“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” (Hebrews 4:9)
A rest is so important to us that God instituted a sabbath for us. “And He said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” (Mark 2:27) Jesus and His disciples went through a corn field on the sabbath and some of the disciples picked ears of corn as they went through it. The Pharisees protested that it was unlawful. (Mark 2:23-28) The sabbath had become this restrictive law with all kinds of rules so that it was no longer a rest. Jesus tells the Pharisee that the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath.
The rest on the sabbath is representative of the rest in God, man would have. The unbeliever, no matter the achievements, the wealth, possessions or success does not have rest. Their soul is disquieted, perturbed, agitated or distressed. It is not satisfied. Our eternal purpose is to be with God. And when they are yet apart from Him, they know no peace. People seek peace here and there and pay bunches of money to the empty promises of charlatans while avoiding the true giver of the rest they seek. Their blindness and darkness have them groping for what they need in lies and not finding it there.
There is only rest in the Lord. Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Jesus gives us the rest we seek. It’s a rest that our souls long for and for which we have searched. And so, the Lord’s Day is a day of rest. It’s a day to be reflective of Lord, meditate on His Goodness and undeserved blessings. If Sundays are a day of work, we should designate another day, a day of rest, a day dedicated to spending time with the Lord, in His rest.
“The sabbath was made for man...” It was made so man would know a tiny bit of what heaven with our God is like, our eternal rest. It’s not merely the lack of physical labor, but the lack of dissatisfaction, want or need. It’s what our souls need. It’s a refreshing and a reenergizing of our souls. This is not found in taking advantage of the free time and getting those chores done that you haven’t had time for, shopping, football or even napping.
When things go awry and your soul (mind, will and emotions) is unsettled, that’s the time to find the rest you need in Jesus. (Matthew 11:28) Seek His face and feel the embrace of His Presence. Hear the comfort of His Word. Be redirected by His wisdom. Be refreshed by His anointing and energized by His Spirit. This is the exact rest we are to have on Sundays also. It’s that bit of heaven we need. And it’s that bit of taste of our eternal rest.
It’s no wonder that Isaiah prophesied about this rest: “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) A song was written with this Scripture. It continues, “Teach me Lord. Teach me Lord to wait.” Waiting on the Lord is imperative to finding that rest. Why do we have to wait? Because we’re human. Our minds and attention, even though we are seeking His face, is filled with all kinds of things in our unrest, in our worry, in our problem and in our situation. Our soul needs time to concentrate on Him, His Word, His Promise and His Presence. As we quiet our souls our breathing becomes deeper, our mind ceases its frenzy and our soul find that quiet rest. It’s in that stillness that we sense His Presence, when all our being is aware of Him and feels His embrace. It’s also a dangerous time because this is the environment our bodies like for sleep. So, we can easily fall asleep. But commune with the Lord and reap His rest.
The song croons, “Teach me Lord. Teach me Lord to wait.” Yes! He can teach us to wait for His rest. There is a rest for us on the sabbath, no matter the day, Saturday or Sunday, or any other day. It’s a day to rest in the Lord. The Creator made it for us. Sing and pray, “Teach me Lord. Teach me Lord to wait” as you seek His Face and His rest.
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