the ABCs of rest

"Come to Me," says Jesus, "and I will give you rest."
What do we need rest from?

Anger & Bitterness – some people carry them for a life-time and miss living; let it go, forgive, "just as God in Christ also has forgiven you (Eph 4:32).”
Competitive spirit – do your best by all means, but do it only for God and not for man; man is hard to please.

Depression – don’t talk to that emo spirit, talk to God; don’t get moody, get help.
Envy – “godliness with contentment is great gain” (I Tim 6:6).
Fruitless works of the flesh – “walk by the Spirit” (Gal 5:16); don't serve in programs, serve people in the power of God.

Guilt – living in guilt is nailing yourself to the cross; Jesus has already done that (Col 2:14) so STOP IT!
Haughtiness of spirit – it's not attractive or cool; try "humility of mind."
Insecurity – don't use people, and don't let people use you, it's pathetic! Remember there are those who need you simply because they can’t be home alone on a Friday evening.

Judgmental attitude – chances are what you can't stand in others may be the exact log in your own eyes; remove it!
Knowledge – knowledge don’t solve problems in life; wisdom that comes from the fear of the Lord does.
Laziness & procrastination – “Let your yes be yes and your nay nay”, respect yourself, respect others.

Money, money, money – don't love money for it makes a good slave but a ruthless taskmaster; love God.
NO Passion for the things of God – what can I say? Ask God to soften your heart, cry and beat your chest if you need to, fast and pray.

Quarrelsome spirit – winning an argument doesn't make you a winner; on the other hand, “the gentle . . . shall inherit the earth” (Mat 5:5).
Restlessness & Strife – filling your schedule with busyness and rushing around only gives you ulcer and heart problems; slowing down and staying still before God rewards you with His quiet strong voice.

Tiredness, Unhealthy living – “You have been bought with a price” (1 Cor 6:19-20), your body is not yours; so sleep early, eat colorful food, put on your running shoes, breathe, laugh, live, honor God.
Vanity – “Is everyone looking at me?” No, everyone is always looking only at himself or herself.

Worrying, and trying to live up to X-pectations – look at the birds of the air (the Bird Park near my home is not bad) and the flowers of the field (they’re everywhere in Singapore, did you notice?); seek God’s kingdom, don’t seek men’s approval.
Saying “Yes” to every project, position, power-lunch, "Pleeeese-help-me" phone call – try saying “No”; you'd be surprised it won’t kill you or anyone (in fact most people who push and pull really don’t care).

So . . .
When we rest – stop, cease – from things that hold, halt and hinder us,
We shall experience true ZZZZ.
Not the kind that stops rudely in the middle of the night,
And gives us eye bags and broken dreams.
But the Rest that Jesus – "gentle and humble in spirit" – gives
To anyone – "weary and heavy-laden”,
"Come to Me," calls the Master.
“And you will find rest for your soul” (Mt 11:28-30).

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER?

Reflections from Gen 26-33

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER?
For Jacob, it was TWO.
Position: Second son
Favorite sport: 2-timing others
Modus operandi: get God’s favor but, just in case, have a plan B
Greatest Romance: Rachel, daughter no. 2
Price for love: 7 x 2 years
Ended up with: 2 wives
To keep wives happy: 2 concubines
Work ethics: job sucks, wait 20 years!
Finally resigned: but sneaked out via back staircase 2
Met God’s angels halfway: named the camp Mahanaim (“2”)
Finally courageously faced Esau: but, wait a minute, let’s divide my family into 2
Peace offering to brother?: No surprise - 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, . . . .

WHAT’S GOD’S FAVORITE NUMBER?
For Jacob, it was ONE.
Never mind he was no. 2, God meant for him to be one.
Met him alone at Bethel, Wrestled with him one on one at Peniel.
Showed him one dream, built him one ladder,
Gave him one, “I am with you.”
One dislocated hip, one permanent limp
To show him God's blessings doesn't need a back-up plan.
No “just in case,:
No “I must help myself.”
Mr. Double (Jacob: schemer) must become Mr. Single (Israel: power with God alone),
"Love the Lord your God with ALL,"
Or you don't love the Lord at all.

WHAT’S JESUS’ FAVORITE NUMBER?
For us, it’s also usually ONE.
Matt 18:9 “It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.”
Mark 10:21 "One thing you lack: . . . come, follow Me."
Luke 10:41-42 “. . . but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, . . . ."
Luke 8:45 “Who is the one who touched Me?"

WAS IT NECESSARY?

I love the word “Convergence”.
It means things will come to a conclusion. A good conclusion. A conclusion that finally makes sense.

Take Joseph the dreamer.
At seventeen, he had his first dreams
Of being bowed down to by his kin.
But he was young. He lacked sensitivity or grace or discernment.
He was a raw deal dressed in varicolored finery.
He couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his life.

Then he was stuffed into a sack, shipped to Egypt, sexually harassed, sent to prison.
And in a dank and hopeless place, convergence happened.
Pharaoh’s staff had dreams and bunked with the dreamer.
He told them about their vision but they – or the one who was left - didn’t tell about him.
Not till two full years later when Pharaoh had, not one, but two nightmares.
This time, the dreamer not only explained the dreams,
He had the sensitivity and grace and discernment
To talk sense to the king.
He didn't keep his mouth shut to save his life.

