Rest

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.”

Have you ever noticed how dogs and cats can just lay down in the middle of the day, multiple times a day and fall sound asleep?  God made them with internal clocks that need breaks and sleep and truth be told, God made us with the same rhythms in our bodies.  We need rest and that's why God created the Sabbath.  God values our work but He tells us to rest from it one day out of seven, to set aside time for Him, for reflection, for quiet, for family.  I think He knew that we could get wrapped up in our work and never put it down and that if we weren't commanded to stop, sit down and rest, we would just try to keep going like the Energizer bunny.  But no matter how energetic my dog and puppy are, they still slow down and rest on a regular basis.

Actually, in the Old Testament God created a Sabbath year once every seven years, for debts to be forgiven, for slaves to be set free, for the land to rest for a whole year - for a fresh start.  The Israelites didn't value that year unfortunately so it never really was followed like it should have been.

Is God giving us a time of rest - a Sabbath for our land and for our souls?  Some of us can't work - it isn't even an option.  It's hard to sit at home with no vocational purpose and not be able to go out and keep up with our busy lifestyles, but maybe this is God's way of forcing us to take a break.

Instead of grumbling about our circumstances, could we find things to be grateful for instead?  I know the consequences of less work means less money but less eating out, less driving to and fro, and less activities also means less spending.

He has given us a gift:  TIME.  Time to do tasks that are relaxing and soul-feeding, time for journaling, calling friends on the phone, writing notes to those we can't visit.  His gift of time allows us to soak in His Word, study the Bible, memorize and meditate on it.  He is filling us up with His presence during this time while we are away from others.


What are you doing with your time?  I'm enjoying the sunrises every day, playing with my dogs, listening to music, reading good books, in essence, I'm resting.

I'm getting outside, hiking and exploring God's beautiful world, thanking Him for the gifts He gives, even when it feels like a lot has been taken away.  Let's enjoy this time to slow down, let's rest in His love for us and His command to take some time off.  Let's take this as a Sabbath and honor our God with how we rest our weary souls at His feet.