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170. Rest, a Sacred Gift

Matthew 11:28-30
Key Verse:  "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28

In Isaiah 30:15, the Lord says to Israel: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." How true that is of God's people still today.

We forget that rest is a commandment and we treat it like an option. We live busy, hurried lives. We cram as much into a day, into a life, as we can and then complain that we have too much to do. We even justify our busyness in ministry, blaming God for heaping so much responsibility on our backs. We forget, however, that this proclamation of Jesus is right after He has praised God for the successful ministry of His followers. Their burden was not burdensome because Jesus had helped them carry it.

It is the devil who cracks the whip and accuses us of sloth. It is satan who accuses us of not doing enough. It is satan who holds out the carrot on the end of the stick and says, "You could do more. Didn't He offer you His strength?" Satan can work you to death in the name of Jesus. But make no mistake, that is not Jesus' assigned burden for you to carry.

He promised you rest. He commanded that you rest. He even set aside a day specifically for you to rest. Too often, we will have none of it. Why? Well, it could be pride or ambition.  It could be insecurity or selfishness.  But none of these are from the Lord.

I've heard the fourth commandment, which says, "Remember the Sabbath, to keep it Holy," as God's way of saying, "I want a date night with you my beloved!" I like that. When you get too busy to focus on Him you can bet you're too busy.

I am not talking about laziness here. Scripture is full of references to the goodness and importance of work.  So please don't think that these verses mean that you can just lay about the house, in Jesus’ name, and expect to be blessed. No, that's not the point. We worship the Lord with our work, but we also worship the Lord in our rest.

It is when we are resting that we can give Him our undivided attention. It is in our rest that we often hear His voice. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." It's in the stillness, away from the clutter of our frenzied lives that God takes priority and our lives become refocused on Him.

What can you let go of to achieve the rest that Jesus desires for you in these verses? What can you let go of to put Him first? This is a serious matter that God wants to accomplish in your life. Take a step of faith. You don't have to do it all. Let go and let God give you the rest He longs to give.

Hymn: "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say, "Come Unto Me and Rest" 

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