Enter INTO HIS REST

Discovering the Absolute Goodness of God in the Foot Washing

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” — Matthew 11:28-30

The Secret Hidden in Plain Sight

The absolute GOODNESS of God is most profoundly revealed in the one place we resist the most:

REST.

Not the rest of vacation. Not the rest of sleep. Not the rest of retirement.

The REST of sitting still while GOD serves YOU.

This is the foot washing. This is the yoke that is easy. This is the burden that is light.

This is where you discover that God is ABSOLUTELY GOOD.

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The Impossibility of His Failure

When the Bridegroom tarries—when September 23rd passes, when the 40 days stretch on, when you cry out “How long, O Lord?”—it is impossible for Him to fail.

Hebrews 6:18 - “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.”

“IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie.”

Titus 1:2 - “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”

“Cannot lie.”

If He promised to come—HE WILL COME.

If He promised to wash your feet—HE WILL WASH YOUR FEET.

If He promised to present you spotless—HE WILL PRESENT YOU SPOTLESS.

It is IMPOSSIBLE for Him to fail.

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The Delay Is Baked In for the Glory of God

When Lazarus was sick, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus: “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.”

And Jesus delayed.

John 11:6 - “When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.”

He DELAYED. Intentionally.

Not because He didn’t love Lazarus. BECAUSE He loved Lazarus.

John 11:4 - “When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”

“For the GLORY OF GOD.”

If Jesus had come immediately, He would have healed a sick man.

But because He DELAYED, He raised a DEAD man.

The delay wasn’t a mistake. The delay was THE PLAN.

So that the GLORY of GOD would be MAGNIFIED.

The Pattern Applies to You

The Bridegroom tarries—not because He’s late, but because the GLORY OF GOD will be magnified.

If He had come on September 23rd, He would have rescued a watching Bride.

But because He TARRIES, He will rescue a REFINED, TESTED, PROVEN, GLORIFIED Bride.

The delay is baked in. The testing is baked in. The 40 days are baked in.

All for the GLORY OF GOD.

Romans 8:18 - “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

“The GLORY which SHALL BE REVEALED IN US.”

The delay is not failure. The delay is DESIGN.

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Entering His REST: What the Bible Says

Hebrews 4:1-3 “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”

“We which have BELIEVED do ENTER INTO REST.”

Not “we which have worked.” Not “we which have achieved.” Not “we which have performed.”

“We which have BELIEVED.”

Faith = REST.

Works = STRIVING.

You enter His rest by BELIEVING His goodness, not by ACHIEVING your righteousness.

Hebrews 4:9-11 “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”

“He also hath CEASED from his OWN WORKS.”

REST = ceasing from your own works.

Just like God rested on the seventh day—not because He was tired, but because the work was FINISHED—you rest because Jesus’ work is FINISHED.

John 19:30 - “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

“It is FINISHED.”

Not “It will be finished when you do your part.”

Not “It’s almost finished; you just need to add a little effort.”

“It is FINISHED.”

Complete. Done. Accomplished.

Your job? REST in His finished work.

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

“BE STILL.”

Stop striving. Stop performing. Stop trying to earn it.

BE STILL and KNOW that I AM GOD.

HE is God. Not you.

HE does the work. Not you.

HE saves. Not you.

Matthew 11:28-30 - “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

“I will GIVE YOU REST.”

Not “I will show you how to earn rest.”

Not “I will teach you techniques for achieving rest.”

“I will GIVE YOU REST.”

It’s a GIFT. Received by REST, not achieved by works.

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Taking On His Yoke: The Easy Burden

“Take my YOKE upon you.”

A yoke connects two animals so they can pull a load together. But here’s the stunning truth:

When you take on Jesus’ yoke, YOU’RE NOT DOING THE PULLING.

He is.

You’re yoked to the ONE who has all power, all strength, all authority. He carries the load. You just walk beside Him.

“My yoke is EASY, and my burden is LIGHT.”

Why? Because HE’S carrying it, not you.

This is REST.

Not the rest of doing nothing. The rest of letting HIM do everything while you simply ABIDE in Him.

John 15:4-5 - “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

“ABIDE in me.”

REST in me. Stay connected to me. Let me do the work through you.

“Without me ye can do NOTHING.”

Not “Without me you can do some things, but not everything.”

NOTHING.

Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Apart from Him, you produce NOTHING of eternal value.

