The Power of Rest

    Rest. As human beings, we all need rest. Rest is a topic that is frequently discussed and pondered. How do we get enough? What is enough rest? Is rest more than sleep? How do we do everything that needs to be done and care for ourselves? Different cultures go about rest very differently. Where I lived for several years, in a small West African village a slower pace of life was embraced. In several countries spanning from Brazil to Italy, the workday goes a little bit later to factor in a two-to-three-hour nap time in the middle of the day. From what I've seen here in the U.S. rest is largely not practiced, either that or it is the most quickly sacrificed.  

    Different cultures look at rest in different ways. So, how are we, as Christians, supposed to look at rest? what does it mean for us? It nearly makes me weep for joy to see how thoroughly this topic is covered in the Bible. 

    Naturally, the first place that we see rest mentioned in the Bible is Genesis 2:3 "So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation." God rested. God created and modeled the Sabbath. 

    Hebrews 4:9-11"There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience."  

    God declared rest so important that He modeled it for us and gave us the Sabbath. (By the way, Sabbath is the Hebrew word for rest) I think that there is such an emphasis on true rest in the Bible because it is not natural for our flesh and how we carry out our days in the world. God created and modeled the Sabbath, for even though, in His infinite strength, He doesn't need a day of rest. He knows that we as human beings desperately need rest in every way.  

    Exodus 34:21 "Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest."

    Mark 2:27 "And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." 

    I think so often that we get things confused. Suddenly the day created for rest can become just another box to check. When was the last time you, dear reader, were able to take a day in the week, an afternoon, a morning, an hour, or even a moment to truly rest?

    In doing a little bit of Biblical research on rest, I found the following verse fascinating. 

    Isaiah 30:15 "This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."

    I find this absolutely fascinating, especially in comparison to the culture we live in today. This verse is so rich, it could probably fill a couple blog posts on its own. However, for this blog post, I will just be focusing on the beginning of the verse and the rest, quietness, and trust aspects of the verse. I will mention though, that the repentance aspect as well as the warning at the end are incredibly crucial and should not be ignored. 

    I love the first part of the verse. "This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says" 

    We need to remember who God is. Is God sovereign over all? Creator and sustainer of rest and perfect peace? Does He know what is best for us even better than we, ourselves, do? Is He the one who gives us salvation? I think losing sight of who God is, in all of His might, glory, mercy, and splendor, is incredibly dangerous for us as Christians. Losing sight of who God is causes us to lose sight of who we are in Him and because of Him, and to lose sight of our purpose here in this world. 

    What is rest? Well according to the Oxford Dictionary rest is a verb meaning to "cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength." 

    As Christians, we have found true rest and peace, so our definition would go beyond the dictionary definition. Our life, our breath, our light, our hope, our rest, and our everything is found in God. By stilling our bodies and minds we are trusting in Him to provide. We are trusting that He will protect us. We are acknowledging that He's got it all, and all that we have to do is trust. 

    Psalm 46:10 "He says, "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

    Where do we find rest? 

    Psalm 23:1-3 " The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake."

    Isaiah 40:28-31 " Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

    Zephaniah 3:17 " The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by his love; He will exalt over you with loud singing."

    Matthew 11:28-30 " Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

    Psalm 73:26 " My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

    Jeremiah 31:25 " I will fully satisfy the needs of those who are weary and fully refresh the souls of those who are faint."

    John 14:27 " Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give it to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

    We find our rest in God. He is our Shepard, our Creator, our Sustainer, our Provider, and our everything. This world cannot give us true rest, it cannot give us true peace. This world is broken and is, like us, longing for the day when true rest and peace are completely restored. We find our rest in God. 

    Rest is warfare.

    This is a concept that I think my mom mentioned a while ago as she was thinking it over, which caused me to begin contemplating it. Resting in God is spiritual warfare. There can be such a fight against true resting in God. It can be a fight to find the time, space, and even the motivation to go to God and collapse in His arms leaving everything at His feet. When we go to God and rest in Him, we are acknowledging that we cannot keep going in our own strength. We are taking down the brick walls that we have built up around our hearts and laying the bricks at His feet saying, I can't protect myself. I need you. We are bringing all of the stress, and all of the burdens and saying, please carry me. By choosing to rest in God, we are acknowledging that He is in control, and we are not. (So, often we as human beings fight against this concept, but why?? When instead of fighting it, we can enjoy the fact that we don't actually have to have life all figured out. Instead, we can trust our lives into the hands that formed every single one of us as well as our pasts, presents, and futures) By resting in God we are letting go of what we were never intended to carry, and letting God hold it all. And in doing so, in surrender, we experience so much freedom.

    The enemy wants to keep us distracted, bound up and focused on the temporary. That is why it can be a fight to find the time to truly rest in God.  

    So, I encourage you, dear reader, with James 4:7-8a "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." Draw near to God. Rest in His arms. Let Him provide for you, protect you, satisfy you, and give you rest and great peace. Take even a few moments and come to Him honestly. All He wants is you. Not all the things that you can do and accomplish. Just you, His Beloved Child. Take some time to rest in Him.     

Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Draw closer to God, dear readers, as you seek to rest in Him.