THE TIME FACTOR

“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of temptation in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me and tried Me and saw My works for forty years. Therefore, I was angry with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’” (Hebrews 3:7-11)

We have in the previous writings considered the rest of the spirit which is given and not earned. A gift from God to anyone that comes to Him. This is the foundation for human’s comprehensive rest.

However, in our quest for total rest (comprehensive and robust), there is another form of rest required. This is the secret that has eluded many in life. It is not only our spirits that needed rest, our souls also must be at rest for the experience to be all encompassing and resounding. Whereas the spirit’s rest is given, soul’s rest must be found. Consider Jesus statement below:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

The statement above clearly revealed the key elements responsible for our rest. Jesus gives the rest of the spirit which is needed to free us from our labor and heavy burden. But further in the statement while introducing the rest of the soul; He exposed its basis – His yoke and learning from Him. That is the secret. Previously, it was mentioned that there is a replacement burden when Jesus takes away our burden. That is the burden of learning from Him. His yoke is a restrain for us to stay focused on Him and prevent every form of distraction while engaging the burden of learning from Him to access the rest of the soul. This is well stated in this Bible verse:

“Let us labor therefore to enter that rest, lest anyone fall by the same pattern of unbelief.” (Hebrews 4:11)

Finding the rest of the soul requires laboring with the burden of learning. This is not just any learning however; it is learning from Him. The rest of the soul is the missing key to enjoying resounding rest. If the soul is not at rest, it will be near impossible for a transference of rest from the realm of the spirit to the physical realm. The spirit cannot bypass the soul to reach the body; the soul is the major link between the realm of the spirit and the physical realm.

The measure of rest you will experience physically will be determined by the level of your soul’s rest. The Bible says:

“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, even as your soul is well.” (3 John 2)

The wellness of any man is in direct proportion to the wellness of his soul. No matter how robust the spirit is, a shallow and lean soul will ensure that it is not well with the body. If the spirit is at rest but the soul is troubled, the body can never be at rest. What then are we to learn from Jesus to find this rest of the soul? What are the factors that will guarantee our entrance into God’s rest? The first factor is TIME.

Time is of great essence in our quest to find the rest of the soul. There is time for rest. Not knowing this and not understanding the times means you can never be in charge on earth; not even in charge of your own life. When you don’t know the time, you will not know what to do, and when you don’t know what to do, struggles are inevitable. Jesus said:

“I must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4) That is knowing when to work and what to do. Anything outside of this means situations and circumstances will be ruling your life. The result is unending struggles. The appointed time for rest is today.