Blessed Rest

12.29.12

Revelation 14.13 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” (NIV)

Like my friend Jim Stephens, I too read through Revelation 10 to 14 today in fascination and looked for some devotional thought. I was struck yet again with the fact that war broke out in Heaven (Rev. 12.7) I asked myself, how does that happen!? I saw that great trials are coming upon this world and only those who remain faithful to God are going to make it through those trials and escape a thing called wrath.

I must admit I am (again) fascinated with God’s wrath and what it really is. I know wrath is somewhat anger but it isn’t anger like men’s anger. It seems to me to be more of a place where God says “enough!” It seems to me that wrath is the righteous indignation of God, and all He is, displayed against men and all they’ve forfeited in their steadfast denial of God’s offer of friendship. Wrath is coming – and according to John in another place it already rests on those who snub God.

But today my devotional thoughts center on what John was told to write in Revelation 14, and what the Spirit responded to his writing: Yes, they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them. As wrath is coming, so rest is coming. As wrath is here, so rest is here and our deeds in the Lord will follow us.

When we get to Heaven, what will come with us as we stand at the gate and ask admission? What will we be known for in Heaven’s company as we stand among them? Will we hear the strong words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”? Or will we hear, “At least he tried!”? You see, now is the time (on earth) to labor for the Lord while resting in Him. The battle is His and we are expected to stand by His side and labor in His power, presence, and peace. Here we are blessed as we rest in Him.

One day though, in heaven, the fruit of that earthly blessing and resting will be the evidence of how well we rested blessed in this life. Yes, our world is full of incompleteness, inconsistency, and disappointment because it is what it is. One day it is to be restored to its original glory and majesty but for now it is the labor of trying to convince men who don’t know of what they should know: that God loves them and wants to be their Friend. And labor it is, and increasingly becomes, as men continue to deny all of Who God is and has for them.

But the Believers accept Him for Who He is, and what He provides: present blessing that the unbelieving cannot comprehend; and strength for today in bright hope for tomorrow…blessings all mine with ten thousand beside. (Thank you, Great is Thy Faithfulness!) So labor-less rest then depends on laboring rest now. I can attempt to drag men kicking and screaming into the Kingdom of Heaven, or I can labor today resting in His power and presence and allowing His Spirit to convict men of what they should know: God wants to be their Friend.

And what follows me into heaven will be the evidence of how well I rested blessed in this life. It’s the same in this life, I will be known for what I do and how I do it… God help me, please.