Finding Supernatural Breakthrough by Resting

Apr. 17, 2017 | By Creflo Dollar

When we encounter problems and tough situations, we can respond two ways. We can either stress out over them or ask God for his help in the matter. Many people struggle unsuccessfully with their issues without getting the results they want because they rely on their own efforts. True breakthrough comes when we rest in the finished works of Jesus, knowing that he has done everything that needs to be done for our victory in any situation.

In this context, resting doesn’t mean inactivity. We can’t just kick back, sit down, and do nothing. We must put our hands to the task and do what needs to be done, but rest while we’re working. This rest in based in our complete trust in Jesus and his ability to lighten any burden. “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 kind of rest Jesus is referring to gives us peace of mind in any circumstance, and it’s what God wants for us. This rest has always been available to us, but we must claim it for ourselves by faith (Hebrews 4:3, 9-11). This is a place reserved for us on a spiritual level, and we reach it when we learn to have complete confidence in Christ.

Faith in God’s ability pushes out fear, worry, and anxiety, emotions to which the world has become accustomed. When we fully believe in what Jesus did for us, and we see the connection between his actions and our peace, we’re empowered to defeat these crippling emotions. The devil hates it when we have that kind of power, but working out of rest paralyzes the enemy and his ability to bring destruction and pain into our lives.

We can work for months, or even years, with the wrong frame of mind, and see nothing come of our efforts. When we finally give up and trust God to handle the problem, things begin to happen because of his grace toward us. The connection between rest and grace became even more evident to me when I studied the book of Genesis and realized that the Hebrew translation of Noah is “rest.” “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8). For us, this means that stress or worry won’t find grace, but rest will.

When we’re trying to control the outcome of a situation, we create stress and anxiety for ourselves. Our mind is racing, frantically searching for a solution, and it’s anything but quiet and peaceful. God’s message to us is simple. “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10). Trusting him gives much-needed peace to our souls and rest to our spirits.

On three separate occasions when Jesus healed people, he healed them on the Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest (Luke 6:6-10; Luke 13:10-14; John 5:1-16). Most likely, each person had given up hope of ever being healthy again, but their trust in him brought breakthrough in their lives. Now that we’re under grace, Jesus himself is our sabbath and our rest. We find our peace and rest in him, and letting him work for us allows us to prosper and succeed in everything we do.