Just Rest

On the seventh day God ended his works of creation and rested (Genesis 2:2). That scripture has always puzzled me; why did God rest? He is eternal and omnipotent; it is impossible for him to tire or be worn out. Yet, this rest – which is spoken of repeatedly throughout scripture – seems to be an essential part of God’s creative work and is even related to His act of blessing and hallowing the seventh day. “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” Genesis 2:3

This rest is of such significance that one of the first covenants between God and man was established through Noah – a man whose name literally means “rest” or “repose.” Genesis 5:29 [AMP], Lamech named his son Noah, for he said, “May he bring us relief from our work and the painful labor of farming this ground that the Lord has cursed.” Relief and rest is exactly what the lineage of Noah gave us. The seventh day Sabbath and the covenant with Noah were merely prophetic messages of the coming of Jesus and the rest (and peace) we receive through Him. Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

I have personally been in an unsettled place lately; a place that feels less connected to Jesus. A place of exhaustion that isn’t remedied by a lack of physical work. (Trust me, I tried…side note, more food and coffee doesn’t help either.) My fatigue has even seeped into my disciplines and prayer life; I must have started a fast like ten times in the past several weeks, only to give in half way through it. I keep questioning what I am doing differently from other times when I felt stronger in my walk with God. (Did you pick up on the “I’s” in the sentence above?!) Well, Jesus gave me the answer in prayer this morning: Just rest.

Rest in the promise of His finished work. Not only did Jesus come “in the likeness of our sinful flesh” as the propitiation for our sin, but He also came to bring us grace (and truth) in our moments of weakness and unrighteousness. It is because He robed Himself in flesh that He can relate with our human experience. Hebrew 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Rest in His promise of provision. The Creator of the heavens and earth sees us and hears our prayers. Psalm 34:15, “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.” He is omniscient; He knows exactly what we need, when we need it, and why we need it. Trust that all of His works in your life have purpose and meaning.

Rest in the mercy that lies in our covenant with Him. “And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:” There are no coincidences in the ways of God – the mercy seat covered the top of the Ark of the Covenant just as the blood of Jesus covers the new covenant for mankind. Luke 22:19, “Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”

Lord, thank you for Your word and truth. Help us to cease from our own works and enter the promise of Your rest. Light our paths and lead the way as we share the good news of Your finished work with others. Jesus, I pray You soften the hearts of those around us and help them to receive Your promises. Amen.