of them all the Lord delivered me. He continues:
Indeed all who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution [will be made to suffer because of their religious stand].
But wicked men and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and leading astray others and being deceived and led astray themselves.
But as for you, continue to hold to the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced, knowing from whom you learned [them].
2 TIMOTHY 3:12-14
In chapter 4 Paul starts to explain what our response to living in this kind of atmosphere and situation should be. He says:
Herald and preach the Word! Keep your sense of urgency [stand by, be at hand and ready], whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. [Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome, you as preacher of the Word are to show people in what way their lives are wrong.] And convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging and encouraging them, being unflagging and inexhaustible in patience and teaching.
For the time is coming when [people] will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching [for something pleasing and gratifying], they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold,
And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions.
2 TIMOTHY 4:2-4
There are people with “itching ears” in the church today. If they hear teaching that doesn’t suit them, they won’t listen to it. Instead of stopping to check with their heart to see if it is right, they find someone who teaches what they want to hear and go there.
Sometimes people in counseling have “itching ears.” They want someone to counsel them who will tell them what they want to hear. If the person counseling them tells them the truth, they don’t go back. It is very dangerous to not listen to truth — to teaching and counsel based on God’s Word!
Paul admonishes us to keep our sense of urgency in preaching the Word, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging and encouraging people, to convince them where their lives are wrong, so that they won’t move further away from the truth.
In verse 5, Paul tells us what our response is to be to all the trouble in the world, all the trouble in our lives, the people that are hard to deal with or hard to bear:
As for you, be calm and cool and steady, accept and suffer unflinchingly every hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully perform all the duties of your ministry.
This is a glorious Scripture! As for you, be calm and cool and steady.
Our response to trouble is to be, “I am to be calm, cool and collected”!
When trouble starts in someone’s life, the first thing they usually do is run around wildly, saying, “What can I do, what can I do, what can I do?” They react immediately in the flesh instead of seeking the Lord for direction.
I call this “a wild spirit”! They start doing all sorts of different things, reacting emotionally rather than remaining calm, cool, and steady and acting in accordance to the leading of the Holy Spirit. They start rebuking devils. Then they say, “I know what I’ll do — I’ll fast for two weeks. I’ll get ten people from church over here, and we’ll pray and pull these strongholds down.”
Sometimes God does have us do such things, but we need to make sure we are acting in obedience to the leading of the Lord and not just reacting out of emotion. We must remember that works not energized by God are “dead works” and do not produce any good result.
THE WARFARE OF REST
Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].
EPHESIANS 6:13
We are to take a stand, after having done all in our power that God has led us to do. When faced with challenges, there are things we are to do.
But we must realize what we do to overcome one crisis may not be what we are to do to handle the next crisis that arises. The reason it may not work the second time is that the solution to the problem is not in the procedure, it is in the power — which God gives us to accomplish what He directs us to do.
God uses different methods for different people and in different situations. One time Jesus healed a blind man by spitting on the man’s eyes and then laying hands on Him, twice. (Mark 8:22-25.) Another time He healed a man blind from birth by spitting on the ground and making mud which He rubbed on the man’s eyes and sent him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. (John 9:1-7.) On another occasion He healed a blind man by simply speaking a word. (Mark 10:46-52.)
It was not any of the methods Jesus used that opened the blind eyes of these men so they could see. The thing that brought their healing was the power of God flowing through Jesus. The different methods were simply the different means used by Jesus to release the faith within each person to whom He ministered.
The key to unleashing the power of God is faith.
NO FAITH, NO REST
For indeed we have had the glad tidings [Gospel of God] proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith (with the leaning of the entire personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) by those who heard it.…
For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter that rest, in accordance with His declaration that those [who did not believe] should not enter when He said, As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest; and this He said although [His] works had been completed and prepared [and waiting for all who would believe] from the foundation of the world.
HEBREWS 4:2,3
In order to release our faith and activate the power of God on our behalf, sometimes we must fast and pray. At other times we must speak forth the Word of God over ourselves or our situation. Sometimes we must rebuke the devil and command him to depart in the name of Jesus. But whatever the Lord may lead us to do, it will do us no good if we do not remain in the rest of God, because if we are not abiding in His rest, we are not operating in true faith.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. None of the methods we use mean anything if they are not mixed with faith.
According to Hebrews 4:2, 3, rest is a place. I believe it is the secret place spoken of in Psalm 91:1. That secret place is the presence of the Lord. When we are in that secret place, we don’t have to worry or fret or have any anxiety. We don’t have to try to figure out everything. Our flesh may be screaming at us to do something, but we can remain calm, cool, and steady. We don’t have to get wild. We can relax and be secure knowing that in the presence of the Lord there is joy, peace, and rest.
PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD
Moses said to the Lord, See, You say to me, Bring up this people, but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You said, I know you by name and you have also found favor in My sight.
Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You [progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, perceiving and recognizing and understanding more strongly and clearly] and that I may find favor in Your sight. And [Lord, do] consider that this nation is Your people.
And the Lord said, My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.
EXODUS 33:12-14
When Moses complained to God that He had not let him know whom He was going to send with him on his mission, he asked Him to show him His way so he could get to know Him better.
The Lord then assured Moses His presence would be with him and give him rest. This was considered by God to be a great privilege. To Him, it was all that Moses needed.
What was true for Moses is true for us. As much as we would like to know God’s plans and ways for us, all we really need to know is that His presence will be with us wherever He sends us and in whatever He gives us to do.
