Growing in Jesus - lesson 1 "Our place of rest and answers"

          Growing in Jesus

               Our place of rest and answers

     Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him. - Matt. 6:8 

     Read Matthew 6:5-15

     So many times we find ourselves in hard circumstances or overwhelming circumstances or situations that we just don’t have an answer to. Often we don’t even know what we should ask for that would actually change or fix things. 

     Our Father knows what we need before we ask. He knows what we need before we know what to ask.

 
 Three points we feel when we get in these situations

              1. We want to fix our problems.  (We just want to jump in and fix everything the way we think they should be fixed)

               2. We want to make statements that we think will clear up the situation.    (We are always right in our own mind and want to just make a simple solution that everyone should just agree with and accept)

               3. We don’t know how to make our side or position heard or to show that we are right.    (We think our answer will fix everything if people would just understand us)

     We just want to make our situation more understandable so that others know what we are trying to say and try as we might,  everything just gets overwhelming and our voice doesn’t carry the day.   - Verse 6 is our great encouragement.  “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”

     This means that if we don’t know what to do. If we don’t know what to say. If we don’t know how to fix things and our voices do nothing but fail us, it means that we don’t need an outward voice or to even know what to ask besides the word help. The secret, quiet, room is our place where every answer is given and every help obtained. Not with persuasive words or many words, but with a humble heart coming before the Lord who already knows the solution to what we don’t even know how to ask. He has the answers. He has the solution. He will carry us through and take care of every challenge. And He will give us a way to move forward. This does not mean that we will have no part in the answers that He has for us and that He will do everything without us. It means that He will show us the way and guide us through every difficult challenge and help us to overcome with His help.      (Many times we find that the change must take place in us and the overwhelming situation was straight from the Lord's hand to cause more of the dross to be refined out of us. the Lord never wastes any situation we are in. He is always using everything to train us up to be more like Him.)

     The beautiful thing about the secret place with the Lord is that He already knows why you are there. You need no convincing arguments to bring Him to your side on an issue. You don't have to tell your story one more time to someone who has no ability to help but will try to pass you on to someone else who can. HaHa! There are no middle men and no skeptics who won't believe you. Only the Father, who cares about you and already knows what is going on better than you do. Anxiety is having no one who listens or understands you... with Jesus there is no anxiety over these things. Amazing isn't it. This is the place of real peace and refuge where the answers are to be found and to obtain the peace that passes understanding. And the best part is we all can go to it! No one is excluded! Our heavenly Father is glad to have the same relationship with you as He has with me! We are all free to get as close to Him as we possibly can!


     Spend some time just grabbing hold of this thought. You can have as sweet a relationship with our Heavenly Father as you possibly can. All you have to do is go to Him. He is there waiting for you. He is longing to be your peace and rest and comfort. Don't wait and seek everything else but Him, for your help and comfort and peace. It will only delay real peace and the things you run to for peace besides the Lord will always lead you into new lows and despairs. They seem to comfort for a moment and then their true affects begin. Nothing in this world can take the place of our Heavenly Father, not people, places, things, or experiences. But we can all have our Heavenly Father if we will go to Him.

               Application

_  Take some time to pour out your heart before the Lord. Bring Him your questions and your troubles, but     also bring Him the things you don’t know to ask. He has a solution to the things we don’t know how to ask about.

_  Share at least one thing that the Lord spoke to you about while you were praying.




       God bless!     -Seth

A City Set On A Hill

     You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck-measure, but on the lamp stand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven. - Matt. 5:14-16

                    A city set on a hill

     It’s funny that we think we can pick and choose when and where we will shine the light of Christ. Maybe we will talk to that person over there or lead by example in that group over there but the reality is that a light is meant to be always in the open. 

     As I drive up our road to our house on the hill, here on PEI, I have been excited that the first thing you see is a sign saying PEI Bible Institute. It is set on a hill for all to see and as we step into these dark days ahead, just driving home will remind me that my place is to be visible to all. Not hiding or trying to slip around unnoticed by the world, but rather, openly stating who I belong to. Am I a child of the Living God? Yes, He is my Father! One of the most amazing things the Lord has been teaching me lately is that there are several reasons Jesus died for us on the cross, but one of the most amazing reasons is that He was proud of His Heavenly Father and wanted to show the world that every Word that the Father has given to men is true and that we can follow them even unto death and be raised up from there. Jesus wanted men to know that they could trust their Heavenly Father in all things and that He was faithful! Are we that proud of our Heavenly Father that we also would set out to show the world that He is faithful and true? Will we lay our lives down that Jesus might have more fruit for His death? Will we make Jesus’ heart glad today? 

     I was marveling that Jesus says that every seed bears like seed when it grows up and if Jesus laid His life down to be the seed that would spring up in me, then I will actually become just like Him someday. There will be nothing else I could possibly grow into because it is His seed that has been planted in my heart! 

     Will we be lights today that will not tolerate being covered? Will we just try to choose where we will shine once in a while or will we be unashamed of Jesus and be a light that guides all who see us, to their Savior! 

                God bless!