THE REST OF GOD

Hebrews 4:9-11
9 There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered into his rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience. (WEB)

God has created us with the need to rest. It has been built into the DNA of every living thing. Without the proper rest, things don't function properly. It is amazing to see how our Heavenly Father designed the human body so that it would be dependent on rest. He could have made us to be able to go, go, go without the need to stop and rest, but He didn't.

Without proper sleep every day, we can become sick and non productive in our waking hours. Have you ever wondered why God created us to sleep one third of our lives? I believe it is because rest is a very important part of not only surviving, but thriving in the world that we live in.

Not only did God create us with the need for physical rest at night, but He commanded the Israelites to take one day out of seven and rest then too. This is what they call the Sabbath. The last day of each week that is set apart to simply rest and reflect on God.

Since we live in a driven culture that expects 24/7 customer service, it is very difficult to find rest amidst all of the noise and demands around us. It is easy to even feel guilty when we get a chance to rest. I guess this is understandable in a society that associates value with productivity. If you are not producing, what good are you?

Well I am thankful that God's view of things is vastly different than broken humanity's view of things. The value that He has placed on us is not linked with our personal productivity. He loves us because He loves us. There is no other reason! And He invites each one of us to enter into a Sabbath rest in our hearts where we cease from all our own striving and self-effort.

My prayer today is that we all could see the amazing value in entering into God's rest. Being at rest does not mean being lazy or self-centered. Jesus lived His life on earth at complete rest, yet He accomplished everything His Father sent Him to do. May each one of us find the place of rest that God has set aside for us, even in the most busy, demanding times in our life. If Jesus could fall asleep in the midst of a storm, so should we be able to find rest in the midst of even the most chaotic of circumstances.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus extends an invitation to each one of us to come to Him to find rest. May we all be diligent to enter into the rest that He promises today...

28 “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (WEB)