The 2018 Christmas season was a great blessing! Looking back, I can think of many memorable days. There were shopping trips (with family), holiday meals (with family), special church services (with family) and opening gifts (with family). One common denominator for all of these days, besides family, was activity! One of my memorable days, however, was different from all the rest. The very characteristic that made this day memorable was a lack of activity. There had been a particular event that had kept me busy preparing for a couple of weeks. It was enjoyable, and worth the effort, but I remember sitting down in my chair the morning after it was over, and feeling a sense of relief. There was no pressure to do anything, momentarily. There was nothing that had to be cooked or wrapped or decorated. I didn't have to be anywhere. I could lean my head back and just BREATHE! I treasured that day of rest.
God designed us to rest. Sometimes we lose sight of the value of it, but He doesn't. In fact God holds rest in such high esteem, that, in the Old Testament, when He needed to severely discipline His children, He took away their rest! "For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, 'They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.' So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" Psalm 95:10-11. Later, in the book of Jeremiah, when another generation of His children were being oppressed by Babylon, God said that He would vigorously defend their cause so that he could bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who lived in Babylon (Jeremiah 50:34). Apparently God sees rest as one of the best gifts He has for his children, and so should we.
Maybe one of the reasons we don't value rest as we should, is because we equate our worth with our work/performance. In Matthew 7:22-23 Jesus says, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'" It appears that these people did good works, but it didn't determine their worthiness before God. In the verse preceding these Jesus said these words: "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.'" (v. 21). What is the will of the Father? In Luke 10, Jesus said, "...one thing is necessary..." He commends Mary for having "...chosen..." it. What was this one necessary thing? The only thing we are told about Mary in context of this verse is that she "...was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word." It seems that Jesus primarily wants our adoration and our attention. Drinking in the Lord puts us in a position to hear His direction for our lives. Productive activity is born out of rest in the Lord's presence. In John 15:5 Jesus said, "...he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."
The Bible tells us about a day when Jesus apostles were so busy, that "...they did not even have a chance to eat..." (Mark 6:31). Jesus said to them: "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Can you imagine getting an invitation like that? This invitation was to go to a physical place, and rest with Jesus. Actually, they got a better invitation than this one from Jesus, and we are also recipients of this invitation. It's found in Matthew 11:28-29. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." We learn from these verses that true rest comes from Jesus, and that this is not a physical rest, but a rest for the soul. It is meant to be experienced twenty-four/seven. It is not a rest of complete inactivity --- "...take my yoke..." It involves service, but service to a loving master who shares the load "...My yoke is easy and my burden is light." (v. 30).
Notice that in Mark 6:31 and in Matthew 11:28, that Jesus recognizes weary, burdened people. Both verses contain an important word for people, whether in need of physical rest, or rest for their souls. That word is "Come..." Jesus is issuing an invitation. In Luke 14:17 it is clear that the word "come" is used in context of an invitation. Of course the most important invitation we get from Jesus is rest from the weight of sin. Many of us who take Jesus up on this invitation, neglect to experience the rest in Him that He wants us to give us daily. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things." Philippians 4:6-8. Again, in these verses, the way to experience inner peace (rest) is found in Mary's posture...being at His feet, adoring Him, and subjecting our hearts and minds to Him.
Jeremiah 50:6 has to be among the saddest verses in the Bible. Speaking of God's people, it says, "My people have been lost sheep...They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place." Let us not commit this travesty as we travel Highway 2019. Whether it turns out to be relatively smooth, or to contain major potholes, let us take advantage of our perpetual rest stop along the way...JESUS!
Corresponding Thought:
God designed us to rest. Sometimes we lose sight of the value of it, but He doesn't. In fact God holds rest in such high esteem, that, in the Old Testament, when He needed to severely discipline His children, He took away their rest! "For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, 'They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.' So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" Psalm 95:10-11. Later, in the book of Jeremiah, when another generation of His children were being oppressed by Babylon, God said that He would vigorously defend their cause so that he could bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who lived in Babylon (Jeremiah 50:34). Apparently God sees rest as one of the best gifts He has for his children, and so should we.
Maybe one of the reasons we don't value rest as we should, is because we equate our worth with our work/performance. In Matthew 7:22-23 Jesus says, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'" It appears that these people did good works, but it didn't determine their worthiness before God. In the verse preceding these Jesus said these words: "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.'" (v. 21). What is the will of the Father? In Luke 10, Jesus said, "...one thing is necessary..." He commends Mary for having "...chosen..." it. What was this one necessary thing? The only thing we are told about Mary in context of this verse is that she "...was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word." It seems that Jesus primarily wants our adoration and our attention. Drinking in the Lord puts us in a position to hear His direction for our lives. Productive activity is born out of rest in the Lord's presence. In John 15:5 Jesus said, "...he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."
The Bible tells us about a day when Jesus apostles were so busy, that "...they did not even have a chance to eat..." (Mark 6:31). Jesus said to them: "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Can you imagine getting an invitation like that? This invitation was to go to a physical place, and rest with Jesus. Actually, they got a better invitation than this one from Jesus, and we are also recipients of this invitation. It's found in Matthew 11:28-29. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." We learn from these verses that true rest comes from Jesus, and that this is not a physical rest, but a rest for the soul. It is meant to be experienced twenty-four/seven. It is not a rest of complete inactivity --- "...take my yoke..." It involves service, but service to a loving master who shares the load "...My yoke is easy and my burden is light." (v. 30).
Notice that in Mark 6:31 and in Matthew 11:28, that Jesus recognizes weary, burdened people. Both verses contain an important word for people, whether in need of physical rest, or rest for their souls. That word is "Come..." Jesus is issuing an invitation. In Luke 14:17 it is clear that the word "come" is used in context of an invitation. Of course the most important invitation we get from Jesus is rest from the weight of sin. Many of us who take Jesus up on this invitation, neglect to experience the rest in Him that He wants us to give us daily. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things." Philippians 4:6-8. Again, in these verses, the way to experience inner peace (rest) is found in Mary's posture...being at His feet, adoring Him, and subjecting our hearts and minds to Him.
Jeremiah 50:6 has to be among the saddest verses in the Bible. Speaking of God's people, it says, "My people have been lost sheep...They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place." Let us not commit this travesty as we travel Highway 2019. Whether it turns out to be relatively smooth, or to contain major potholes, let us take advantage of our perpetual rest stop along the way...JESUS!
Corresponding Thought:
A bulging wallet can't buy a mattress thick enough
To give the rest you long for, when your mind's full of stuff.
The secret to having a comfortable bed
is to give God all the worries, that dance in your head.
To give the rest you long for, when your mind's full of stuff.
The secret to having a comfortable bed
is to give God all the worries, that dance in your head.
