And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
—Exodus 33:14
It’s been a long two weeks of constant work. I spent yesterday trying to get caught up and preparing for my class this week, and I will spend some of today doing the same. When I think about rest, Matthew 11:28 usually comes to mind: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Sometimes, we do need to look to God to give us the rest we need.
Work, especially if it’s work we love, gives us a sense of purpose and well-being. Genesis 2:15 tells us that God created us for work, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” However, it is not healthy to work all the time. There are times when we can become consumed with work, leading to increased stress, and straining our relationships. This is how I have felt these last couple of weeks.
God calls us to take a break from work. He gives us a day of rest each week. God set apart the seventh day as a holy day, to help us enter God’s rest and experience restoration, though Christians now take the first day of the week for rest. Some of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were so concerned about keeping the Sabbath, they prevented any form of work from taking place, even healing those who were suffering. Jesus corrected this misunderstand of the Sabbath on several occasions (Mark 3:1-6; Luke 13:10-17; John 9:14). Mark 2:27 teaches people that “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”
The Sabbath is a gift of God’s grace, that helps us to experience life more fully by setting apart time to reflect on God as the center of our life. God is the one who provides for us. He is the one who heals and restores us. He is the one who saves us from our sin and invites us to share in His rest by placing our faith in the finished work of our savior, Jesus Christ. Hebrews 4:9 says, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.”
When we rest in God, we deepen our relationship with Him. We increase our dependence on God for both His material and spiritual provision. Glorifying God should be the central aspect of both our work and our rest. God promises that if we turn to Him for rest, He will restore our souls. The beginning of 23rd Psalm in verses 1-3 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Sometimes, we need God to remind us to rest.
P.S. Even Isabella could tell I was tired and needed rest, she let me sleep until 5:30 this morning.
