Annie
Scriptures: Exodus 33:14 Hebrews 3-4: to verse 13 Revelation 21:1-4
A hush, like a soft, billowing blanket, falls. A child stands, gazing through the window, watching as arms are opened wide, wrapped around the ones inside the room. A room that glows with warmth and radiates the love of the Host, the Father of this precious family. Tears mingle with the cold air, a longing as deep as the ocean fills the child’s heart, if only they were inside, being wrapped in that bountiful love. If only. Then, the Father beckons, His Eyes, brim-full of love and tenderness, smile at the child. All those in the room turn and join in beckoning, encouraging the child – “Come in, you can do it, just walk in”. Slowly, the child responds to the Love, to the encouragement, step by timid step they approach. The door flings wide, the Father scoops the child into His Arms. “Welcome, well done, come in now and rest”. All the trepidation vanishes in an instant and the child knows that for all of eternity they will be with this wonderful family, enfolded, adored, washed in the Rest that they could never earn, but is theirs, now and forever.
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling Calling for you and for me See on the portals He's waiting and watching Watching for you and for me
Come home, come home Ye who are weary come home Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling Calling, "O sinner come home"
O for the wonderful love He has promised Promised for you and for me Though we have sinned He has mercy and pardon Pardon for you and for me
Come home, come home Ye who are weary come home Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling Calling, "O sinner come home" Songwriter: Will L. Thompson
Will you heed that call, that soft gentle voice that breaks through the clamour, the strident cries and constant jangling of the cares of this world? Will you leave behind the pull of the life on this earth that is our Egypt? Will you enter in to the Rest of the Lord?
No matter what we have done, how we have lived, that invitation is open for all. To enter into His Rest, to know the Shalom that is mine, this can be my reality, if I will stop striving, stop listening to the noise of this earthly kingdom that tells me I can never reach that goal. Salvation is of the Lord, the rest from the labours that weary us, especially rest from the distractions that seemingly offer a respite of sorts.
Through the Blood of the Lamb, the ultimate sacrifice that God joyfully made for us, we are able to enter into a rest that is beyond our wildest dreams. Here on this earth, He will turn our mourning to joy, He will give us the beauty of His Vision for the ashes of our tainted sight. And, in the New Jerusalem “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” There will be nothing but wonderful, joyful, exuberant REST.
We have a future, a hope that can never be extinguished. The promise of a rest where we are able to totally and utterly relax into the Arms of God, not just for a while, but forever and ever and ever and ever and……………...
Prayer: Abba Father God, forgive my foolish doubts, my hurts and my oh so wavering vision that so easily loses sight of You and all that You are. Grant me the courage to enter, joyfully and confidently, into Your Rest, now and for the whole of Eternity. Through the Salvation that has been bought by Your Son, Jesus the Christ, through the Grace that consistently sanctifies, by the power of Holy Spirit may we all know this precious Rest. Amen