Rest

 

Rest is a subject that has been on my mind the past few days. I’ve been working in the backyard getting things cleaned up for spring. The trees and the grass are still dormant but the daffodils and the tulips have already poked up above the ground. I’m fascinated by how they rest and store up their energy to burst out anew when it’s time. We also have been resting or getting ready to rest. My wife has been sick the past few days and she has been resting a lot while she gets over the effects of a respiratory bug. I’m getting ready to have an enforced rest period. By the time you read this, I will have had arthroscopic surgery on my knee and my post-operative activities are going to be limited for a while.

 

For those of us who are retired, rest comes a little easier. For those who are working, raising a family, going to school, and/or dealing with other responsibilities, rest is often what’s left over when you have gotten everything else done.

 

God places a great priority on rest. He instituted the Sabbath as a means to help us rest. He called the Israelites to not tend their crops every 7th year to give the land rest (Leviticus 25:1-7). We see throughout His creation that rest is a part of the natural order of things.

 

When we think of rest, we usually think about physical rest. We also need emotional and spiritual rest. Living life in a constant state of agitation can be more harmful to us than not getting enough sleep. We also have a need to be renewed spiritually, to have quiet time in the presence of our God. Jesus tells us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

 

Since rest is a priority for God, it should also be a priority for us. Take some time to evaluate whether you are getting sufficient rest and whether God is calling you to rearrange things in your life to get more. Don’t neglect God’s commandment for Sabbath rest.

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an ebook through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.