Rest For Your Souls – Praying Pint

52.v. Wilderness – 17.a. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God”

Deu 29:29  “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Job 11:6-7 and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.  “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?

Job 28:28    And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Psalms 25:14    The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant

Proverbs 3:32     for the devious person is an abomination to the LORD, but the upright are in his confidence.

Jeremiah 23:18     For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened?

Daniel 2:28    but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries,

Amos 3:7    “For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

Matthew 13:35    This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

John 15:15     No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Acts 1:7     He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

Romans 11:33-34    Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!  “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”

Romans 16:25-26     Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages  but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—

1 Corinthians 2:16    “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Matthew 11:27-30   All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 13:11    And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

Romans 16:26    but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—

2 Timothy 3:16   All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Deuteronomy 6:7     You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Deuteronomy 30:2     and return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul,

Moses ends his prophecy of the Jews’ rejection, just as St. Paul ends his discourse on the same subject, when it began to be fulfilled, Ro 11:33. We are forbidden curiously to inquire into the secret counsels of God, and to determine concerning them. But we are directed and encouraged, diligently to seek into that which God has made known. He has kept back nothing that is profitable for us, but only that of which it is good for us to be ignorant. The end of all Divine revelation is, not to furnish curious subjects of speculation and discourse, but that we may do all the words of this law, and be blessed in our deed. This, the Bible plainly reveals; further than this, man cannot profitably go. By this light he may live and die comfortably, and be happy for ever. (Henry)

Things which are revealed by God and his word, these are the proper object of our inquiries and studies, that thereby we may come to the knowledge of our duty, by the practice whereof we may be kept from such terrible punishments and calamities as these now mentioned. (Poole)

There are many secret things in nature, which cannot be found out and accounted for by men, which the Lord only knows; and there are many things in Providence, which are unsearchable, and past finding out by finite minds, especially the true causes and reasons of them; and there are many things relating to God himself, which remain secret with him; notwithstanding the revelation he has made of himself; for not only some of his perfections, as eternity, immensity, &c. are beyond our comprehension; but the mode of subsistence of the three divine Persons in the Godhead, the paternity of the one, the generation of the other, and the procession of the Spirit from them both; the union of the two natures, divine and human, in the person of Christ; the thoughts, purposes, and decrees of God within himself, until brought into execution; and so there are many things relating to his creatures, as the particular persons predestinated unto eternal life, what becomes of such who die in infancy, what will befall us in life, when we shall die, where and in what manner, and also the day and hour of the last judgment. Those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever; the things of nature and Providence, which are plain and manifest, are for our use and instruction; and especially the word and ordinances of God, which are the revelation of his will, the doctrines and promises contained in the Scriptures. (Gill)

34.t. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts”

Matthew 21:28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

Isaiah 35:8    And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.

Jeremiah 6:16    Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

2 Peter 2:21   For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

Psalms 81:11-12    “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me.  So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.

Zechariah 7:11-12  But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.  They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts.

Hebrews 3:12   Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

This is a parable; the design of which is to show the hypocrisy and deceit of the Scribes and Pharisees, in pretending to works of righteousness, and not doing them; and to reprove them for their disbelief and rejection of John’s ministry; and to make it appear, that the worst of sinners in the Jewish nation were preferable to them. There are many churchgoers that imitate these sons. They admit that the Word of God is true. They intend to get serious about it someday. They talk about doing the Father’s work. They keep up the external appearance of religion, but their heart is not right with God. They think that words and promises are enough. “The second son said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he went not; and these people do not go. They talk of repenting, but they do not repent. They speak of believing, but they never believe. They think of submitting to God, but they have not submitted themselves to him yet. They say it is time they broke up the fallow ground, and sought the Lord, but they do not seek him. It all ends in a mere promise.” (Spurgeon)

The point of this parable is clear. What matters is living for God, not saying the right words. The religious leaders were good at talking righteous talk, but their stubbornly unrepentant hearts showed that repentant sinners would enter the kingdom before them. When you meet people with hearts like flint, you know they did not become that way overnight. There was a gradual, certain progression to their present place of hardness. It begins with simply refusing to heed God, then a self-justifying shrugging of their shoulders, then stopping their ears. It all ends with hearts as hard as flint. In their hardened state, they just didn’t want to hear God’s word. When we lose our hunger for God’s word it is sobering evidence of the progression of rejection and hardness of heart. The progression from a soft heart (able to hear the call of God to repentance) to a hardened heart (unable to recognize or hear the call of God to repentance) is one that can happen very fast (immediate and lasting rejection) or it can happen over a long period of time (a continued recognition of the call to repentance and rejecting it over and over again until it can’t be heard). At the end of the day, both have rejected the loving, merciful, and graceful call of God. Though some may have the appearance of doing the right things and saying the right things, their hearts are as hard as stone to the call from God to repentance.

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts”

110. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live

1 Samuel 22:1 David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

Matthew 11:28  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.   For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Isaiah 45:22-25     “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Isaiah 55:1-3    “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.  Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant

John 6:37     All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

Jeremiah 6:16     Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

Isaiah 48:17-18     Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.  Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;

Where do you find rest from the distress of trials and troubles of this life? Is there any place of refuge where our soul will find peace of mind? There is a place of peace and rest for our heart, soul, and mind, but it comes at a price few are willing to pay. The price is total surrender and total reliance and total trust and a total clinging to Jesus. Don’t get me wrong on this for many people in their distress come to Jesus to find peace, hope, and rest. The problem is that once they are on the other side of the trial/trouble they do not see the need anymore. It is as though Jesus is a sugar daddy who is there to serve them in their distress but He is not worthy of much past this.

