Resting in the Vine
Oct. 23rd, 2007
Isa 28:11-13 NIV
11 Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people,
12 to whom he said, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest"; and, "This is the place of repose" — but they would not listen. 13 So then, the word of the LORD to them will become: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there — so that they will go and fall backward, be injured and snared and captured.
Jer 50:6-7 NIV
6 "My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place. 7 Whoever found them devoured them; their enemies said, 'We are not guilty, for they sinned against the LORD, their true pasture, the LORD, the hope of their fathers.'
John 15:1-7 NKJV The True Vine
"I am the true vine , and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine , neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 "I am the vine , you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
“Beloveds, I want you to REST in ME, knowing that whatever you are concerned about, I am FOR you. I love you, and as a good father loves his children, I LOVE YOU. I will always do what is best for you, even if it means destroying the idols so that you begin to put ALL your trust in ME, instead of your own abilities. I know that it’s hard to work and live your life struggling and working so hard. So I provided a rest for those WHO put ALL their trust in ME, and MY ABILITIES, more than their own.
When you are weak, then I am strong. When you are tired, I never get tired. When you can’t pray, know that I’m praying FOR you. When you can’t laugh, know that I will remove the darkness. When you can only weep, know that I will comfort you and hold your hand through anything that you have to walk through. I AM YOUR COMFORTER and Your Keeper ! I AM THE ROCK upon which you can stand. I AM FAITHFUL, even when you fail. I am not standing there with a whip, rubbing your nose in the mistakes you’ve made, or the bad decisions you chose. I help you up and out. I want you to learn to trust ME MORE, that you wouldn’t get in the messes, or the problems. Just as you would want that for your children. A good parent doesn’t berate his child when he feels a failure. He already knows he’s failed. What he needs is your love. That is how I AM with you ! I take you into My arms, and I tenderly take away the thorns, and the briars that got into your heart. And I set you on the path which is right.
I tell you there is nothing you can’t come to me with. There is nothing you struggle with that I don’t see or don’t have the wisdom for. Come unto ME I said, all you who are heavy laden and I WILL GIVE YOU REST ! I will give you REST for your souls, that you don’t have to strive and struggle. I want you to ENJOY MY COMPANY. I enjoy yours ! I never get tired or weary of you, even if you blow it from time to time. Each failure only builds more humility and character in you, that you will be able to comfort those who also have failed.
I don’t want anyone to walk in a pigpen though either. It’s not my will to rub your nose in your errors. That is the enemy’s job description, but I AM NOT a harsh taskmaster. I correct, but I don’t condemn. So as you see yourself or others in the days ahead, failing, remember these words. Remember how I treated the apostles when they failed. Remember how I treated you in the past. Each time you fell, I helped you up again. Just like a child learns to walk, or ride a bicycle, he falls, but you help them get up again and try again. You don’t berate them because they fell and messed up. You keep on loving them that they realize how much, so they will try all the harder to obey. LOVE leads to repentance. Think how you want to be treated, and remember not to get into accusing with the many who are doing so now in many venues. Keep away from pointing the finger if you want to be victorious.
STAY on the NARROW PATH of life by keeping abiding in the VINE. I am the VINE, and you are the branches. Apart from ME, you can do NOTHING. So stay in that place of communion with ME. Seek My presence more than things. I am loosing LOVE to all who will come and rest in the VINE. I will smooth out the rough places in your hearts. I will help you through everything that TRIES to come against you. I WILL OVERCOME IT and give you GRACE to overcome it if you just REST in ME. BE My resting place that I can come and dwell in you. Open up your hearts completely to My love and light. For I am SHINING MY LOVE and GLORY.”
Ps 132:7-9 NIV "Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool —
8 arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.
9 May your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy."
Ps 132:13-18 NKJV
13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place:
14 "This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation, And her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 17 There I will make the horn of David grow; I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed. 18 His enemies I will clothe with shame, But upon Himself His crown shall flourish."
Deut 32:18-20 NKJV
18 Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, and have forgotten the God who fathered you. 19 "And when the LORD saw it, He spurned them, Because of the provocation of His sons and His daughters. 20 And He said: 'I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, For they are a perverse generation, Children in whom is no faith.
21 They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.
22 For a fire is kindled in My anger, And shall burn to the lowest hell; It shall consume the earth with her increase, And set on fire the foundations of the mountains. 23'I will heap disasters on them; I will spend My arrows on them.
24 They shall be wasted with hunger, Devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction
I will also send against them the teeth of beasts, With the poison of serpents of the dust. 25 The sword shall destroy outside; There shall be terror within
For the young man and virgin, The nursing child with the man of gray hairs.
26 I would have said, "I will dash them in pieces, I will make the memory of them to cease from among men,"
27 Had I not feared the wrath of the enemy, Lest their adversaries should misunderstand,
Lest they should say, "Our hand is high; And it is not the LORD who has done all this."'
28 "For they are a nation void of counsel, Nor is there any understanding in them.
29 Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end!
30 How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight,
Unless their Rock had sold them, And the LORD had surrendered them?
31 For their rock is not like our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.
32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom And of the fields of Gomorrah;
33 Their wine is the poison of serpents, And the cruel venom of cobras.
34'Is this not laid up in store with Me, Sealed up among My treasures?
35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.'
36 "For the LORD will judge His people And have compassion on His servants,
When He sees that their power is gone, And there is no one remaining, bond or free.
37 He will say: 'Where are their gods, The rock in which they sought refuge?
38 Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering?
Let them rise and help you, And be your refuge.
39'Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.
