What God is impressing on me for the new year
- Amber Miller: A Word of Truth
- January 22, 2018
- 1616
Rest and praise: Those are the two words that came to me during worship at the New Year’s Eve service at our church. It wasn’t an audible voice, but that still small voice whispered those words to me: rest and praise.
Due to the timing I sensed immediately that it was what God wanted me to personally focus on during the new year, but I also felt impressed that it was a word for the body of Christ for this upcoming year as well.
And focus on it I have. I’ve been rolling those words around in my mind ever since then, especially rest.
There are so many Christians, myself included, that need to be at rest. I’ve come a long way, but I still have a long way to go.
Now I’m not talking about getting more sleep at night, although sometimes that is needed. What I believe God meant by the word rest was not inactivity but rather resting in what Jesus has already done. It is a state of spiritual rest derived from trusting in the finished work of Christ, which then leads to emotional rest and physical well-being as well.
The body of Christ should not be as the rest of the world: anxious and stressed. God wants us to have a spirit of rest in whatever work we do or any situation that comes our way that attempts to threaten our peace. When situations arise, instead of allowing anxiety to rise up, God wants us to be at rest.
It is resting in what Jesus has already provided for us, not in our own actions. For every need that we have, he has already made the provision. There is not one thing that happens to us that catches God off guard. He doesn’t say, “I never saw that one coming.” No, he saw it all coming and already provided the supply for us through the precious blood of his son.
Second Peter 1:3 says, “As his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue.”
Knowing that Jesus has supplied all my needs allows me to rest and trust in him and his word, not in my own actions. Instead of having an attitude of “how do I get God to move on my behalf,” it is rather an attitude of “Jesus has already moved on my behalf to provide for all my needs, so what promise do I have through him over this situation?”
Instead of responding in fear and allowing our emotions to go crazy because of what they perceive in the natural, we should turn to what we know to be true in the spiritual realm and rest in that. The more we know him, the more we can trust him and be at rest. We have a good daddy that makes sure we are provided for. Philippians 4:19 says, “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Rather than being anxious and stressed, wondering how we are going to provide for that latest bill, how we can be healed when the doctor says it is impossible or whatever else we may be going through, God wants us to rest in him.
Now this may sound contradictory, but it does require effort to rest because we need to cast down all those thoughts and circumstances that try to get us anxious. We need to be diligent to enter that rest (Hebrews 4:11) by renewing our minds to what the word says. No one else can renew our minds for us. It is something only we can do.
We need to stop conforming to the world in our thinking but allow ourselves to be transformed by renewing our minds to what Jesus has provided for us (Romans 12:2). In order to renew our minds to God’s promises, we need to get in the word to know what those promises are.
I can personally say that since God spoke those words to me, the Holy Spirit has reminded me of them when a thought of lack or anxiousness has tried to take over. “Jesus is my supply” is a simple phrase I speak out that takes me back to that place of rest, knowing he is my source and I can trust him and his promises to me.
I would encourage you to do the same. When the enemy tries to get you anxious, boldly declare “Jesus is my supply. With him there is no lack.” Know that he has already provided for your needs and find a scripture that pertains to your situation. Speak out that promise and then rest in it. Allow his perfect peace to pour over you like a warm cup of soothing oil.
Amber can be reached at amberdeemiller32@gmail.com or through her AmberRiceMiller Facebook page.