For The Remainder of The Year Will You Rest?

We are in the season when most of us, are tired and looking forward to a time of rest. 

What is rest? How are we to do it? Do we mean having less responsibilities? Or can we talk about rest especially when we have a ton on our shoulders? 

There is a kind of rest that can be experienced even by a man responsible for over a million lives in the wilderness. It is an Exodus 33:14 kind of rest: 

“The Lord replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 

Here are observations regarding this kind of rest: 

Rest requires faithful obedience 

Now the rest that God promises Israel, the rest that Moses is after - all depended on them being faithfully obedient to God’s Word. And those who did not obey God but instead went astray - God said they would never enjoy his rest (Hebrews 4:3).

In other words, this is not a kind of rest you can have on your own terms. It is a kind of rest that recognises the need for someone who provides you with more satisfying rest for your soul. It is deeper than taking a break from manual labor. 

Rest is not just physical

Another reason Moses wanted God’s assurance of his presence was that he knew that the kind of rest God promises, is not simply physical.  Moses knew that God was not simply promising them rest from labor - rest tending the flock, rest gathering manna, rest from putting up tents, etc - instead, God’s promise of rest was more than physical rest. It was a spiritual rest. 

Rest is Primarily Spiritual

The spiritual rest God was making a promise of - refers to the spiritual rest from:

• Confusion - about who their God is and how they ought to worship Him.

• Worry - about things that other people who have no God worry about.

• Stress - of the daily experience of life.

• Human efforts - to figure out things that only belong to God and ignore revealed things meant for us.

• Enemies - whether internal (sin), external (corruption), or spiritual (evil). 

This is the kind of rest that God promised Moses and Israel. And the same kind of rest God promises us in Jesus

Moses knew that without God in their midst - physical rest would only be another form of human attempt to escape from the worries of life. But if God is with them - their spiritual rest will overflow even to physical rest. 

We have a choice

You and I have a choice. As believers, we are not granted immunity from life’s storms, but we have a choice about how we react to those storms. Our natural tendency might be to run around frantically looking for help, trying to save ourselves from trouble. 

We can either respond frantically or rest in the Lord’s presence. We can either waste our time worrying or trust in the Lord to take care of us. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28).

So, how are you going to make sure you are well-rested this coming festive season? 

For those who are working and only getting physical rest later on - let me encourage you to use your need for rest to draw you nearer to the one who can give you rest for your soul. 

Recognise that even if you were given physical rest - you would not be rested still if you had no surety and security in life. The kind of surety and security that is found in the presence of God. 

For those who will be taking some time off - use your physical rest to point you to the one who willingly gives us rest for our souls too. Let your travels, family time, and other good things you are planning to get up to preach to you of their maker who offers himself to you. 

Do not let your physical rest drive a wedge between you and God. Do not allow fatigue and the need for rest to come between you and God. In whatever setup you are in - pursue spiritual rest in God. 

As I close, here are three suggestions on how you can pursue rest for your soul: Ponder the past and praise, pray about the present, and pry on God’s promises for future grace. 

Ponder the past and praise

It is often said that we see things better in hindsight. This time, nearing the end of the year is the best time to look back and reflect

For those of you who journal - this is the time to read it, so that you may see your own record of God's presence, providence, and love for you. For the selfie queens and kings - Scroll back on your phones, month to month to see where God has taken you this year - and give thanks. 

You do not have to reflect on the good times only. Even in tough times, you can praise him because suffering for Christians is never wasted. At the least, it draws us nearer to God and shapes our character.  You have all the reasons to praise God. So praise Him!

Pray about the present

There is never anything not to pray for. Pray for your rest. Pray for your church, for your church leaders and their families. Pray for friends - send them a personalized message maybe before Christmas (don't copy and paste messages) and ask how you can be praying for them. “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Eph 6:18).

Pry on God's promises for future grace

Sometimes I think we find it relatively easier to look at past grace - Jesus' death on the cross and be grateful than to look into the future promises and be confident. And yet God requires both from us. 

All God's past providence is meant to give us firmer confidence in his promises for future providence. Go look up God’s promises for future providence so that you may approach the new life in the new year with confidence grounded on the promises of God. 

I pray you will find this kind of rest worthy to pursue.