Sis, Just RestSample

SIS, REST IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

Physical rest and spiritual rest differ in many ways but also share similarities in that they both require stillness. Psalm 46:10 encourages us to "Be still, and know that I am God." Physical rest involves being still and not moving, while our mind, emotions, and will may remain restless. In contrast, spiritual rest can coexist with physical movement, while our internal state remains still. Yielding to spiritual rest can shift our soul to a posture of rest, which involves trust, faith, stillness, and movement simultaneously.

Resting in the spirit involves trusting, and it encompasses knowing, faith, stillness, and movement all at the same time. When we rest in the Holy Spirit, fears that torment, anxiety, worry, and offense come to a standstill. Our Spirit is what's moving, while faith, love, joy, patience, and hope, the fruits of the Spirit, continue to grow, move and mature under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us. When we rest in the Holy Spirit, we rely on the One who leads us, our Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit, and our bodies are the dwelling place.

Faith is the substance that propels us forward when we're resting in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers us, allows us to be at rest, and silences our souls so that our faith can be in motion. The story of the woman with the issue of blood is an excellent example of this. Even before the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, her belief in Jesus was sufficient to calm her soul. She had a stillness in her soul, but a movement of faith that urged her to press through the crowd and touch the hem of Jesus' garment. It was her faith that led her to her healing. If her soul was not at rest, her mind would have convinced her that she was unclean and crazy, her emotions would have told her to be afraid and worried, and her will would have driven her to run away from Jesus. Instead, she rested in her knowledge of Jesus and allowed her faith to move her to touch Him. It was a strategic move, a power move, a movement with a purpose, perseverance, and patience, but it was still a posture of rest.