Mat 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
What is this "labor" that makes us "heavy laden"?
Ecc 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.
We can never find "rest" in what 'we' do in our carnal works, we are just "grasping for the wind." There is only one way to have "rest" and to be "free" and that is through the Spirit of truth - Jesus Christ.
John 14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
John 8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
v. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
if lifes' troubles are to be born by us what good does it do us to pray for relief?
We rest by the spirit of God indwelling and we know God is in control of everything and we have confidence in Him even though we don't know what is going to happen. We should always be seeking Him in prayer, to acknowledge that He is sovereign and speak with Him concerning the things that are happening in our life. Not to change His mind, but because He is our Father and He loves us and we should know that whatever we have to endure is for the ultimate good.
Here is a bit from the 2007 conference.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php?topic=4472.0 --------
like the old saying; act like it all depends on you and pray like it all depends on God. That’s the way you should live your life. He could not help but pray.
What appears to be contradictions are not contradictions, when you have a higher spiritual understanding of what it’s talking about. Let me show you a perfect example and it sounds like a contradiction, but it’s not.
Phi 2:12 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
Doesn’t that contradict this whole thing... we’re saved by grace and not of works? Now we’re to work out our own salvation? What is that? How do you explain that “Of Myself I can do nothing” (John 5:30)? And He said YOU can do nothing (John 15:5), to the apostles. Then Paul says “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Well it does sound like a contradiction. But read the next verse and He tells us why. "For" now that word always means ‘because' or it’s another word for because.
Phi 2:13 “For (because) it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”
Some of you probably still don’t get the answer, but it is there. "Work out your own salvation," is not the gist of that saying. He is not saying, work out your own salvation(.) No, He’s saying “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, that’s where the emphases is, on fear and trembling, not on work out your own salvation.
You work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, why? Because it all depends on God! If God doesn’t do it, it won’t happen, IT WON’T HAPPEN! So we live in fear and trepidation.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
mercy, peace and love
Kat