Rest

• God gave us an example of and a command to rest (Genesis 2: 3)-Genesis 2:3 (NLT) And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.

God Himself, the Creator of the heavens and the earth (being perfect, holy, and Sovereign) took one day out of the week just to rest.  This is the very first example of rest in life.  The LORD blessed the seventh day of creation, and declared it holy!  This is very important for every one of us in this life!  This proves that rest is a very necessary part of every life, and every week!  It is extremely important for every person to be sure to rest on the seventh day of each week!  We should be thanking God on the seventh day!  It is a holy day for each one of us, and we should give Him praise.

• Rest is important for worship (Exodus 20: 8)-Exodus 20:8 (NLT)-“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

Rest is important for worship.  We need to be able to take one day at minimum each week when we rest, and give the LORD God our Creator praise, glory, and thanks for the amazing world we live in, the fact that we even exist, and have the necessary provisions to sustain each one of our lives.  What God has done is absolutely amazing when we really think about life, and take in the amazing complexity of  such a creation.  This world we live in is truly amazing!  Life is amazing, God is amazing!  And one day of rest allows us the opportunity to visit the House of God, and give Him the praise He truly is due for all He has done.

• God tells us to rest (Exodus 23: 12)-Exodus 23:12 (NLT) “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the foreigners living among you to be refreshed..

The Sabbath gives us the opportunity to rest from our daily responsibilities; and a chance to refresh our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls.  It allows everyone the chance to rest and be refreshed.  The seventh day is perfect for resting your mind, and allows you to prepare for the 6 days ahead in which we will be required to work in whatever capacity we are working in our day to day living.  

• Jesus promises to give us rest from our burdens (Matthew 11: 28-30)-Matthew 11:28 (NLT) Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Matthew 11:29 (NLT) Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Matthew 11:30 (NLT) For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Our LORD and Savior Jesus has promised to give each of His Children rest from our burdens.  Many times we are heavily burdened by sin, and life in general.  He has promised to give us rest for our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls.  The way He gives us rest is in the thought and knowledge that He has promised not only His peace while we live on earth, but, eternal peace and rest in glory as Heirs with Him.  He has given Us His Spirit, which walks and abides with us in our daily lives.  His presence assures His Children, that He is with Us forever.  We no longer need to be overwhelmed with life, because We rest assured He will provide.  We do not need to be worried about all the details in life because we have placed our trust in Him, and are confident that He will work things out.  The only burden the LORD gives us is a very light one.  We know that He has paid the price for our sin on the cross.  We do not need to be concerned about paying for our sins.  The only thing we need to be mindful of is how we are living in this life, as far as living by His Word, and His Commands.  When we live to please Him, we experience rest from our daily burdens in life.

• Rest is a gift of God (Hebrews 4: 9-11)-Hebrews 4:9 (NLT) So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.  Hebrews 4:10 (NLT) For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world.  Hebrews 4:11 (NLT) So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

Rest is a gift of God to all who believe in Him, and His promises.  And for all who obey God, and take time to rest regularly, they will experience the refreshing peace that comes along with that wonderful gift.  And we know also that when we pass on from this earth, we no longer need be concerned about labor on earth.  If we disobey God, we can be sure we will not have the peace of mind that comes with obeying God.  Then, we will fall from grace.  If we fall from grace, we no longer have the security nor the peace of mind; the spiritual rest that only God can give us through His Holy Spirit.  

• Heaven will be a place of rest (Revelation 14: 13)-Revelation 14:13 (NLT) And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”

Heaven will be a place of rest for our souls.  For those who die in the LORD, they will receive the eternal blessing of peace and rest in paradise with our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.  And the life that they lived on earth will reflect in that blessing.  It will be evident that they not only believed in the LORD, but, they lived a holy life for Him, and made Him proud while they lived.  The peace and rest we will experience in heaven will be rest for our souls, because we will no longer need to be concerned with sin, hunger, thirst, pain, suffering, sadness, etc..  Burden does not exist in heaven.

I hope this brief study on rest is as helpful to you as it is to me.  As we continue to pray for people all over the world today and always, we hope that if you have not yet made the decision to accept the LORD Jesus Christ as your personal LORD and Savior, but would like to, that you say the prayer of salvation as follows: "Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me and for answering my prayer."  May the LORD continue to bless you and your loved ones today and always.  Amen.
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