We continue in our series on Hope Found Here and it’s apt that this month we are going to be thinking about resting and relaxing in God.
“Rest” is defined as “peace, ease or refreshment.” “Relax” means “to become loose or less firm, to have a milder manner, to be less stiff.”
What does the Bible say about rest?
Rest is an important theme that is spoken of throughout the Word of God. From the very beginning, the Bible speaks about the importance of rest starting with the creation week in Genesis: On the seventh day God had finished His work of creation, so He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when He rested from all His work of creation. (Genesis 2:2-3)
After six days of creation, God looks at what He has made, the work of His hands, and says it is very good. Then on the seventh day God calls something “holy”, the Sabbath, the day of rest which God places into the time and space of His creation.
Holy is a very small word that has a lot of meaning: dedicated, sacred, consecrated, hallowed, sanctified, venerated, revered, reverenced, divine, blessed, dedicated.
Holiness is at the very centre of God’s character, and God gives the day of rest the same attribution of holiness.
Do you see the importance God places on rest, on the Sabbath?
In the modern world, rest has lost it’s importance. In the modern world, rest is considered the opposite of productivity. Some people think of rest as something they have to do so that they can regain the energy to work. A day of rest has become just a functional necessity, to serve our working lives, instead of honouring the higher meaning and significance of the Sabbath.
In Genesis 2 God works and then rests. God is omnipotent, God is all powerful, God does not need to rest for reasons of physical tiredness or exhaustion. God does not need to rest so He can become more productive, after six days God has already created everything in the universe.
God chooses to rest, to pause, to stop and relax, to give us a perfect example of what we should do ourselves. At first God gives mankind an example to follow. But men and women often think they know better than God and people chose to ignore God’s example of rest. So in The Ten Commandments, God made resting on the Sabbath a requirement of the Law, listen to Exodus 20:8-11, “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
The foundational truth of this, the fourth commandment, is based on God’s pattern of working six days and resting on the seventh, it is a truth that makes an explicit link between creation and observing the Sabbath, “For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested.”
Perhaps because people ignore the truth of how God created everything and then rested they think it is acceptable to ignore the Sabbath as well.
Notice God said, “Remember to observe” it wasn’t something new; since creation began, all of God’s people and their servants and the animals were to have one day in seven to rest. Maybe if more people believed the truth of creation then more people would understand the importance of a day of rest, a day set apart as Holy for the Lord.
The command to rest was not and is not an excuse to be lazy. You work for six days, get to the Sabbath and then rest. If God makes something a commandment for His people, then it must be a vital and important component of our lives.
Do you understand how serious God is about the importance of rest? Perhaps you need a little more encouragement, Exodus 31:16-17, “The people of God must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. It is a permanent sign of my covenant with my people. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He stopped working and was refreshed.’”
The Sabbath is a signpost which points to the “covenant” between God and His people the relationship we enjoy with God. Having a day of rest, keeping the Sabbath, is a way of living out the special relationship we as the people of God have with God.
When we meet together as His church on the sabbath we can experience renewal, spiritual refreshment and we can rest in God’s presence.
God has given us the Sabbath so that we can step aside from the pressures and demands of our working week and reconnect with Him.
God’s desire to be in an intimate relationship with you, God gives you the time for both work and rest to enable you to be the person He has saved you to be. The Sabbath gives you the opportunity to rest physically, but more importantly it gives you the opportunity to rest and draw near to God.
Will you choose to make time to pause, stop, relax and be refreshed in the presence of God?
Do you need to learn how to rest and relax?
Rest. Maybe you are like me. You see I understand the importance of rest. I can understand how important it is for people to rest. The problem is I often can’t work out how to find the time to rest myself. There always seems to be something I need to do.
My mind is always active with things I need to do, today, tomorrow, next week, I always have a full to-do list:
Write next Sunday’s sermon. Call Paul. Speak to Andrea. Call Diane. Visit Keith. Edit the podcast. Update the website.
Design an advert for the next First Sunday event. Create a video for the September Celebration Sunday. Work on the next Bible Study for 20:20. And the list goes on and on and on....
Yet, sometimes, I can’t escape the feeling I’m still not doing enough for Jesus. A good day for me is often defined by getting things done on my list. Not the people I’ve interacted with. Not the time I’ve spent with God. Not the things I’ve learned. Not if I have rested. Just what I’ve done. What am I really accomplishing by being busy all the time?
If we consider the life of Jesus and how the Gospels record He spent His days, Jesus never seemed hurried, though He was inundated by people with urgent needs. Most of the time Jesus was surrounded by crowds, it seems He barely had enough time to breathe.
Events happened quickly, one after the other. For example in Mark 1:21-34, Jesus went from preaching in a synagogue, to casting out a demon, to healing a sick friend, to ministering to the whole city gathered at His door at sundown. All of that in just one day!
After this packed and exhausting day in Mark 1:35, we read, “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.”
Jesus had ministered to others, poured Himself out, then Jesus left everyone to draw aside and spend quality time with Father God. This is a pattern Jesus repeats throughout the Gospels. In Mark 6:31-32, after the death of John the Baptist, Jesus said to the disciples, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.”
