Rest

Have you ever laid down for a nap, planning for it to only be an hour long and then you wake up and four hours have passed? I rarely take naps because they slow me down and don’t usually make me feel much better; but sometimes I need them. My mom always says, “Well if you slept that long you must have really needed it.” We all need rest.

Psalm 116:7

Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

In today’s society we are constantly on the move. We are busy, busy, busy and must keep going, always on call and always doing something. But there is value in rest. Like taking a longer nap than expected when you are exhausted, taking time to rest in Christ is always needed needed. Rest in Christ gives us peace, strength, and understanding. It can calm us when we are stressed or frustrated. Resting is so important that God gave us a day of rest in the commandments!

Exodus 20:8-10

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.

Mark 2:27

Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

God new rest was important, even He rested after 6 days of creation. He was the first example that rest is valuable, so valuable that even the creator of the universe needs it. And not only do we need physical rest, but we also need spiritual rest. We need to rest in the Lord, to pour all we are into Him and to trust Him with our life. We rest to be free of stress, worry, or work. We simply stop doing and let Him work through us. We let Him take over our soul and restore us.

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, 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.”

It’s important to take time to read your Bible, go to worship, and learn more about God, but it is also very beneficial to rest in Christ. In spending quality time with God, He can work wonders in a few minutes of quiet time. Sometimes He may talk to you, but sometimes He may sit in silence with you. When we have Christ, we have the ability to be renewed and refreshed spiritually in rest; we can relax and remind ourselves that the things of this world will not be exhausting us forever. We will be renewed in Heaven because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. We will be at rest forever in Heaven.

Proverbs 19:23

The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.