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Don't Miss Out on God's Place of Rest
The promise to enter the place of rest is still good, and we must take care that none of you miss out. We have heard the message, just as they did. But they failed to believe what they heard, and the message did not do them any good. Only people who have faith will enter the place of rest.
Hebrews 4:1-2 (CEV)
“Shalom from Jerusalem” said the voice on the other end of the phone conversation at 9:30 am last Friday. “Dad?” I asked. “Hi Ruben! Its 5:30 pm here in Jerusalem and all the stores are closed for the start of Sabbath rest. The Temples are full of people worshipping.”
The first recorded "rest," that of God after He completed the work of creation, is the Hebrew word (pronounced) shaw-bawth, which means to cease; hence the origin of the word Sabbath. In the bible, "rest" was first and foremost a state of being – a state of shalom, or a life lived in peace from that which could trouble.
Perfect peace and rest that passes all understanding is found in God - none other. To truly rest is to rest in Another. We may try to find peace and rest in sleep, in recreational activities, in hollow relationships, and vacations. But, at the end of our humanly manufactured rest, we can find ourselves no more capable of having the resources to deal with thrusts and demands of life than we did before we entered into our rest.
God’s rest is vastly different than humanly manufactured rest. The rest of God helps us to cease from a panicked state of mind. We feel adequate to the challenges of life. We find ourselves more capable and confident to cope with the thrusts of the day. Our work and attitude is filled with fruitfulness, fragrance, abundance.
Perhaps you find yourself in a summer vacation mode. You’re resting – sort of – but you haven’t found God’s resourceful and refreshing rest for your wearied mind, body, and soul. God wants to give you the rest you so desperately need because he cares for you and knows how much you need the rest only he can provide.
If you are resting - but you’re still missing out on the rest of God - ask God for his rest with faith. Ask him to transform your weariness into fruitfulness, fragrance, and abundance.
The demands on your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energy may be daunting. You’re trying to rest, but you’re still exhausted. You may at a point that you’re saying, “God, I can’t take it anymore!” But you can! … with God’s rest.
You can have victory over oppressive fatigue because Jesus is our rest. You can tap into new Life and Rest for your body, mind, and spirit - a life you can live on a permanently higher plane. All you have to do is take it as a gift from God.
Resting in Him. Rev. Dr. Ruben Saenz, Jr.