As Was His Custom: Rest
If you had asked me last summer what I thought when I heard “rest,” I would’ve thought of sleeping or running away from my life. When that began to fail me and not satisfy me, I became more tired and more depressed. Growing up, I was raised in the church but was never taught what the word “Sabbath” means. I could probably tell you I didn’t even hear the word until I was about 16 or 17. It wasn’t until last fall that my student pastor said to me, “Halle, when was the last time you sat with God?” I looked at him like he was asking me a stupid question because I just spent the last 15 minutes of service worshiping God. He repeated it and walked away. From that, I walked away confused, but I didn’t know that 10-word sentence would change my life with Jesus.
The dictionary defines rest as “cease work or movement to relax.” You might be thinking, “Is that not sleeping?” Yes! Don’t forget that it’s essential for your physical body to get sleep and to recharge. But, if you look at the Bible, it would define rest as “to be at peace with God.”
Let’s look at how Jesus rested to understand the importance of rest.
Jesus’ Custom of Rest
Very obviously, Jesus rested for three days after he was crucified. John 19:40-41 says “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.”
Earlier in his life, Jesus rested through a storm. Matthew 8:24-25 says, “And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing.’.” During this great storm that scared His disciples, Jesus was asleep!!
Where do you find yourself when the world is in a storm or chaos? Are you in the chaos, or are you resting? When the disciples woke Jesus, he said, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”. This humbles me to think how my almighty and all-powerful Savior rested during chaos.
Mark 1:35 says, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” How often do you remove yourself and pray? Remember that prayer is how you talk to the ultimate peace-giver! I want to highlight that it says, “He departed and went out to a desolate place.” Working with young kids, we have times when they want to “do their quiet time together.” I always have to remind them how that just turns it into a small group community! Although community is vital, your alone time with your Father is also important! When you have daily, alone, and quiet devotion of prayer with Jesus, it welcomes a sense of peace over your day. You will find true rest when you are filled with the Spirit daily.
In Matthew 11, Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” In this, Jesus promises us that He will give us rest if we come to Him! A yoke is a wooden piece that evenly holds two animals together so they can plow a field or pull a cart behind them. When one animal becomes tired, it pulls the other animal down. Now, Jesus’ yoke is easy. It won’t weigh you down, but it will hold you up! When you are yoked with Jesus, you can pull the load of your life. Allow Him to carry it with you!
Underneath the Translation
Genesis 2:2-3 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. So, God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all His work that he had done in creation.” People typically say along with this verse, “If the God that created the universe rested, what makes you think you don’t have to?” I think it’s important to recognize that God didn’t have to rest, but he did. To be an example for us, after our work is done, we should rest.
Exodus 20 gives us the 10 commandments. The fourth commandment is to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. When you look up the word sabbath, it says a weekly day of rest or time of worship given in the Bible as the seventh day. We should take this and see how important it is if God commands us of it!
How Can We Follow Jesus in This Way?
You might wonder, “Halle, this is great! But how do I rest? How do I find quiet time with God?”.
Although sleep is necessary, spiritual rest is just as important.
Start by setting a day to be your Sabbath.
This can be any day of the week. Most people make this on Sunday. I work on Sundays, so my Sabbath is on Saturdays or Fridays, depending on my work week. Your Sabbath should be a day of no work, so set aside time to sit with God! (Genesis 2:2-3 “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. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it God rested from all His work that he had done in creation.”)
To sit with God, you can first invite the Spirit in through prayer.
Submit your requests, worries, praises, and fears from the past week or week ahead.
I like to quote scriptures like Psalm 23, Psalm 91, Psalm 27, and Psalm 116. Sometimes, I don’t know the right words or what to say, so quoting scripture like this gives me the words to say. (Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”)
Sit in silence and let the Spirit speak to you.
When I understood what rest meant for me as a believer, it changed how I lived my life every day. When you start every day submitting to Jesus, it gives you a peace that makes no sense. When storms come, and the world around you is in chaos, you can have peace that makes no sense. When your burdens are heavy, Jesus’ yoke is easy, and his burden is light. Let him give you that peace that makes no sense through your rest.
