Hi Pastor John,
I am working in Virginia today, and I spent the morning thinking on the reading from God Had a Son before Mary Did and what I felt last night.
I came into the meeting so exhausted. We have both been working very hard to do things to the new house so that we can move in. As I sat there last night, I could feel the rest that we were talking about. The real rest and the refreshing that comes from Jesus. I had to close my eyes and just breathe it in. I have spent this whole drive to Virginia letting it soak in how merciful and true what Jesus said he would give us really is. It is one thing to read about it but it is so wonderful to sit in that room and experience it as we go. I remember what living in this world did to me before Jesus came for me. I understand to some degree what Solomon felt and what he was so desperately longing for.
In the part called “The Spirit or the Flesh”, you quoted Paul: “But the fruit of God’s nature is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, faith, meekness, self control. Against such, there is no law.” Just reading that felt so good. Jesus once told me in 2012 that there was only the spirit and the flesh. He put that in my heart in the very beginning. Just that title stirs my heart.
And when we read “Filled Not Touched”, I felt the Amen! I thought of my recent visit with a dear relative of mine and some feelings I had after that visit. Just a touch is not enough. Jesus did not die for anyone to stop at just a touch.
I used to wonder if I would ever know how true the truth is, like Jerry talked about knowing. It brings tears to my eyes to realize somewhere along the way Jesus has been making sure I do. Somewhere along the way, he has put it in my heart.
I looked up some verses on rest, thinking about what I wanted to find, but what stood out to me most was these verses:
Isaiah 28:12 – “ . . to whom He said, ‘This is the rest with which you will cause the weary one to rest, and, This is the refreshing. Yet, they would not listen.’”
Prov. 6:10 – “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest . . .
Prov. 21:16 – “The one who wanders out of the way of understanding shall find rest in the congregation of the dead.
I am so thankful for God’s rest!
Beth D.