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