Even the Lord, Rested

Scripture: Matthew 11: 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

A young medical student was told by her doctor, “You need to get some rest”. She reminded her doctor that she was in medical school and also took care of her aunt. He responded, “I know everything that you have going on” but then said sternly, “You must get some rest”! The visit continued and for the most part all was well. The young, extremely busy, and ambitious medical student was getting a clean bill of health. However, when she was preparing to leave, the doctor said, “Remember, to take some time for you and get some rest”. The med student was annoyed; she took great pride in “taking time for her” despite her busy schedule. She thought to herself, “my nails, hair, and feet are done so I am taking time for me. I’m in bed by midnight and although I’m up by 5; I know that I can do all things through Christ”. Nonetheless, the doctor said that the student looked tired and needed to get some rest. And just like the doctor could read the student’s mind, he said, “Even the Lord, rested”.

Why do we think we are better than God? We work and work and work and work some more. Our bodies and our mind get worn down; we get sick and then we ask the Lord for rest. The same rest we refuse to take. We ask the Lord to help us organize our schedules and what can we do because we are so exhausted. And when the Lord answers with, “Remember, the Sabbath and keep it holy.” we question His response. “Really, Lord? That’s Your answer for my exhaustion…remember the Sabbath and keep it holy is Your answer, Lord?” Yes, all too often we fail to remember that God made the world in 6 days and on the 7th day, He rested. It is hard to represent the Lord well, when we are tired, mentally or physically. Also, when we are tired, our temple looks and feels haggard and is open to attack. Lack of rest can cause the Believer to look, feel, and act like he/she is not a child of God. The Bible talks of rest often and as a result we should note its importance. We should understand how important renewing and recharging are to the upkeep of the body and mind and to our spiritual growth.

The Bible tells us that the Lord provides mental and physical rest. Matthew 11:28-30, directs us to come to him, all (everyone) who are weary (tired) and burdened (troubled) and He will give you rest (peace). Furthermore, we are told that we should take the Lord’s yoke and learn from Him because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. The believer should know that a yoke is designed to balance a heavy load. It is designed to evenly distribute weight so the carrier is not overwhelmed. But we prefer to carry our own load and go through life overwhelmed, haggard, and worn. Cast all your cares on the Lord because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Lastly, the Bible tells us multiple times that the Sabbath is intended for rest. This is physical rest from work just as the Lord rested. Failure to comply is disobedience (Hebrews 4:9-11). The Lord’s desire is for his children to be well rested, healthy, and strong in Him.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you providing a way for your children to rest. Forgive us, Lord, for taking rest for granted. Forgive us, for rising early and staying up late tolling for food to eat (Psalm 127:2) instead of resting. Help us, Father, to be obedient to Your word and keep the Sabbath holy. Thank you for Your willingness to take our burdens even when we selfishly keep them. Lord, help us to remember that rest is necessary for adequate growth physically, mentally, and spiritually. Thank you, Lord, for Your example and Your Son, Jesus the Christ who died and rose for us. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen

(by Patricia Towns)