Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – September 17, 2019
And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14
Last year, my husband and I went on a cruise. This meant that we were without cell phone service for over a week. Before leaving, I feared that even though I had notified people that I would be gone, that hundreds of emails would be piling up in my inbox, and I wouldn’t be able to catch up on my work when I returned home.
But two surprising things happened:
First, in the initial days after I had turned off my cell phone and placed it in our cabin safe, I experienced amazing peace. It was incredibly nice to get away from the demands of technology and work.
Next, when we docked at our final port in the U.S. and I finally checked my e-mail, I recognized that the world had not blown up in my absence. (Imagine that!) Everything was still okay with work. And, I didn’t have nearly as many emails as I imagined I would. I thought I wouldn’t be able to take that much time away, but I was wrong.
Maybe you’re like I was, and you believe that you can’t quit working long enough to truly rest. Perhaps you feel guilty for stopping the hustle you’ve been told by the culture that you need to maintain. Maybe you’re worried that if you stop long enough to breathe, to let your hands down, to relax and rest, that God will not provide for you. Maybe you even feel that He is not as pleased with you when you are resting as when you are working.
Good news! You are still loved and precious to Christ, and still saved by His amazing grace in both work and in rest.
Genesis 2:2 says . . .
And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.
In this scripture, the Almighty is giving us an example of how to live. We need to work, then rest. God rested when he created the heavens and the earth. We have permission to rest too.
In rest, we show that we trust that God will take care of our needs. We show we know that He is ultimately in control of all the work that we do. He promotes—and He will complete all that concerns us. Resting shows our dependence on Him, and reveals that we believe that He loves us.
When you choose to rest from your work and toil, you will begin to see that taking a Sabbath—or a vacation—is not a disruption. It’s not an inconvenience that messes up your daily rhythm. It’s a blessing, and the culmination of the work you have done. Rest is a reward.
Is there anything that is robbing you of the reward of rest? Is it the fear that God will not provide for you? Is it believing you don’t have time to rest? Do you believe that everything won’t get done? Is a lack of trust in God’s care keeping you from letting go?
I invite you to cease from striving, even if just for one day and see how it goes. You will find that the Lord will care for you.
“May the favor of the LORD our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:17).
Prayer
Lord, please help me to take advantage of the Sabbath rest that you have provided for me. And help me to trust that you will take care of all that concerns me. Amen.
Application
Make a plan to take a Sabbath rest or vacation away from work and away from technology.
Related Reading
Matthew 11:28-30; Psalm 4:8; Exodus 34:21
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Rest is a reward from a job well done. #WisdomHunters #rest #Jesus
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