Spiritually, I believe the Lord’s remnant is camped at the Jordan River in Moab, directly across from the promised land (Numbers 33:48-52). It is time for the remnant to cross the Jordan and enter the Lord’s land of promise. When Israel crossed into the promised land they supposed they would have rest by possessing a natural land. However, they only obtained an outward rest by driving out the inhabitants of the land and taking control of it:
“Now it came to pass, a long time after the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua was old, advanced in age.” (Joshua 23:1 NKJV)
The children of Israel were never able to obtain an inward rest which transforms one inwardly because Christ was not in them. Christ is rest. He can release His rest in us until we are completely filled with His “rest.”
“For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.” (Hebrews 4:8-9 NKJV)
Many believers and leaders have not yet entered into the “rest” of the Lord Jesus Christ. I have progressed in this over the last decade but have been recently shown by the Lord my need to fully enter His rest. I have been shown that I have not allowed enough of His “rest” to fill and control me. His rest fills us when Christ Himself controls us inwardly.
Thankfully the Lord is very gracious to us and is extending His grace to us now. He is making a way for His remnant to enter into His “rest” by His grace. It’s time to journey from Moab into the promise of Christ. It’s time to be filled with His life and enter into His rest.
Unrest
My last name, "Unruh,” means “restless” or “unrest” in the German language. Years ago, the Lord revealed to me that just as He changed Jacob’s name from “supplanter” to “God prevails”, He was changing mine from “restless” to “restful.” Just as Jacob struggled with the angel of the Lord over this internal change in nature, so has it been a struggle for me over the years to truly be restful.
Our self-life can fight to stay alive and continue in its old ways. Our focus and striving for natural or spiritually outward things can control us and keep us in a constant state of restlessness if we allow it. We must allow Christ to change us inwardly by filling us with His life. His life leads us to inward rest. We will be shaken in the days ahead when everything that can be shaken is being shaken, if we don’t have Christ’s inward rest. Without the inward “rest” of Christ, we will certainly be like the disciples were in the boat with Jesus: shaken, panicked, restless, and afraid (Mark 4:35-41).
Unrest Defined
Some people are in a state of unrest because of their health, finances, job, not having a spouse, not having children, not having a church or spiritual family, or because they don’t own a home. Some people have been in these situations for many years, and it seems as if the Lord has not changed the situation or heard their prayers. But have we learned to enter His inward rest so that these situations have no effect on us? Could it be that the Lord is allowing some of these external hardships until we learn to enter into His “rest” in the midst of these storms? Maybe after we have entered into His “rest” and we are no longer being restless in the midst of these difficult situations, the Lord will move and remedy these hardships. But we must be diligent to enter His “rest” and pass the trial.
How many believers are restless because of the lack of revival, the power of God, miracles, healings, spiritual transformation, salvations, and a general lack of anointing in the church? Are you restless because your prophetic words have not yet come to pass in full measure or because the Lord has not been using you in the way that He has called you? Maybe the giant that is standing in your way is “restlessness.” Maybe you must pass the trial and overcome restlessness before the breakthrough can come in full measure. How can we be ambassadors of Christ if we do not carry Christ’s “rest” and demonstrate the nature of the One we are representing?
Christ does not need ministers who can preach good sermons about Him. Jesus wants ambassadors who have His nature and life flowing from them and changing people. He desires His ambassadors to “be” His “rest” and release it to the restless people of the world. How can a restless church impart peace and rest if she is restless herself? Ministers of peace must have the Prince of Peace living through them in order to bring peace. You can only give what you are. Sometimes we want the Lord to use us in outward demonstrations of power before we are inwardly ready. Only inward rest can handle the demonic storm that will come against those ambassadors who are ministering in power, miracles, signs, and wonders.
Resting in Any Circumstance
“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:” (Philippians 4:11 NKJV)
Paul walked inwardly with the Lord. He progressed on the spiritual journey with the Lord in such a way that he was able to enter into His “rest.” The “rest” of Christ filled Paul and drove out all the restlessness. Paul had the Lord and the life of the Lord was flowing in and through Paul. The life of Jesus was all that Paul needed. All the other things that pulled on Paul’s attention causing him to be restless were gone. Paul had completely given himself over to the Person who is “rest.” That Person transformed Paul causing Paul to rest from worldly concerns. This is how Paul learned to be content in every state or stage of life. Through Christ we can also learn to be content regardless of our present circumstances and enter into rest.
Jesus was an example of rest. He waited until He was 30 years old (until the commission came from the Father) to begin preaching, healing the sick, and casting out demons. Think about how many people Jesus watched dying from sickness, living demonically possessed, or those that were spiritually lost. If Jesus was moved by internal restlessness then He would have started ministry at the age of 20 so that He could help all the people the needed it. However Jesus rested in His Father and did not allow Himself to come into an inward state of restlessness by focusing His attention on the needs of people. Jesus rested until the fullness of time had come.
World of Unrest
Since 2020, the world has been rapidly plunging into greater and greater restlessness. The nations are raging with unrest because of political and military turmoil. Wars and unrest are frequently discussed in global news. Despite the prophesying from the prophets of “peace and safety,” the words of Jesus in Matthew Chapter 24 are becoming more of a reality with each passing day.
We are entering the storm at the end of the age and the severity will only increase. The Lord is warning us so that we will enter into His “rest.” Those who do not have the peace of Christ reigning in their hearts will be at great risk of their hearts failing because of the pressure that is about to come upon the face of the earth:
““And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (Luke 21:25-26 NKJV)
We must be aware of the things that are taking place throughout the world and the schemes of the enemy so we are not caught off guard. However if we overfocus on evil or the globalist agenda we will begin to lose our rest. Focusing on the restlessness will cause us to be restless. We have to focus on Christ who gives us peace and rest.
Entering Christ’s Rest
There still remains a “rest” for the people of God to enter into.
“Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.” (Hebrews 4:1 NKJV)
“Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:11 NKJV)
It is by grace that we enter into Christ’s rest. As we each seek Jesus and journey with Him, He will guide us and bring us into His rest.
“For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” (Hebrews 4:10 NKJV)
The Lord completed everything necessary for us to enter into His rest. We must cease from our own striving and restlessness if we are going to abide in His finished work and partake of His rest. Christ is our promise.
Prayer
Lord, I ask that you remove restlessness from all of us. Let your presence flow directly from Your throne in our hearts and fill our temples. Father, let Your “rest” flow in us. I ask for an increase in Christ’s life, peace, and rest in each person; in Jesus name.
-Ty Unruh (October 2023)