There is a place of refuge, peace, rest, hope, joy in the life of those who intentionally choose and are committed to being humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Jesus. Jesus calls out, “come to Me, all who labor and are heavy with burden and I will give you rest.” “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me.” Jesus did not say come and leave, He said come and yoke to me, learn from me.

If we are looking for a quick fix for our trials/troubles/issues this is not going to give us lasting peace and rest. Jesus is willing to take on our burdens and He does this out of love, mercy, and grace. However if there is no daily surrender to Him, no commitment to Him, no humble love, gratitude, and thankfulness to Him, no want or desire to know more of Him and how to honor, glorify, serve, follow and obey Him, there will be no lasting peace, purpose, or satisfaction for your soul. It seems we see Jesus more as a personal genie for us rather than seeing the Son of God who gave His life for us so that we would not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus is worthy of all honor, glory, and praise. He wants us to yoke with Him. He wants to give us abounded life now and for eternity. Learn to surrender each day to Him. Learn to trust Him. Learn to rely on Him. Cling to Him. Learn to cast your cares on Him. Find rest for your souls in Him each day.

Joy or Gloom

” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. “

Psalms 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Psalms 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,

Proverbs 3:1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,

Proverbs 8:10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Proverbs 26:3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.

Jeremiah 4:22 “For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.”

Jeremiah 8:6 I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents of his evil, saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle. Even the stork in the heavens knows her times, and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming, but my people know not the rules of the LORD.

“My people are foolish”, “they have not spoke rightly”, “everyone turns to his own course”, “they have no understanding”, “they do not know Me”. How many are the paths people will follow to find peace, joy, and rest for their souls following blindly and headlong on a straight path to hell? God is not blind to the actions and thoughts of man. Nothing is hidden from Him and rather than humbly submit, follow and obey Him they pick their own course. This course is one with temporary satisfaction at best but does not satisfy deep into the heart. Turn to God and He will instruct and teach you. His gentle guiding will give rest to your soul. He will set your feet on solid ground and make life fulfilling.

Fill your heart, mind and soul

“and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Psalms 25:12 Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 2:5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 16:6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Isaiah 50:10 Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.

Acts 10:22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man,

Acts 13:26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation.

Psalms 31:19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!

Proverbs 1:33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.

Matthew 11:28-29 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Psalms 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Psalms 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way;

John 3:20-21 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Are peoples lives, who have respect and reverence for God, different than those who do not? What would be seen in the lives of people who respect and have reverence (fear) of God? Would they read God’s word more? Would they give thanks more? Would they be more forgiving? Would they pray more? Are they more gentle and kind? Are they encouraging? Do they give more? Do they help more? Do they speak words of hope, love, grace and mercy? Do they have more inner peace? Are they more humble? Do they acknowledge God and His leading in their life? Do they reach out to the unsaved? Do they talk of what God is doing in their immediate lives? There is not a day when reading God’s word I do not see something new. Sometimes it teaches me more about who God is, or His promises, or convicts me of an area of my life that needs to change. Without His word I think our soul easily drifts and falls away from being able to hear His quiet voice speaking to our heart. Think about oxygen and the importance of it on every breath. If it were given to your lungs at the same frequency of being in God’s word would your life be hanging on by a thread or would you be declared dead? God’s word feeds our soul and in it we find know and understanding of God, peace, hope, help, strength, love, mercy, grace, faith….

Teach Me

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths”

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,”

Psalms 25:8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Proverbs 1:20-23 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

Proverbs 2:1-6 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Proverbs 9:6 Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

Matthew 11:29-30 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

John 6:45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—

Psalms 149:4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.

Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

He instructs, He teaches, He leads, He draws us to Him, He makes known, He calls to us, and He gives understanding and wisdom. Do you ever wonder how He does all of this? Or how are these actions made active and real in our everyday lives? Think about how you learned to walk, speak, read, ride a bike, drive a car, eat with manners, learn to cook, home repair, sew, etc…… For sure these just did not happen on their own. Some of the basics came from someone who loved you and took time to teach you. Others came from observing others. And still more came from reading and understanding what was being conveyed through text. When it comes to things of God, salvation, humbleness, kindness, faith, gentleness, love, mercy, grace, honoring and glorifying and obeying….. we learn these through someone telling us, watching others, or reading about it in scripture. Like anything else our understanding and application will continue to grow the more time we apply to it. Spend time in His word, listen for His voice, obey His leading and live to honor and glorify Him.

Place of Rest

walk in it, and find rest for your souls.

Joshua
‘The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.

isaiah 11:10
In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

Jeremiah 6:16
Thus says the Lord:
“Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it. ’
I set watchmen over you, saying,
‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet! ’
But they said, ‘We will not pay attention. ’
Therefore hear, O nations,
and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.
Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people,
the fruit of their devices,
because they have not paid attention to my words;
and as for my law, they have rejected it.

Isaiah 40:28
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

I see this happening over and over again. In times of trials and heavy burdens people turn to God for peace and rest. They come to a place where “doing it on their own” is not working out and the desire/seek God’s hand in their life. Why is it that we “run” to God when we are finally broken but in times of little to no trials or burdens we seem to not see the need for God? Could it be that our walk with Him is superficial? What does it say about a life that only seeks God when times are rough? What would you think about a son or daughter who only spoke to their earthly father when they needed something or were in trouble? They never went to see their father any other time. They never invited him to any part of their life. Only when they were in need did they contact him. I am confident you get the point – God, our heavenly Father, wants our heart desire to be for Him, to serve Him, to seek what His purpose is for us each day. To stay in His word we find words of direction, hope, peace, rest…. To stay in His presence is peace and rest. Learn to live in His presence every moment.