Beloved, work sandwiched by grace is Kingdom-rest. Thus, in the shadow-Promised Land of Israel, the gracious distribution of free manna ceased – Josh. 5:12.
And Israel entered another economic system of God’s provision based on working as directed by Him to enjoy the already-made cities, wells, furnished houses and vineyards –
Deut. 6:10-11.
Work in the first Kingdom era
Beloved, working as directed by God is working even in the ‘Promised Land of rest’. This is how the Kingdom system, which today is our Promised-Land operates. And, such is how our first parents worked in the first Kingdom era in Eden. You know, all of the work in Eden was finished by God on the fifth day, (five being the number of grace) – Gen. 2:8.
Then on the sixth day, Adam and Eve were created to graciously inherit what they had not worked for i.e. the Garden of Eden. But, although they had graciously already received the Garden, God directed them to work in it in order to sustain or ‘dress and keep it’ – “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”
Working in rest
Beloved, this is working in rest or working as directed by God. Adam and Eve were at rest because everything was finished before they freely inherited it.
But God directed them to work in rest. So, in the Kingdom system, you work in rest because you work under the motivation of Jesus’ gracious provisions that you freely inherit – 1 Cor.15:10. Such is Kingdom-rest.
Hallelujah!
Beloved, understand therefore that Kingdom-rest is not being idle, lazy and inactive under the guise of spirituality. Rather, it is literally working as directed by God. Amen!
Working in pleasure
And the other thing about Kingdom-rest is that: the results of your work far exceed the work you put in. It is because God takes the work from your work by His gracious Help. This way, you work with pleasure and joy, in a way that you do not have stress from the work, although the work may be challenging.
Work/reward mismatch
And on top, you are rewarded in a manner that is above the work you put in. Wow! Such is working in rest or working in grace. My friend, working as directed by God and because of His grace is the way to seek the Kingdom of God to come in your life and society now.
Hallelujah!
Access and ownership
You know, in the Kingdom system of Eden, God gave mankind free or unconditional access to all things, not ownership of those things – Gen. 2:16.
So understanding that, even now, access to all things is already graciously given to you. It is left for you to just take whatever you want yourself in God’s Garden of gracious provisions, just as Adam and Eve were to do in Eden.
Free but not automatic
This is important to understand because free or gracious access to the blessings of God does not mean that He imposes them on you, whether you want them or not. No beloved, God’s grace or love is unconditional, but it is not automatic. So you can reject it through idleness or accept it by obeying His instructions.
Thus, in God’s Kingdom economic arrangement, any giver or distributor of God’s goods become blessed by his obedience to God’s instructions (or rule in his life) to distribute. That makes him receive more for his custody, since he can be trusted to part with anything on instructions.
Abandon ownership
Beloved, this Kingdom economic system and mindset was visited on the early Church believers. Yes, they abandoned ownership of resources and gave out as instructed by God – Acts 4:32. As a result, no one lacked among them – Acts 4:34.
The same principle, not necessarily practice, is relevant to the Last-day Church. So, you can practically live in the Kingdom of God now. Yes, you do that by having the Kingdom mindset and lifestyle of total submission of your life and resources to the Lord Jesus and His Kingdom-word.
And as true as the Lord Jesus is, you will never lack if you let Him and His Kingdom-words regulate your life and resources. Beloved, this is how to seek for the Kingdom of God to come now – Col. 3:1ff.
