Being one that struggles with truly resting,these verses provided the truth for me to force myself daily to try and rest. I I know I can’t be the only who wrestles with this. This was some thing I had to look into this week for class and thought it would be cool to share my findings!
Gods word is beautifully lined from the beginning with the importance of rest. We see in Genesis 2:2-3 God himself observing the Sabbath. It reads” By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from ALL his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Our Heavenly Father is demonstrating rest is right. He is almighty, all knowing and still rested.Also in verse three it states God blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.My bibles definition of holy states,to set apart for sacred use,worthy of worship. Observing the sabbath then is just not to rest but be set apart for worship, and sacred spiritual use. He blessed this day because he rested on it. He did no work on this day and fully rested in spirit. God demonstrates here he did no work and that’s why the day was set apart and blessed, he was truly resting in his spirit from work and was deemed holy.
As humans we do not have the strength our creator does, so if he sees it as important for himself to rest, he would then see it necessary for us to also observe a day of rest for sacred spiritual rejuvenation.Which in Exodus 20:8-11 that is exactly what God does to his people ,he commands us to rest. In the commandments God gives Moses these orders “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to The Lord your God.On it you shall not do any work,neither you,nor your maidservant,nor your animals,nor the alien within your gates. For in six days The Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” This is pretty cut and dry, not only are we commanded to rest but our entire household is to observe this day. Which it fully supports Genesis 2:2. Yea a little repetitive, but after creating the world that’s what our creator did after his six days of work. This scripture re states how serious rest spiritually and physically truly is.Just because one does not have a 9-5 job on sabbath does not mean their not working or allowing themselves to rest. We can easily find something that needs done that can cause us distress. The point of rest here is to trust in Gods provision for what he has for us. It may seem like we don’t have enough time to rest or get all we need done but if its commanded it’s what he needs us to do to understand him!
So that leads to the second half, why is rest then necessary for life as a missionary? The verse that stood out to me is Mark 6:31-32. This is what it states “Then because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them ” Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So in this verse Jesus took his disciples away from the crowds of people to rest. Although doing Gods work is important Jesus understood the importance of rest in order to fulfill what the Lords plans are. As a missionary there will always be people that need something, either to know God, to be shown love or care in their life. This verse states the importance of taking that time apart from ministry duties to self care. That care is resting in him fully. If that rest is not taking place your use towards his plans for you will not be as strong. The disciples were not able to eat, Jesus saw this need and took them away to rest. If were not healthy first, it will be more difficult to serve others of their needs.
Keeping the sabbath day is honoring to God and when on the field your purpose is to bring him glory. Isaiah 58:13-14 speaks of the honor- ” If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day. If you call the Sabbath a delight and The Lords holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,then you will find your joy in The Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your Father Jacob. The mouth of The Lord has Spoken.” This verse clearly marks how honoring to God keeping the Sabbath is, you will find joy in The Lord, and cause you to ride on the heights of the land . This Is an example of the reward of keeping the Sabbath. Not that keeping the sabbath is to earn rewards but is to follow commands and be obedient on the mission field .These are qualities that will set you apart. For people your discipling to see you holding commands faithfully and the honor that brings the father will sow honor and reward through your ministry.
SIDE NOTE:
Im currently raising funds for my trip to India in January. As well as the training programI’m currently in to prepare me for the mission! If your interested in helping click the support me link on the side bar!
