Contentment, Encouragement, Faith, God's Promises, Guidance, Obedience, Our Identity, Peace, Praise, Prayer, Relationship to Christ, Rest, Restoration, Salvation, Worry, Worship

Rest

Today we are looking at the topic of resting. Did you know that God rested? Our Bible Journaling verse today tells us, “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.” (Genesis 2:3 ESV) God had been busy creating this beautiful world we live in. He created everything we see in six days, but on the seventh day, He rested. Did He need to rest like you and I do when we’ve done a lot of demanding work? No, I believe that He rested to give us an example of what we are to do. Resting is not only good for our physical bodies, but it is also good for our Spiritual body.

My husband, Kraig J. Rice, wrote a commentary on Genesis and it is posted on his website. He says, “What do you or I do, sometimes, after we expend a lot of energy? Most likely, we like to sit down and relax. This is one way that we rest. Is it possible that the God of the universe, Who is all powerful, can get tired? If that be so, then we limit Him to having a physical body which is NOT the case. God does not need to rest. God explains truths to us in terms that we can understand. ‘He rested’ simply means that God stopped creating at that time. It means that His work was complete at that time.” There was no more to do in creation and so God rested because His work was finished.

You will notice that our Scripture says that God made that rest day, the seventh day, to be holy, a Sabbath. He sanctified it, meaning He set it aside that day to be treated as a day that is set apart for rest, meditation, worship, and praise to God for everything He has done. God did not create us to be like Him in the sense that we would never need rest. We have physical bodies that get tired, we have minds that, if we allow it, will run constantly to the point of distraction, and we also have a Spiritual body that needs time to reflect on the things of God.  

Because we are in a physical body, rest is vital. Not only that, but God has told us we are to take a Sabbath rest, (Exodus 23:12), therefore we must be obedient to His command. Like a machine that runs out of fuel, we will end up being inoperable because we have no fuel or rest, to our detriment. I have a pastor friend who found that out the hard way. He was an evangelist at the time, with a speaking schedule that was overwhelming. He was on the road more than he was at home. He began to exhibit physical symptoms of exhaustion, which he did not recognize until he found himself at a point where he was extremely ill. He went to the doctor and was told he needed to stop his preaching schedule and allow his body to recuperate. He was forced to go on a sabbatical until he was healthy enough to go back to work. He learned a valuable lesson and readjusted his schedule with planned days of rest.  

We can also need mental and Spiritual rest. Mental rest is needed so that we can keep our focus on what the Lord wants us to concentrate on. When we focus on Scripture and what He wants for our lives, we are at peace mentally, not consumed by worry but are filled with His peace. (John 14:1) Spiritual rest is what our souls need. When the cares of this world weigh heavy upon our hearts, we need the rest only Jesus can give. “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.” (Matthew 11:29 NAS) Taking time to dig into His Word, pray, and seek His direction for our lives will bring us the peace and rest our souls need. J. Vernon McGee, in his commentary on Genesis, says, “He rested the seventh day because His work was complete. This is one of the greatest spiritual truths there is. The book of Hebrews tells us that as believers we enter into ‘rest’—that is, enter into His sabbath; we enter into His perfect redemption. He died on the cross nineteen hundred years ago for you and me, and He offers us a redemption into which we can enter.” Spiritual rest comes through faith in Jesus Christ. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Romans 5:1 NASB 1995 )

When we rest, physically, mentally, and Spiritually, we will find that rest, that peace we so desperately need, only through Jesus. Take time out of your busy schedule to just rest in Jesus! You will find He will come to your aid and supply what you need.

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Donna Knuth Rice

I am trying a blog for the first time in my life, and frankly, I feel like I don't have a clue as to what I'm doing! But, here goes. I work at a Christian Television network in the Correspondence Department, where I write letters and emails to our viewers, pray with them for their needs, and send materials they request. I am a Christian. I was saved at the age of 11 during a youth meeting at my church. My pastor led me to the Lord, and to say the least, my life has been an adventure. I am a widow. My late husband, Allen, passed away after 34 1/2 years of marriage. He had been sick the last seven years of his life, and it was a struggle, for him and for me. We met as part of a singing group that was affiliated with a Christian Radio station, and we sang together all through our lives together. We both worked in television and radio all through our married life, mostly for Christian stations. Besides singing I also play flute. I had the luxury of having parents who started out as music teachers...so music was in our house constantly. Some people describe me as being a loud-mouthed lime type...can't disagree with that. I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth more times than I can count! I also have a tendency to say exactly what's on my mind...which is why I get myself in so much trouble! LOL! Trust me, that's something me and God have been working on for a very long time. I have no children here on earth, although I have a baby in heaven. My baby here is my dog Jack. He's a black lab/ chow mix. He's a big boy....thinks he's a lap dog! Can't think of much else to say. The reason I started this blog is because a few months ago in church, a guest pastor came and delivered a message, and when he asked for those of us who wanted prayer to come forward, I did. When he came to me he asked me if I did any journaling. I told him no 'cause I wasn't very good at it. He told me to start, and prophesied over me that my journal thoughts would impact other people. I wasn't sure just how I was to go about doing this. In fact, I was a little hesitant at first. I started journaling at home, and our assistant pastor's wife asked me to submit something for our Senior newsletter. I didn't the first edition, but something I had heard on Christian radio a long time ago and has stuck with me all these years, came to mind so I submitted an article. That article will be my first post. I don't claim to have all the answers, and my thoughts may seem a little "out there", but I feel God has been prodding me to do this, and so here I am. I hope what I post will bring encouragement, and "Something to Think About".

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