February 1, 2025
Rest in the work
I asked the Lord one day how to find rest in the work, as there is so much that needs to be accomplished. That night, I had a dream where the story of the floating axe head and Psalm 91 came to me. I woke immediately afterward and told the Lord that those two had nothing to do with each other, then I went back to sleep.
In the morning, I reflected on the story of the floating axe head found in 2 Kings 6:
Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.” Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there, and made the iron float. And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.
— 2 Kings 6:1-7
After meditating on this, I turned to Psalm 91 to explore the connection between the two, and I instantly understood what the Lord was saying:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
— Psalm 91:1-2
IT IS IN THE DWELLING AND ABIDING!
Jesus Himself said that apart from Him, we can do nothing:
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
— John 15:5
Rest in the work comes from abiding and understanding that it is in His strength, under His command, according to His word, His timing, His correction, His leading, His presence, and His purpose. The weight and responsibility are His; we only need to be obedient to what He asks us to do.
In the account of the floating axe head, the men asked the prophet to go with them to do the work. The prophet represents the proceeding word of God. For us, spending time in His presence, immersing ourselves in His word, and being sensitive to the Holy Spirit are essential. The uncovering and restoration of lost things are revealed to us in this way. The gifts of the Holy Spirit and obedience to His voice are paramount to the work and the strength He provides. He does the heavy lifting; we just need to be willing to yield ourselves to Him and trust in all that He requires us to do.
To do this, we must abide.
The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning and shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.
— Leviticus 6:12-13
It is up to us to maintain fellowship with the Lord. Every day, we should be willing to fan the flame of our relationship with Him and keep the peace offering alive. Even Jesus understood this and modeled it for us:
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed.
— Mark 1:35
The psalmist David said:
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
— Psalm 63:1-4
The apostle Paul reminded Timothy:
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
— 2 Timothy 1:6-7
God empowers us to do the work and to be HIS witnesses. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. Even Jesus, the Son of God, had this to say:
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
— John 5:19
We cannot see spiritually without spending time with Jesus. Time in His presence. Dwelling in the shelter of the Most High and abiding with Him.