Prevailing Strategies: Rest

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee (Isaiah 26:3).

This scripture gives us the key to a life of peace and prosperity; a life that’s at rest in prosperity. That means you enter into it and stay in it; your life is maintained at that realm. Many often ask what they should do so the power of God may work on their behalf to ensure continuing peace and prosperity. The answer is simple: focus your mind—your attention, and emotions—on the Lord. It’s like focusing your camera on a moving object. You must do it with some diligence and dexterity.

When your mind is focused on God’s Word, you’re guaranteed to walk in peace and prosperity. Your mind is a powerful tool given to you by God for transforming your life from glory to glory. If you give the right attention to the Word, it makes no difference to the storms that billow against you, you’ll be at rest; your prosperity will not be shaken, despite economic downturns, meltdowns or inflation. The Lord Himself will keep you in “perfect peace.”

The Hebrew word for “peace” in Isaiah 26:3 is “shalom,” which describes the “rest” of God, wherein is prosperity, health, strength, and salvation. You can be as prosperous, successful, and healthy as you ever want to be, the key is yielding your mind to God’s Word. Your mind is the door to your spirit. If you can get the Word of God into your system, there’s nothing you can’t achieve. That’s the secret of the miraculous and supernatural.

Keep your focus on God’s Word, and divine peace and prosperity will be your experience.

Take my yoke upon you…For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30).

The life we’ve received in Christ is such that doesn’t require us to struggle for anything. It’s a life of rest; a life of peace in prosperity. The instructions and responsibilities the Lord gives to us are not burdensome at all. 1 John 5:3 says His commandments aren’t grievous. He’ll never ask you to do something that’s beyond your ability. All He asks is that you act on His Word.

Think about it: He didn’t require us to do anything for our sins to be remitted. All the sins you ever committed were automatically blotted out by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).” Then in verses 8 and 9, it continues: “…and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

As dead in sin as we were, all we had to do was to confess the Lordship of Jesus and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, and we became new creatures (Romans 10:9). We became righteous in an instant and were translated into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, with dominion over Satan and his cohorts of darkness.

If it was that simple for you to receive salvation and have eternal life imparted to your spirit, then you have to accept that life in the Kingdom is that simple too. All you must do is say “Yes” to the Word; receive and appropriate for yourself all the wonderful provisions of the Gospel: divine health, preservation, peace, deliverance, safety, security, victory, success, and all-round prosperity! All these and more are your present-hour possessions in Christ. You only need to acknowledge and affirm them so, and they’ll become vital realities of your daily walk.

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his (Hebrews 4:9-10).

Notice our underlined phrase above: “For he that is entered into his rest… That rest is the rest in Christ; it’s much more than the rest for the physical body. It’s rest for your soul, where you don’t struggle or toil for anything whatsoever. 2 Peter 1:3 says, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness…”

Everything required for your success, prosperity, victory, health and greatness has been made available to you in Christ. So, why worry? You don’t have to struggle in life anymore. Enjoy God’s rest. Hallelujah! Jesus said. Therefore, I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment” (Matthew 6:25).

Paul, writing by the Spirit to the Church, in Philippians 4:6, said, “Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” There are many who haven’t realized this truth and therefore aren’t enjoying a life of absolute rest and blessings. On their job, business, projects, or even their evangelical responsibilities, they labor and toll so hard with little or no results. Many people today are burdened with stress and anxieties. They endlessly worry about their children, grandchildren, their children’s marriages, friends, the health of their family members, choosing the right kind of friends etc.

God doesn’t want that worry-filled life for any of His children.

Worry sets before you a magnetic force that attracts things that are consistent with it. It has its fears of negative possibilities. The cure for worrying is to stay your mind on God’s Word. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” So, rather than worry, ask and receive whatever you require, and live in the consciousness of His victory, grace and excellence in the different areas of life!

Anything short of a life of absolute rest, joy, and fulfilment in Christ Jesus, isn’t God’s best for you. According to Hebrews 4:3, He’s finished all His works from the foundation of the world before He made man, and now He’s at rest. He’s not working or creating new things today nor is He modifying the things He already made. He’s seated in heaven, not pacing and wondering what else needs to be done. This is the kind of life He’s given us, a life free of struggles.

The Bible says, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:9-11). Living in God’s rest is one of the blessings for the new creation, and the way to live in it is living by faith in God’s Word. Embrace the Master’s invitation to a stress-free life, and live accordingly.

The meaning of the word “rest” means “Perfect Peace” means to be free from anxieties, to have peace of mind or spirit, and to be refreshed or at ease. It refers to relief or freedom, especially from anything that wearies, troubles or disturbs. It speaks of refreshing ease or inactivity after exertion or labor. Some of its synonyms are sleep, quietness, ease, peace, and calmness.

It’s clear to see that there’s no need for the Christian to suffer or struggle through life anymore since God has already brought him into a life of rest. He’s done all that’s necessary for your success, health and prosperity. He did all these before the foundation of the world and rested. Now He has called you to abide in His rest—a place where you don’t have to struggle for anything —having made available to you all that you require for life and godliness. He now wants you to live free of anxieties, have peace of mind and spirit, be refreshed and at ease, and be relieved from everything that wearies, troubles or disturbs as you enjoy your inheritance and the good life in Christ Jesus.