Rest

Hey Everyone,

There was a guest speaker at our church yesterday, and he was preaching from Hebrews chapter three and four--focusing on the idea of the Sabbath rest. He made some really good points, and I wanted to share it with you. It is pertinent to our work in Cambodia, and I will explain after I give you the highlights of what he said. There are three things that help us to understand biblical rest: God's example in Genesis, a proper self image, and keeping it holy.  Firstly, when someone says that they have taken a Sabbath or a rest day, what they usually mean is that they took off work. God's example in Genesis agrees with this thought, because on the seventh day, He stopped working. However, the answer to the question of why you took of work is what normally differs. "I was so stressed from work." "I couldn't work any longer, because I was so worn out." "I needed a break." When we say these things, we are implying that a Sabbath day is necessary, because we will burn out if we don't stop for a breath. But this is not what God did on the very first Sabbath... He did not come to day seven and say, ""Man! I am so tired from all the work I have just done... I'm gonna have to stop for a minute, or I am just going to collapse." God took a Sabbath because His work was complete, and He was SATISFIED. So some might say, "well, my work is never complete! I can never get something the way I want it."or "I can't stop working, because, if I don't do it, no one will." We have a hard time being satisfied with the work we have accomplished in a week. This is where a proper self image is necessary. Just as God disciplined Elijah when he said the words "I'm the only one left" so He longs to tell us, "You are not the only one! If you would only trust Me, there is someone else willing to step into that role." Although I believe that many people do not use their gifts for the edification of other believers enough, it does not give me the right to say that I am the only one working, because God is on His throne and will work in the hearts of those He pleases. The director of the BSU that I was involved in (when I was in college) gave me some great words. When I explained that I could no longer lead the worship on Tuesday nights, he said, "Life goes on, the world will keep spinning, and we will continue to worship God, even if Micah Bergen is not on stage on Tuesday nights." And after I left, just that happened. There was someone to lead the worship, and everything is still happening on Tuesday nights. God calls us to obedience. If God has given you a task, and you have accomplished it, be satisfied and rest--don't continue to work on something else, just because someone lays guilt on you, or because your pride tells you that you haven't done enough. Some may say that you are not a "go getter" but we are not men pleasers. We do not do what we do for the glory of men, but for the glory of God. And if God has given you a task, and you are obedient, REST in satisfaction. Lastly, I should like to explain something that is the most important aspect of rest. God says to keep the Sabbath holy. Holy can mean set apart, and it can also be used to describe an attribute of focusing on God. Some try to say that their Sabbath was spent doing this or that, and in no way did they draw nearer to God. Is this truly rest? Is this really a Sabbath? Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Rest cannot be found outside of Christ. Sure, you may not work, but you cannot rest your soul without Christ--just as you can have lack of war but no peace, without Christ. God says to take a day and not work, and simply focus on Him. When we do this, we find true rest. Now to apply this to our work here in Cambodia. I have found that a lot of missionaries will ignore God's command to rest, and say that they are an exception, because God has so much work for them to do. I have gotten caught up in this mind set, and have found myself exhausted. We are all commanded to take one day a week and rest, not out of physical exhaustion, but out of satisfaction that we have been obedient to everything that God has called us to do that week. We can sit in His presence and feel His rest come upon us. We can pray that He will give us guidance on what to do in the week to follow. And at the end of that week, we can look back and see all that God has done, and be satisfied once again. We can even have rest nightly. In Hebrew culture, the day begins at midnight. We go through our nights sleep and God is preparing us the whole time for the morning's work. This changes the way in which we see our day to day: God is our strength, and has already begun to work in us before we have even opened our eyes. Under His strength and rest, we begin again. I am now going to start my day (going to sleep), and I know that God will begin to strengthen me for the work He has for me to do. In the morning, I will be obedient to His leading, and at the end of my day, I will spend time in His presence in satisfaction that my work for that day is completed, and I have been obedient to a wonderful Lord of my soul. Leaving phrase: "Our rest comes from connecting with God and being obedient to His calling." Good night, everyone.

BecauseHeLives,

Micah.