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Sunday, May 12, 2013

The 'Rest' of Faith

Photo credit: www.visualphotos.com
God does not take a break. 
He works all the time.
We are not like that. 
We need to rest.
But there is more than one kind of rest.
First, there is the rest we take when our work is done:
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day, He rested from all His work.--Genesis 2:2

So, I nap on Sunday afternoon, right?
Maybe, but there is more.
The real rest God has for us is not just the break we take after digging a ditch or cooking a meal or building a house.
Our best work before God has less to do with our muscles than with our head and heart.
The real work God wants from us is to believe, and His rest is His reward.
 
"They are a people whose hearts go astray,
and they have not known my ways."
So I declared an oath in my anger,
"They shall never enter my rest."--Psalm 95:10-11

His rest is not a nap. His rest is the peace and luxury of His presence.
Like in this instance, when He denied the promised land to doubters and complainers, those of us who do not believe, who do not worship, will miss it.

God instructed the Israelites to rest on the first day of the week, so they made up a bunch of rules about walking and cooking, and that may still be necessary for workaholics. But He really wants us to have soft hearts before Him. That brings real rest.

So what are we to do on the seventh day?
We are to remember God, honor His ways, and worship Him, just like every day. But, because we have put aside our customary physical activities, we can pay special attention to Him while we do it.
Our Sunday activities are not defined by the kind of work we do as much as the One for Whom we do it. Our Sabbath is celebrated by special effort of belief, whatever that looks like.
How do I know this? Jesus said so:
The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.--Mark 2:27

11 comments:

  1. So beautifully worded! I receive the Sabbath rest; And on this Mother's Day, I will take hold of all that it has to offer.

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    1. Hope your Mothers' Day was restful, and full of the Presence.

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  2. I'm loving the reminders today to rest. Thank you for your beautiful words. Blessings.

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  3. How lovely. I hope you have a wonderful and blessed week.

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  4. thought-provoking this evening ...

    Linda

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  5. Dear Joanne
    In the letter to the Hebrews we see that the Sabbath was a shadow of our Lord Jesus. True rest is only possible as we learn how to live in Jesus.
    Blessings from Michelle's
    Mia

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    1. I like that personification. Types and shadows everywhere...you are digging deep. Thank you.

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  6. In the crazy hectic lives we lead, it can be so hard to rest. Thank you for the reminder to rest in our Lord!! Blessings to you!

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  7. Hi MrsP, I'm visiting from Finding Heaven and am your blog's newest follower. I love what you say here. God knows us so well, He designed us afterall and He knows we need physical and spiritual rest. Loved your post.
    God bless
    Tracy

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    1. Thanks so much, Tracy. Yes, I am so glad He knows us, not only because of work and rest, but that, in the face of all the disappointments of life, I can completely rely on Him. Singing His praises today.

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