People long for rest. To find it we take resort vacations, cruise vacations, and beach or mountain
vacations for weeks at a time. But how many times have you heard people say “I’m so tired”, or, “I just never feel like the weekends are
long enough.” Or, they return from vacation saying they need a vacation! But do you know that rest was God’s idea from the very start?
During Moses’ time, God instituted many festive occasions where rest and celebration were to be the order of the day. Very specific
instructions and limitations were put upon the people as far as what activities they were allowed to do. So, we can conclude that God knows
that we need rest, but what kind of rest is God talking about?
Picture Psalm 23. He leads us beside still waters. He brings us into fresh green pastures. This is a picture of the kind of peace and rest
the Great Shepherd desires for us. This type of rest comes from living intimately with God.
In Exodus 34, Moses is chatting with God about taking God’s people into the Promised Land and he wants some assurance that God is going with
him, because if He isn’t, Moses isn’t going either. God promises, “My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest.” The word used
here for rest refers to settling down after a long journey. I envision Joshua (who actually took them into the land) heaving a sigh of
relief as he arrives. I can almost envision God doing the same on the 7th day after he had completed His work of creation and sits down on
His throne!
Hebrews says that unbelief (that manifested in a whole list of sins) is what kept the children of Israel wandering through the wilderness
for 40 years when they could have reached their destination in some 11 days and rested from their journey. Israel doubted God’s Word. We
cannot please God without faith in Him, and faith in Him is exercised by believing that His Word is the final authority that governs our
everyday lives. When we start walking in our own plans and by earthly wisdom, we get off the path by the still waters and green pastures.
Unbelief is sin and sin separates us from God’s presence.
The Israelites didn’t receive their promised rest in the land on their first trip because His promises are only received by faith. When we
have a close relationship with God, we know His heart and know we can trust Him. Even as God ceased from His works and rested, we must cease
from our own and rest in Him, walking by faith in His Word and not by our sight or feelings.
We can go on the greatest vacations the world has to offer, and truly God wants us to enjoy physical rest. But to have rest for more than a
few weeks a year, we must know God intimately and walk with Him daily. We must set apart time to be with God and find encouragement and rest
for our souls from the promises in His Word. We must learn to walk in His ways and not our own. Jesus said, “Come to me all you that labor
and are heavy laden and I will give you rest”.
So, if you are trying to find rest today, find a quiet place and just sit with God. Cast all your cares on Him because He cares about you.
He’ll take care of those things in ways beyond what you even know. Ask Him to forgive you for those areas in which you haven’t trusted Him
and have been instead following you own feelings and thoughts. Then spend some time just reading His Word and feeding your inner man.
Now, take a deep breath, and remember to daily stay in the rest of God!