Obey and Rest!

MARK 6:31 KJV 31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

 One preacher paraphrased this verse by saying "come apart before you come apart." God is our Source, so resting should be a turning to God, not a turning away from Him. It would be unwise to take a "vacation" and ignore God.

 Our bodies need rest, but our minds also need rest from the constant barrage of bad news and entertainment the media tries to sell us. Many fill their days with noise. The news or some other broadcast plays constantly in their background. But we need times of quietness. We need time when we allow God to guide our thinking, instead of the media. We need to make room for the thoughts God desires to share with us. We need times when we shut out all the other voices trying to speak to us and focus on God.

 Everyone wants your attention. Advertisers want to convince you to buy their product. Broadcasters want your attention so they can attract advertisers. But God also wants your attention, not to get something from you, but to provide you with His wisdom and guidance. God wants to communicate with you. But when you surround yourself constantly with other voices, you will miss some of what God wants to say to you. Prayer is a way for us to rest. It is a time when we can cast our load on the Lord, refocus on Him, and quit carrying all the responsibilities ourselves.

 ISAIAH 40:31 NKJ 31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. The Bible also cautions against laziness, so resting should not be our primary focus in life. But with today's hectic pace of life, many are neglecting this part of God's instruction given for our benefit. Remember, God commanded the children of Israel to rest for one day each week. Their Sabbath was not a day full of religious activity either, but a true day of rest. While we are not under Law requiring us to keep the Sabbath in order to be right with God, it is still a principle we need to practice. To be our best, humans need to rest! Rest should be a time when you do something different than your normal daily activity.

 We cannot ignore God's instruction without it costing us. Many today are broken in body and burned out needlessly. We must learn to rest properly, so God can refresh us and strengthen us in order to finish our course.

 SAY THIS: I will obey God and rest in Jesus.