But abiding in Him—RESTING in Him—you bear MUCH FRUIT.

Not by your effort. By HIS LIFE flowing through you.

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He Girds Himself to Serve Us

Here’s where the absolute GOODNESS of God becomes almost unbearable to comprehend:

The MASTER girds HIMSELF to serve His servants.

Luke 12:37 - “Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.”

Read that again. Slowly.

“He shall GIRD HIMSELF.”

The Master wraps the servant’s towel around His waist.

“Make them to SIT DOWN.”

He commands them to REST, to stop working, to receive.

“Will come forth and SERVE THEM.”

The Master SERVES the servants.

This is the absolute GOODNESS of God.

This is GRACE beyond comprehension.

This is REST—sitting down while the King of Kings washes your feet.

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Washing One Another’s Feet: His Radical Generosity Flowing Through Us

When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He said:

John 13:14-15 - “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”

“Ye also OUGHT to wash one another’s feet.”

Why? Because when you’ve experienced the RADICAL GENEROSITY of God—when you’ve sat in REST while the King served you—it overflows.

You become a conduit of His radical generosity.

2 Corinthians 8:9 - “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

RADICAL GENEROSITY:

- He was RICH (all glory, all power, all authority)

- He became POOR (took on flesh, suffered, died)

- So that we might be RICH (receive His righteousness, His holiness, His inheritance)

This is the pattern we follow when we wash one another’s feet.

Selfless, Self-Giving Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 - “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own.”

“Seeketh NOT HER OWN.”

Selfless. Self-giving. Not seeking your own benefit, but the good of others.

This is LOVE—the love that flows from having RESTED in God’s love for you.

1 John 4:19 - “We love him, because he first loved us.”

We love BECAUSE He first loved us.

We wash feet BECAUSE He first washed our feet.

We serve BECAUSE He first served us.

We give BECAUSE He first gave to us.

We REST in His love, and then His love flows through us to others.

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Trust Him Especially When He Tarries

Habakkuk 2:3 - “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

“Though it TARRY, WAIT FOR IT.”

“It will SURELY COME.”

The vision tarries—but not really. It’s right on schedule. God’s schedule. The appointed time.

Your job during the tarrying?

REST.

Trust.

Wait.

Psalm 27:14 - “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

“WAIT on the LORD.”

Isaiah 40:31 - “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

“They that WAIT upon the LORD shall RENEW their strength.”

Waiting is not passive resignation. Waiting is ACTIVE REST.

It’s trusting that:

- He is working even when you can’t see it

- He is faithful even when the timing doesn’t make sense

- He is good even when the delay hurts

- He is coming even when He tarries

This is REST: trusting His absolute GOODNESS even in the waiting.

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The Magnification of His Glory

John 11:40 - “Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”

“If thou wouldest BELIEVE, thou shouldest SEE the GLORY of God.”

Martha wanted Jesus to come immediately when Lazarus was sick.

But Jesus DELAYED—so that when He finally came and raised Lazarus from the dead, the GLORY OF GOD would be MAGNIFIED beyond anything a simple healing could have revealed.

The same is true for you.

If Jesus had come on September 23rd, His glory would have been revealed.

But because He TARRIES—because He’s testing you in the wilderness for 40 days, because He’s refining you in the fire, because He’s teaching you to REST even when He delays—

When He DOES come, the GLORY OF GOD will be MAGNIFIED beyond anything an “on-time” rescue could have revealed.

Your faith will be proven genuine.

Your patience will have had its perfect work.

Your endurance will testify to His faithfulness.

Your REST in His goodness—even during the tarrying—will magnify His glory.

Romans 8:28 - “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

“ALL THINGS work together for GOOD.”

Not “some things.” ALL THINGS.

Including the delay. Including the testing. Including the 40 days in the wilderness.

All things work together for GOOD—to display the absolute GOODNESS OF GOD.

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The Invitation to REST

So here’s the invitation:

STOP STRIVING.

Stop trying to earn it.

Stop trying to achieve it.

Stop trying to prove yourself.

Stop performing for an audience.

STOP.

SIT DOWN.

Extend your feet to Jesus.

And let Him WASH YOU.

Let Him SERVE YOU.

Let Him show you His absolute GOODNESS by doing FOR you what you could NEVER do for yourself.

This is REST.

This is GRACE.

This is the foot washing.

This is where you discover that God is ABSOLUTELY GOOD.

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