DID YOU KNOW THAT TO STRUGGLE IN LIFE IS NOT BIBLICAL…under the glory of God?

I read Psalm 95 this morning and I came across something in the very last verse (vrs.11) when God said, “…so I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest.” God made this resolution when the people of Israel doubted God, asking questions even after He had brought them from Egypt where they had been in bondage for 400 years and over. They had seen His works; He divided the sea to made a dry land for them to pass through, He fed them everyday with manna and even when they got tired with quails (meat) but they still kept murmuring and complaining about everything. God was angry at them and so here in this scripture God said that He will not let them enter His rest. That was the turning point for those that had defied God and disobeyed and questioned His commandment.

The rest of God is a very essential element that everyone needs. I would show you why. When God in his wrath made this resolution or decree, the people it was said about never entered the promise land. They struggled for the rest of their lives, wandering the desert for 40 years (Psalm 95:10) until each and every one of them died then God’s chosen families, Joshua and Caleb and the others that held on to God’s word entered the Promised Land, Canaan. You can read Numbers 13 and 14 to see the whole account for yourself.

Have you asked yourself why sometimes people run around doing things but never succeed at anything? They never build lasting success. Others struggle so much and nothing materialises. Maybe you may be in this type of situation yourself. You strive and strive and strive with your all but there is no fruitfulness. Many times we talk about God’s grace given to us but here is the shocker, the grace of God is different from the glory of God. The grace is what keeps us alive. We go to bed and wake up every morning because of God’s grace. Our sins and petty misdeeds are pardoned by God because of His grace. Evil does not befall us; no accidents and even when they happen, delivers and preserves our life It is what keeps us going all the time. However the glory of God which is the same as the rest of God is the very presence of God surrounding a person. It is this (God’s) presence that causes or brings about unexplained or undeserved favour. His presence or His rest is what takes away the pressure, the stress and burden of every day life. It is this very presence that makes life seem smooth for us and even when we face problems, this same rest of God gives us strength to overcome. It causes us to smile, laugh, find joy always even in the darkest of tunnels. When the glory of God is lifted off a person then it means that the presence of God is no longer with that person and that is when we see that the person struggles and struggles to make succeed in education, family, marriage, business, networks, but achieves nothing. Sometimes the person would even go back to using the same principles that worked for them before but this time, it won’t work.

This is what happened to the Israelites who doubted and disobeyed God in Numbers 13 and 14; the glory of God was no longer with them. This is why when God said that He will not let them enter His rest, the people began to struggle, nothing was successful, they struggled with all their might but without that presence of God, they could do nothing worthwhile.

You see, you can have the grace of God and not be in God’s rest. You would have your life preserved. You will be pardoned and forgiven for your sins but without God’s rest or glory, life will seem like such as drag, a burden and impossible. Everything will seem like hard work that yields no fruit.

In Matthew 11: 28, Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] AMP.

This is the same rest that Jesus talks about in the New Testament. When you are in the rest, glory or presence of God, burdens are taken away, and you receive new strength for everyday.

Sometimes we go chasing after education, money, fame, business, commerce, contacts, family, friends, sex, love and all the material and worldly things from Monday to Sunday and we don’t even give God a day to acknowledge Him. Even on Sundays we still chase after these worldly things and don’t even go to church to worship this same God who makes all things possible and then we go out there and struggle and struggle and struggle and the little we gain or save ends up leaving our hands and accounts quicker than we gathered them.

We assume that struggling is normal or mandatory with this life. It is not!

Jesus said that when we come to him, He will relieve us of our burdens. When we enter into God’s rest we find things going smooth and when we face difficulties, we receive strength to overcome them.