Podcast Episode 169 - Growing Closer to God pt 4 - Rest in Father’s Presence
/Listen
Read
Have you ever been afraid to come to God?
Some days do you want to crawl under a rug and hide from the hurt and pain in your life or the world?
Do you need a place to get refreshed, where your heart feels full?
Today, I’m sharing secret #3, so you can grow closer to God!
So today is for you if.
If you’re tired of being tired, whether physically, emotionally or spiritually.
If you desire to follow God better but aren’t sure how.
If you’re ready to feel full and satisfied with your relationship with God and life.
Secret 3: Rest in Father’s Presence
When you know, you’re loved and freely receive Father’s grace; you can finally rest in His presence.
There’s nothing between you to hinder the relationship.
Resting in Father’s Presence isn’t a one-time in-the-morning gig. It’s continual and throughout the day.
John 14:16-17 NASB
16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you [and will be in you.
1 John 4:15-16 Mirror Study Bible
15 For anyone to see and to say that Jesus is the Son of God is to awaken to the awareness that we are continuously, seamlessly joined in oneness. 16 And thus we have come to know and believe the love that God has unveiled within us. God is love. Love is who God is; to live in this place of conscious, constant love, is to live immersed in God and to feel perfectly at home in his indwelling.
You’re not alone and adrift in the universe; you are at home in the Father’s good pleasure. – Godfrey Birtill: The Wine is Alive!
Have you noticed we’ve spent a lot of time in the apostle John’s writings–the books of John and 1 John?
John was called the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” We see this four times in the Gospels…all in the book of John.
This means John called himself the “disciple whom Jesus loved!”
John was also the disciple right next to Jesus at the last supper, and whenever Jesus took three disciples away, like when Jesus went to the mountain and transformed before them and talked with Moses and Elijah. John was always right there with Jesus.
John knew how loved he was, and he knew how to rest in God’s presence.
He’s also the only disciple not to be martyred. I personally feel like John’s revelation of love had something to do with that.
John gives us the key to resting in Father’s presence in John 15.
John 15:5 NASB
1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
Father is the vinedresser:
Vinedressers know the area, climate and soil all contribute to the vines’ ability to bear fruit and the quality of fruit.
They can prune more branches to allow more sun through for cooler climates or less for warmer temperatures to prevent sunburn.
What’s interesting about grapevines is that new fruit won’t grow on old branches. They must be pruned annually in the winter when the branches are bare.
How often have we been in what feels like the Winter months, a cold, harsh season of life? But through it, Father is pruning us so that when Spring hits, we bear more fruit than we could have if He left us as we were.
Side note…It goes along with understanding resting in Father’s grace:
John 15:6 NASB
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
4442 pýr – fire. In Scripture, fire is often used figuratively (the “fire of God”) of what transforms everything it touches into likeness with itself. God’s Spirit, like a holy fire, enlightens and purifies believers to share more and more in His likeness.
Looking at this word in context, it seems more like when someone doesn’t abide in the vine, God uses that time to do a work in them, transforming them through using outside circumstances and turning their mess into their message if they allow the fire to do that work in them.
So it’s not you’re going to hell if you don’t bear fruit; Father uses the time to enlighten and purify you.
John 15:7-11 NASB
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
Resting in Father’s presence is abiding in the Vine:
• It’s remaining in fellowship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• Allowing the vinedresser to do a work in you.
• Conversation - back and forth
• Resting - putting your whole weight on Him because He cares for you.
Have you ever gone out to coffee or lunch with a great friend, and your conversation was effortless? You look up, and it’s been three hours? Where did the time go?
When you’re done, your heart feels so full!
Resting in Father’s presence is like sitting down and having a cup of coffee and a piece of pie with a best friend. Effortless, and your heart feels so full!
Why?
Because you understand how loved you are just as you are and God’s grace has got you, now you can rest and be yourself with your Abba Daddy!
Homework:
Take time today to meditate on how loved you are. Allow Father to love you.
Embrace and thank Father for his all-encompassing grace. He’s leaning towards you to give His best offer; you just need to take it.
Now, hang with Father throughout the day. Chat, share, be vulnerable, and lay it all out there.
Anytime you’re feeling less than. Go back to Love and Grace, sit in His presence, and get filled up.
As you abide and rest in Father’s presence, you build your life’s foundation.
This foundation is the bedrock so you can finally stop hiding the real you, show up fully yourself and fulfill your God-given purpose–courageously.
If you want to grow closer to God and would love someone to come alongside you, check out the Courageous Club. I’ve designed this 12-month program so you have a safe place to learn to delight in an intimate relationship with your Heavenly Father, discover your true identity and direct your imagination to work for you so you can stop hiding, show up fully yourself and fulfill your God-given purpose courageously.