Rest with us...

“And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ… Wherefore also we pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power. That the name of our Lords Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8,11, &12)

Why me?

Paul suffered many afflictions but also many blessings. He was caught up to the third heaven. “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I be sought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me. My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

I gladly accept my problems in life that I may have the glory of Christ with me. Someone I know with a large family often bemoans the financial hardships they have been going through most of their married life. “Why can’t the Lord bless us with enough money to make ends meet,” she sometimes asks?

I usually answer, “Because he is protecting you.”  I get the strangest look from her.

Have ye inquired of the Lord?

“And I heard, but I understood not. Then said I, Oh my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?  And he said, Go thy way... and none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand… Blessed is he that waiteth  and come to the end of the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days, but go thy way, till the end be, for thou shall rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” (Daniel 12:8, 10, 12, &13)

He is speaking here of the final time of rest in the glorious kingdom of heaven, of course.

I like that he said, I heard but I understood not, but then he asked the Lord. And the Lord explained. It reminds me of, “If ye cannot understand it is because ye ask not.” (2 Nephi 32:4)

Come unto me ... and I will give thee rest

“Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give thee rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28 – 30)

When I read “all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give thee rest.” I think of those suffering from abuse and addictions.  I think of the twelve step programs for alcoholics, over eaters, sex-olics, drug-olics, gamblers, computer- olics, porn addicts and all those who are heavy laden the AA Twelve Step Program works. It is the only thing that does work for the poor soul caught in addictions. At the center of all of these programs is that they give their burdens to a Higher Power.  No matter the sin, we are helpless unless we look to God and give ourselves to him.

I am quite sure that Christ’ yoke, the steps we are ask to take – confess our sins, go to church, pray constantly, read the scriptures, pay tithe, help others – seems too much. Confessing our sins is the hardest part. After that most people wonder what took them so long to give up their heavy burdens. Once we do and enter into the rest of Christ, how wonderful and peaceful. It certainly does not mean that we will have no more temptations, no more slips, but it means we can find rest in the mist of the storm.