I was reading the scripture this week in 2 Peter 3:14 - "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless." I know the context of what Peter is writing is speaking about the coming of the Lord in the last days. However, I was thinking more along the lines of meeting with the Lord. How is it that He finds us? Are we in peace? At rest deep down in our souls? Is there agitation, irritation, or frustration? John also says in his epistle, "He who says He abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." Jesus walked in peace, lived in rest, and all that ever came out of Jesus was life; abundant, over flowing, refreshing, life giving. We ought to walk as Jesus walked. We cannot do that unless we abide in Him. Peter says we are to be without spot - meaning clean with no sin staining our inward souls. Nothing of sin to smear our spirit. Our spirit reflects our soul. That which is inward passes outward through our spirit to others. If we are abiding in God - the peace and life of God passes out of us to others. If we are agitated, frustrated or irritated in anyway and not at perfect peace, that also passes out of our soul into our spirit and effects others.
God expects us to be at rest deep down within. He has made every provision for us to be without spot and blameless. There really is no excuse for anything else. We must be diligent to be found by Him in peace. I used to think that God understood when I was not at peace - you know He understands us and accepts us, and that is true. But He does not expect us to remain in that place of unrest. "If we have sinned, we have an advocate with Jesus Christ the righteous". There is forgiveness and cleansing but we must never abide in unrest. We must be diligent to be at rest to live unto God in all things and not unto ourselves.
My other thought is when we meet together as a body of Christ He is there in the midst. Sometimes we do not feel His presence and think He has not come. But He comes to every meeting where there are two or three gathered in His name. How is it that He finds us when He comes? Know for sure that He comes, how is it that He finds us? Are we in tune to Him? Are our thoughts elsewhere? Our heart, is it near to Jesus? Be diligent! In other words, LABOR to enter into REST!
