Don’t be next! 92 people lost their lives and many of the deaths were preventable if the people had just listened to the warning. If they had just followed the signs and trusted that, others knew what just might be best for them. Stay behind, stay away and respect! Those are clear directions, yet they still did not head the warning and it cost them their life.
As I looked over the sign and onto the cliffs, I could see why such a warning would be necessary. The rough jagged edges of the rocks, the pounding of the waves on the cliffs and the unforeseen undertow was enough to keep me faraway from ever taking such a journey. For a minute, I couldn't’t help but think to myself “they need to put a sign up for that?” It was obvious that danger lurked just inches away from me, it was obvious that the cliffs would win and the rocks would rule, yet people still ignored the signs.
I quickly thought about my own life and how God has given me warning signs in the form of commands all through out His Word. The more I studied the warning signs in front of me, the more I started to reflect on the writings in Hebrews I had just studied hours earlier. It was God’s warnings, His commands that He gave to our ancestors through Moses and then I heard Paul loud and clear again this morning about warning us as followers to make sure we are resting.
As I stood there in front of the man made sign, I could not help but picture our ancestors, taking an early morning stroll, probably similar to the one I was taking and all of a sudden, they come across a warning sign as well and it read something like this.
____________________________________________________________________ Don't Be Next!
Since the crossing of the Red Sea, from the days of Moses leading, whole generations have lost their lives due to their unbelief. Along the journey and through the desert, they never made it into the Promise Land, they never entered into His rest.
Help Prevent Exhaustion, burn out and death!
Stay Behind and rest.
Stay Away from just one more thing.
Respect His commands.
____________________________________________________________________
This warning sign is the reason I am away from my family, friends and ministry at this moment. I arrived here in Santa Cruz on Monday afternoon, a much planned and intentional time of pulling away and pressing my ears into the voice of God.
I understand the consequences of not resting and I am so grateful for His command to do so. It is written that God gets angry with His children because they do not follow His warning. He got angry when the Israelites did not rest in Him. I thought about that and as a parent, it makes perfect sense. When my teenage daughter is up all night, going all day and not hearing my warning about resting and then spends a day in bed, sick and tired, I find myself angry as well, not at her but at what she has done to herself and the toll it takes on her body, mind and sprit. My anger is healthy and it’s because I love her that I want her to rest, so that she can be all that she has been called to be.
That is the kind of anger I see my heavenly Father havening, because He loves me so much and has such a wonderful plan for my life.My creator knows me so well that on my own, I would work myself to death, and I would live an empty unfulfilled life and wonder why? The Promise Land is not found in the doing but in the being, which is why it is so important that I find time to rest in Him. The scriptures make it clear that unbelief prevents all of us from resting in Him, their for, unbelief will keep us from entering The Promise Land. I don’t care how hard we work for the Lord, His requirement for access to the Land is rest not work.
How many of us have died outside the very place we were trying to reach?So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.Hebrews 3:19Many of you have shared with me that you just don’t have the time. That is a false belief, which in turn is unbelief and why entering His rest is impossible. The truth is, we all have the same amount of time. We have to make time to rest, we have to belief that God will take care of the rest even when it seems like it is impossible to step away for just a while. Don’t hold on to your false beliefs any longer. Don't be the next!
Here is my encouragement my challenge to any of you who are dying in the doing and missing out in the rest. STOP! Even if it is just for a moment, you can find rest in Him anytime, anywhere at any place. It doesn’t feel right at first because it goes against the grain. We live and breath in a society that does not stop, 24/7 access to every need, want and desire. We live in a society that promotes this kind of work ethic and to pull away could actually be a perceived as laziness or lack of commitment to a job, ministry or perhaps your even your family.
The reality is, I am committed even more to the areas of my life after I pull away and rested. It is in the resting where I get clear direction, rest and refilled up so that I can Run The Race set before me. I don’t want to die in the middle of my race because I haven’t rested.
I learned years ago that the key to running my race is knowing when to rest, knowing when to run and knowing where I am running to. So my friends, Don’t Be Next! Rest In Him!Well, it is time for me to pack my bags, say a prayer of thanksgiving and head back home to my life, with my map in hand, my journey plotted out and my relationship stronger then ever with my creator, I am ready to face the race.
If you choose to take the challenge, then I am looking forward to see you on the track.
Much Love
Cris Nole
Running My Race
