The best rest is in Christ

Last evening I made the mistake of looking at a book about color and design before I went to bed. It filled me with ideas and I could not sleep with all that going on in my head. I’d also discovered earlier that a company had take money from me without my knowledge. The strategy needed to get a refund was also in my mind. Not being able to sleep is abnormal as I usually am out as soon as my head hits the pillow. I did think of this verse:

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. (Psalm 127:2)

The verse didn’t help because I could not stop “eating the bread” with anxiety about the rip-off and excitement about the designs and making plans for my quilt fabric stash.

This morning I did a search for “rest” and discovered this word is used more than 350 times in the Bible. One of the prophets used it to describe the Messiah:

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord…. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:1–2; 10)

I cannot imagine Jesus being kept awake by important things, never mind the relative trivia that occupied my thoughts. As I thought of Him, I considered what He wanted from me. Certainly, sleep would come if I was not worried about the refund due me. I tried to think biblically about the power of God to take care of that issue, only to relate to these words:

Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ (Jeremiah 6:16)

I wanted a solution. That was the problem. I could not just give it to the Lord. However, He has more to say about that, something that evaded me in the middle of the night and rebukes me this morning — as well as granting a solution for not sleeping well…

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28–29)

PRAY: Jesus, my body is paying the price of trying to carry a burden too heavy for me and for trying to design something when I needed to put everything aside and rest. Sometimes I feel like a spoiled child that keeps saying, ‘I can do it myself’ instead of letting You take care of all things. I hear Your voice in the words of the psalmist: "Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you." (Psalm 116:7)


 

Secure in Christ

 

 

READ Hebrews 1-4

Reading Psalms makes my heart sing. So does reading these chapters in Hebrews. This book was written to encourage Christians in trial by focusing on the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. As the words point me to Jesus, my heart is filled with joy!

God speaks. He says that Jesus is not an angel . . .

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs . . . . And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. (Hebrews 1:1–4; 13–2:1)

He speaks. I must listen . . .

How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:3–4)

His message is clear . . .

But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone . . . . Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. (Hebrews 2:9; 14–16)

He speaks. He is much louder than the Law for He created that Law . . .

For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (Hebrews 3:3–6)

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness” (Hebrews 3:7–8) How can my heart become hard?

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end . . . . For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. (Hebrews 3:12–14; 4:2)

Faith means to cease striving to please God and resting in what Jesus has done. He invites me into this rest, first for salvation and always as a way of life. This is His Sabbath rest, “for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.” (Hebrews 4:9–10)

To do that, I need to discern what is from God and the ideas that come up from my sinful flesh. For this, He gave me His Word which is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

And He gave me Jesus, my High Priest who sympathizes with my weaknesses because He was in every respect tempted as I am, yet without sin. For this, I can with confidence draw near to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:15–16) Because of all this, because of Jesus, my heart rejoices. My sins are covered and being conquered, and my eternal future is secure! Praise His Name!

 

Rest for the weary

In a Bible study group, I passed around a small box with a large, heavy stone inside it. The box had a piece of paper on the top that described the contents. Each person was surprised by its weight and only too eager to pass it to the next person. Then I read this passage to them and told them about the meaning of the words . . .

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

The first burden Jesus referred to is a heavy load, like a crate lifted unto a barge, or like the box we had just passed around. The second word is about the burden that Jesus called light. It is more like the invoice on the crate, the piece of paper on the box. He invites the heavy laden to take up His yoke, yet clearly says that He carries the heavy part whereas we carry only the invoice.

When I go to prayer, this helps me. I am easily overwhelmed by the daily news and the daily needs of the people on my heart. Children all over the world suffer from disease, loss of parents, being put out of their homes by floods, earthquakes, or fires, and are in constant danger from many threats. Entire populations suffer under corrupt leadership and bands of thieves who take whatever they want from them. Climate change is producing adverse weather patterns and storms that rip apart homes and destroys lives.

While I pray, I know that those who suffer also need to know the God who answers prayer. Suffering may never go away, but when the Prince of peace comes in, the burdens are bearable. However, most of the world seems oblivious to the power of God and His great love for us. Instead, they look at the disasters and shake their fist in His face.

Still He invites us to come — in our labor, with our heavy loads, with the cares of life big and small. He invites us to be yoked with Him, to learn from Him. He is gentle, humble, and brings rest to the soul, no matter how down-trodden and burdened that soul may feel.

Some refuse His invitations because they assume He will bring greater restraints and burdens into their lives, but this is not what Jesus says. His burdens are easy, light, and sometimes downright delightful. The enemy of our souls whispers contrary lies. The mocking world around us is blind to the beauty of Jesus. Our own reasoning and excuse-making dupes us into turning the grace of this invitation into something repulsive.

These realities also burden my heart, yet as Jesus said, it is not unbearable. My part of the yoke is to do what He asks — come to Him, give Him my load and in exchange, He gives me that invoice that tells me He has accepted the burden and will do with it as needed.

Such a simple solution to problems, mine and theirs: Come to Jesus, all who labor and are heavy laden, and He will give us rest.