Moses had a big job on his hands, so naturally he was concerned about it, just as we are concerned about what God has called us to do in our lives. But all Moses needed was the knowledge and assurance God would go with him and help him. That is all we need to know too.
With all the challenges in our ministry as we try to bring hope and healing to others, sometimes we are tempted to get upset and bothered. But the Lord has taught us to remain calm, cool, and steady. He has shown us we must be adaptable and keep our eyes on Him, not on our plans. If things don’t work out the way we want them to, we have to stay relaxed and trust Him to show us what to do.
When something goes wrong with our plan, often we are tempted to say, “Well, that does it! Now my plan is ruined!” If it was God Who ruined our plan, we had the wrong plan to begin with. If it was the devil who ruined our plan, the Lord will give us another plan, one that will be ten times better than the one that failed.
Too often when things don’t work out just as we want them to, we start rebuking the devil. Yes, we do have authority over the devil. But what good does it do us to rebuke Satan and get wild and emotionally distraught? Psalm 91:1 tells us that he who dwells in the secret place of the Lord will remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty, Whose power no foe can withstand.
Too often in the midst of our troubles we talk to the wrong person. Instead of getting all upset and rebuking the devil every time something goes wrong, we need to learn to turn to the Lord and say, “Father, You are my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on You I lean and rely, and in You I confidently trust.”
THE PROMISES DEPEND ON THE PRESENCE
For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
[Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.…
For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].
PSALM 91:3-6,11
Verses 1 and 2 of Psalm 91 speak of the person who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, who claims the Lord as his Refuge and Fortress, and who leans, relies, and confidently trusts in Him.
The rest of the psalm (verses 3 though 16) then goes on to list all the promises of God’s provision and protection. I have listed only a few of them here. We will look at the rest of these blessings more carefully in Chapter 5 of this book.
In The Amplified Bible there is a footnote at the bottom of the page on which Psalm 91 appears, which reads: “The rich promises of this whole chapter are dependent upon one’s meeting exactly the conditions of these first two verses (see Exodus 15:26).” What are the conditions of these first two verses? Basically, they are that we stay in rest.
You and I need to be delivered from the “wild spirit” that so often motivates us to lose our self-control so that we say and do things that cause pain and problems for us as well as for others. We need to remember that the promises of the Lord depend upon the presence of the Lord, which is always accompanied by the peace of the Lord.
PRACTICING THE PEACE OF THE LORD
Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]
JOHN 14:27
Just before He was to go to the cross, Jesus told His disciples He was leaving them a gift — His peace. After His resurrection, He appeared to them again, and the first thing He said to them was, …Peace to you! (John 20:19). To prove to them Who He was, He showed them His hands and His side, and then said to them once more, …Peace to you!…(v. 21). Eight days later, He again appeared to them, and again His first words to them were, …Peace to you! (v. 26).
Obviously Jesus intends for His followers to live in peace despite what may be going on around them at the time. What He was saying to His disciples — and to us — is simply, “Stop allowing yourselves to be anxious, worried, and upset.”
In Psalm 42:5, the psalmist asks, Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God. In verse 11 of that psalm he says basically the same thing: Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
When we begin to become cast down and disquieted within, we need to hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, Who is our Help and our God.
When we begin to lose our peace, we need to remember our place.
OUR PLACE
But God — so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us,
Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation).
And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
EPHESIANS 2:4-6
Where is our place? In Christ Who, according to Ephesians 1:20, is seated at the right hand of God the Father in heavenly places. The fact that Jesus is seated is a key issue. If you and I are in Him, and He is seated, then we should be seated also.
In many biblical references to Jesus following His ascension, Jesus is depicted as being seated. (Ephesians 1:20; 2:6; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3,13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22; Revelation 4:2.)
Let’s look at a couple of these instances because they reveal to us Jesus’ place, which determines our place since we are in Him.
JESUS’ PLACE
He [Jesus] is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high.…
Besides, to which of the angels has He [God] ever said, Sit at My right hand [associated with Me in My royal dignity] till I make your enemies a stool for your feet?
HEBREWS 1:3,13
Here we see not only the nature of Jesus as the Word of God, and the role of Jesus as the Upholder, Sustainer, and Redeemer of the universe, we also see the place of Jesus — at the right hand of God on high.
Although it was never hard for me to believe Jesus was seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, it was a revelation to me to learn it was God Who made the devil into a footstool. I had always thought it was my job to put Satan in his place.
SATAN’S PLACE
Then the devil who had led them astray [deceiving and seducing them] was hurled
into the fiery lake of burning brimstone, where the beast and false prophet were; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (through the ages of the ages).
REVELATION 20:10
I realize by speaking forth the Word of God in faith we can vocalize authority over the devil. Jesus has given us authority over Satan, and sometimes we need to give expression to that authority. There are times when we need to “put the devil in his place” by saying, “No, I’m not going to listen to you because you are a liar!” But at the same time, we need to recognize we are not the ones who exercise ultimate power and authority over the enemy.
It helped me to understand that when Jesus ascended into heaven, He was greeted there by His Father Who said to Him, “Welcome, My Son. Well done. Your work is finished. Sit here at the right hand of My throne until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
Who are the feet of Christ? We are. We are the Body of Christ, which includes His feet. That means although Jesus has given us power and authority over the devil and his demons on this earth, in the end it is God Himself Who is ultimately going to take away from Satan every bit of his power and send him to his final place of eternal punishment.
SEATED WITH CHRIST
Whereas this One [Christ], after He had offered a single sacrifice for our sins [that shall avail] for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,