When the disciples were physically and mentally exhausted, too busy even to attend to their own physical needs, Jesus knew it was time to draw aside and rest. Jesus knew the importance of rest, do we? Do I? Jesus understood the importance of balance, Jesus ensured there were times of rest into His life.
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
The Message says it like this, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Do you need to learn how to rest and relax?
Jesus says I will show you how to take a real rest, watch how He does it, learn from Him. Jesus offers us rest and He shows us how to do it. Rest is a necessity not an optional extra! Rest is an act of worship, not a sign of laziness.
Jesus made time for spiritual rest, physical rest and emotional rest.
Spiritual rest - Jesus made time to be alone with God. Jesus knew He needed to hear God’s voice, understand God’s direction, and rest in God’s presence. Spiritual rest requires determination, we must ensure we spend time with God.
Early in the morning, during the day, or late at night, draw aside and come into the presence of God. Refreshment and renewal comes from spending time with God. God knows your deepest needs. God fills you when you are empty. God knows what is best for you. You need to be still so you can hear His voice.
Physical rest - the Bible tells us that even Jesus, the Son of God, slept. I don’t sleep for more than 6 or 7 hours, I never have an afternoon nap. Jesus fell asleep in a boat with the disciples in the midst of a raging storm. When others expected His help, Jesus took a nap. He knew when His body needed physical rest and was unapologetic about taking it. Jesus showed His disciples and He shows us the importance of physical rest.
Emotional rest - Jesus knew it was important to withdraw from the crowds for emotional rest. Jesus would move away and leave the crowds of people, even when they desperately wanted Him. In the midst of chaos, when people were demanding His attention, Jesus was clear about what God was calling Him to do and Jesus got into a boat with His disciples and went to the other side, to be away from the multitudes.
Do you struggle with finding rest?
Do you allow seemingly urgent needs to drive your activity? Do you let perceived demands and supposed needs determine what you do? Do you think, “If I don’t do it, it will not get done”?
The truth is nothing can hinder God’s work. If God wants something to happen it will happen. God does not want you to be spiritually, physically or emotionally exhausted. God does not need you to be spiritually, physically or emotionally exhausted to accomplish His purposes.
God invites you, God commands you to rest. Remember the Sabbath and rest. Slow your pace, enjoy spending time with God. Don’t worrying about what’s not done.
Matthew 6:31-34, “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
God calls all of us to fully rest in Him. To enjoy spiritual, physical and emotional rest. Let me encourage you to make time for God and to take time to rest.
You can find rest in God.
Rest does not come naturally to some people, but God commands us to rest. When people lack rest they can suffer physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. To really rest, we need to trust that God is in control. We have to trust God that if we take a rest, a day off, a Sabbath, the world will not end. God loves you so much that he was willing to leave the place of perfect rest in order to enter into the unrest of this world.
Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, described Himself in Matthew 8:20 as someone who had no place even to lay His head. Why? So that in Him, His followers, His disciples can find real rest.
For us, our ultimate rest is found in Jesus. He invites all who are “weary and burdened” to come to Him and cast their cares on Him.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29).
If rest feels elusive, come to Jesus. Jesus invites us into a rest that we can only find in Him, a rest rooted in faith and the assurance we are deeply and unconditionally loved. We can rest safely in the arms of our heavenly Father.
Rest comes when we fully trust God, not just saying we trust Him, actually trusting Him. Rest comes when we declare Jesus is our Lord and our Saviour. What does that mean? Jesus is not just someone we read about in the Bible, Jesus is someone who changes in us. God is at the centre of our thoughts and the centre of our lives.
When we think and live in complete faith and trust, then we fully experience the rest Father God offers us in Jesus. If you want to find rest fully trust in God. When we choose to trust God, fear has no grip on us. Anxiety and stress and worry all melt away and we can rest.
Jesus invites all of us who are restless, unrelaxed, anxious, worried, burdened, overwhelmed or exhausted to come to Him. Will you accept this invitation from Jesus? Will you choose to accept the rest your soul longs for?
It is only in Jesus that we can find complete rest, rest from the problems and cares of this world, rest from sorrow and hurt, rest from the busyness of the week, rest from our striving and labour, rest God has commanded us to take.
We all need a Sabbath, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can find rest in God every day not just once a week, every day. Every day, we can give Jesus our burdens and experience His perfect peace. Every day we can find rest by surrendering our minds, our hearts, our everything to God.
I will close with this: Resting as God rested, reminds we are created in God’s image. The Sabbath is God’s invitation to each of us to enjoy time with Him, to delight in Him, to worship Him.
Physical rest and spiritual rest are essential for each and every one of us. God has given you the freedom to choose to rest, to be still, to know that God is God.
Jesus is the “lord of the sabbath,” His life, death, and resurrection restores our relationship with God. Because of Jesus we are able to rest in the presence of God and by faith we can know a deep spiritual rest.
The final thought it this:
When Jesus offers to take your burdens, He means it.
Jesus provides the way for you to rest securely in Him.
May I encourage each of us to follow Christ, draw on His strength to live and work; and to take the time to rest, spiritually, physically and emotionally in God.
Remember to observe the Sabbath because Hope is Found Here, when you choose to rest and relax in God.
AMEN