And there we have it - convergence.
The prisoner rose to the rank of prime minister.
The gift that landed him into hot soup made him cool.
A famine became Egypt's claim to fame.
A disaster orchestrated God’s divine plan for deliverance for His covenanted people.

In the study of Joseph (Gen 37 ff), I had many“Was it necessary?” moments.

Was it necessary for Jacob's favorite boy to grow up away from home?
I guess so if the 17 year-old would one day be greater than all his elders.

Was it necessary to put innocent and handsome Joseph through 13 years of wilderness experience, 13 years of waiting, and wondering "Is this necessary?"? (He appeared before Pharaoh at 30 years old.)
I suppose so.
Perhaps it does take this long for one to settle down. Sort out bitterness. See how God meant everything in his life for good.
This long to learn to let go. Let God.
Let convergence take its place.

How about you? Do you face "Is it necessary"s in your life?
Take a tip from Joseph.
He was given up, but he never gave up.
He took the hard road, he refused to compromise
Even though compromise would have been easier, more pleasurable.
He held on - even if it was to just a prison chain, he waited for his time and chance,
He knew convergence would happen.

FIGHT AND WIN

JACOB WAS A BORN FIGHTER.

He was stubborn enough to cling to heels (Gen 25:22-23),
Skillful enough to steal blessings, with mere stew (Gen 25: 31),
Sly enough to lie and win Daddy's blessings (Gen 27),
Slick enough to outwit Laban, the deceptor of all time,
And strong enough to outrun time to chase after lost loves and missed chances (Gen 29).

Then he went to Wrestling School (Gen 32:24)
And, for the first time, the survivor was outplayed.
But he was the born fighter, he refused to lose.

And so he outlasted his opponent.
By being stubborn enough to finish the race, what with a dislocated socket,
Skillful enough to not let go of his only Chance of beating the game of life,
Sly enough to face up to his frailties,
Slick enough to dodge his own deceptions,
And strong enough to cling on to the heels of God’s time and chance.

What's your battle today?
Don't let go. Cling. Cling stubbornly.
Don't give up. Fight.
Let the injuries come. But fight and win.
Don't run away. Run.
Arms outstretched,
Face in the wind,
Free.

Rebekah schemed to cheat her husband and first son, Esau. She won the game but lost her second son, Jacob, forever (she never saw him again after he left).
Jacob lied through his teeth to his own old man, Isaac. He was lied to [and suffered for 20 years] by another old man, Laban.
The deceiver masqueraded as the first-born to steal from his older brother. He was tricked into marrying another first-born who masqueraded as her younger sister.
Leah went along with Dad to rip-off the “first wife” position. She would learn for the rest of her life that one cannot steal love, nor have first place in a heart that belongs to another.

We reap what we sow.
By the mercy of God, we may be forgiven, we may get the chance to start over.
We may even grow through our mistakes.
But we will face some consequences.

Don't try to cheat with numbers.
It usually doesn't add up.

ON THE NIGHT JACOB WRESTLED WITH GOD (GEN 32)

On the night Jacob wrestled with God, God blessed him.
Not with riches and numbers [though he had both]; but by making him admit how “alone”, “afraid and distressed” (32:7, 13) he was.

On the night Jacob wrestled with God, God made him powerful.
Not through youthful passion, determination and drive [which this Romeo and Rambo had more than most men in the Bible]; but through breaking him down mentally, emotionally [20 years of cheating and hard labor by the sifu deceiver Laban], physically [dislocated thigh] and spiritually.

On the night Jacob wrestled with God, he overcame himself.
Not because he had achieved status, independence, and “two companies” (32:10); but because he finally learned how “unworthy” he truly and always was before God. 

On the night Jacob wrestled with God, he found peace at last.
Not by presents of 550 goats, ewes, rams, camels, colts, cows, bulls and donkeys to his brother, Esau; but by coming into the presence of the holy God  - stripped of pretense, security, and deceit.  

On the night Jacob wrestled with God, he grew up and became a man.

WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH LOT?

Seriously, Lot had only one problem: he loved the world.

He chose notoriously wicked Sodom because the Jordan Valley was “well watered” (Gen 13:1-13).
I wonder if he felt he would never be tainted by sin?

“He hesitated” (19:16) when the angels said, "Get out!” and had to be physically forced to flee.
I wonder how much did he own in Sodom which possessed him?

His sons-in-law thought he was "jesting" when he warned them of judgment (19:14),
I wonder if he had cracked one joke too many?

He asked to go to Zoar, a small nearby town, when told to run to the mountains.
I wonder if he wanted to be close enough to see, or return to, his beloved Sodom “just in case”?

Then he hid in the caves because “he was afraid” (19:30).
I wonder if stripped of his possessions, this was just one insecure frightened miserable bloke?

His virgin daughters took turns to sleep with him.
I wonder if they also resented him for offering them so generously to the vile men (19:6).

Do not love the world.
The world does not love us nor our children.
Do not love things.
Things own us, and make us insecure and scared.

Lot might have lived a “well watered” life but his soul was dry.
He might have been spared destruction, but his descendants could not escape judgment.
Lot might have left Sodom, but Sodom would never leave him.

Do not love the world.
Love God.