Many pastors and teachers avoid the subject of spiritual rest for various reasons. Some think it could produce complacency in their people, while others simply don’t understand the biblical significance of rest.
We are doing God’s people a massive disservice if we don’t accurately break down the Word and teach the full counsel of God. Hebrews 3 and 4 speak about the Israelite not entering the land of promise because of their unbelief. Therefore, they never entered into the Lord’s rest. The promised land in Scripture is the land flowing with milk and honey, and if entering into rest correlates with inheriting the promises of God, we must take this very seriously.
Michael Lombardo, the host of Awaken Podcast, was given the same prophetic word by three different people in one day. He was taken off-guard by this, but God was trying to get a strong message across. The word three prophets gave him on the same day was this: “You are a warrior. God sees your heart and loves your zeal, but He wants to you rest.”
Michael didn’t know how to interpret this word because he was in Bible school, pursuing God and doing ministry. He thought, Should I stop evangelizing? Does “rest” mean rest from my physical labors?
Through much prayer and deliberation, the Lord opened the Scriptures to Michael and gave him liberating revelation on spiritual rest. “Rest” doesn’t mean inactivity at all. Jesus came to give us rest for our souls. The Law demanded righteousness from us, a righteousness we could not produce in and of ourselves. We strived for perfection and to be pleasing to God. Now that Jesus has come and taken our sin on Himself, the New Covenant offers a spiritual rest that all believers can access.
Tune into the latest episode of Awaken Podcast and part 1 in a new series about the vital subject of spiritual rest. {eoa}
Connect with Michael Lombardo at lifepouredoutintl.org and on Facebook. Order his book, Immersed in His Glory, here.
