A happiness created for rest - a time for everything *

NORSK
Before I leave the story about how Thomas recognized Jesus as risen from the dead, I will make yet another reflection. Thomas saw Jesus, and I think that he also recognized that Jesus had seen him, when he proclaimed:

“My Lord and my God!”

Jesus' response contains important teaching:

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:28-29  

Many attempts have been made to give a good definition of what it means to be ‘blessed’. When I experience a calm and restful happiness, I will define myself as blessed. I know that kind of happiness every time I sense that the Kingdom of God works in accordance with how the Bible says it should work.

When this happens, Jesus, who is not physically visible, becomes real and ‘visible’ in the presence this unique blessing. I do not see, but I still see with the eyes of faith, which confirm that what I see, is Jesus in action in my time. It gives me a happiness created for rest.

Today's 'manna':

I recognize Jesus in a happiness created for rest

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* 'A time for everything' is connected with the Bible's teaching about a 'season for every activity' Eccl 3 
 This series is about the teaching in the time between Easter and Pentecost.

It is about knowing, as in… #3

NORSK
I am still reflecting on the chorus-line that has been focus the last couple of days:
“Be at rest and know that I am the Lord!”
Today, it is about ‘knowing’ as in the word ‘acquainting’, referring to the process of learning to know the Lord in a way that becomes a personal relationship. If I want to be holy, I need to know the one who is holy.

“Let’s know, let’s press on to know the Lord;
whose appearing is as certain as the dawn;
who will come to us like the showers,
like the spring rains that give drink to the earth.”
Hos 6:3 (CEB)

The verse is from a prophecy of Hosea and stands in a context I will come back to tomorrow, but it is very important for me to focus on the aspect of learning to know the Lord in an intimate way. Some people make the mistake to think that they know God because they have knowledge about him. 

Why is this a mistake?
I have some knowledge about one of the most powerful men on earth (at least for a few months more), but my knowledge about president Obama is very different from that of his close friends and close family.

I believe that the disciples had reach this kind of relationship with Jesus, when he just before his death proclaimed: 

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15

The challenge “Press on to know the Lord!” is an exhortation to know him as close as a member of the family of God – ‘the community of the saints’.

‘Manna’ for today:

Let’s press on to know the Lord!

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It is about resting

NORSK 
When I arrived at the hotel around 5 pm last Sunday after 23 hours travel from Chisinau to Singapore, I was ready for a small rest. The reason was that I had to stay awake for another 4 hours to come into the rhythm of the time zone. Therefore I decided to listen to the Norwegian state radio channel on the internet. The internet-connection is very limited - it only gave me app 1 minute of listening before the signal dropped out. 

One minute was all I needed. I did not think about the time difference, but received one minute of what I presume was the broadcasting of a Sunday morning service. A familiar prayer-chorus reached me: 

“Be at rest and know that I am the Lord!”

It was a good and timely greeting from the Lord, and it is a good greeting when I drink from the well of holiness. For some Christians, even to think about holiness creates a feeling of stress. It is very easy to see my own shortcomings in relation to the holiness-standard. But - because Jesus is my Lord and Saviour, I know that he has made up for my shortcomings and invites me to relax in him.

The status of the new creation in Christ is holy. That is a fact beyond questioning. Christ’s status will forever be holy, and no new being in him will, even if he tried, make him unholy.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Cor 5:17

The fact that the new is already here makes it possible for me to rest. This is one of the attributes of holiness: A constant freshness of new life.

…and last Sunday I woke up after 30 minutes – refreshed!

‘Manna’ for today:

Holiness is about resting in the new status of holiness

If you believe that, you can say:

Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
Psalm 116:7

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