This week was a mixture of ups and downs for me.  By the time Sabbath came, I was in great need of rest!  Last Sabbath, I spent a good deal of time studying.  This Sabbath, my mind and body were worn out.  So I simply rested.  And it was cathartic.  I felt my stress and emotions melt away.  I was able to turn over my failures and worries to God.  I felt renewed on Saturday night and ready to face another week.

So I found it ironic on Friday that one of my readers on Facebook, Vivian, asked some great questions concerning rest.  She stressed that she was speaking of REST and not worship.
What insights are you gaining about Christ by keeping a day holy?  What are you learning about rest?
Is it really a day that is giving you rest?
Is it God who provides rest to you?  As you keep a shadow of the reality you have in Christ, what are you learning about Christ?      
I spent time on Sunday reflecting on God's Word in the area of rest.  Here are some of my findings.  Please feel free to add any thoughts or comments of your own.

Some Definitions of Rest from my Bible and an online dictionary- 
1. Tranquility; to refresh; to be still.
2. Cessation of work, exertion, or activity.
3. Peace, ease, or refreshment resulting from sleep or the cessation of an activity.
4. Sleep or quiet relaxation.
5. Relief or freedom from disquiet or disturbance.
6. Mental or emotional tranquillity.

God set the example.  
Genesis 2:2-3 - "And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.  Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."

God gives us the command to follow His example.  
Exodus 20:8-11 - "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work. . ." Verse 11 "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy."

It benefits everyone.  
Exodus 23:12 - "Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor in order that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves."

You will delight in the LORD.  
Isaiah 58:13-14 - "If because of the sabbath you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, and shall honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure, and speaking your own word, then you will take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

Christ is our rest.  His ways are not a burden.  They only become heavy when we add our own laws to His.  
Matthew 11:27-30 - "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.  Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."

You can choose rest or destruction.  In this chapter of Jeremiah, God warns Jerusalem about their coming destruction if they don't keep His ways.

Jeremiah 6:16 - Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you shall find rest for your souls.  But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'"

Hebrews 3&4 speak of those who were not able to enter the promised land because of their disobedience.  It encourages us to practice our faith with obedience so we don't miss out on God's blessing for us.  
Hebrews 4:9-11 - "There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.  For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.  Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience."

We weren't created for the purpose of keeping Sabbath.  It was given to us as a blessing to help us fulfill our purpose of leading others to Christ.
Mark 2:27-28 - And He was saying to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Consequently, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

This is a permanent statute.  God didn't say temporary.  This verse goes on to talk about the penalty of breaking Sabbath being death.  Christ has paid that penalty!  Should we then no longer keep His ways because we won't be killed for it?  Absolutely not!  We receive the same blessings from it!
Leviticus 16:31 - "It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute."

This is what I was challenged to do this Sabbath.
Psalm 37:7 - "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him."

My conclusion on rest:
I can find rest in God and Christ anytime and anyplace.  They are my source of rest.  God, knowing that daily work, responsibilities, and distractions would make it challenging to experience His rest, gave us a time to set aside all of that and have full rest in Him.  We have good intentions during the week to spend time with God and get the rest we need.  Sometimes we make a great effort and have some wonderful, restful time with God.  But work still has to be done and distractions will come.  It is a blessing for me to have permission from God to set all that aside for a day and focus on Him!  When I keep the Sabbath, my body and spirit are energized and my mind is clearer.  I am much more ready to get back into the swing of things!

I hope that everyone can find rest in Christ this week!
Until next week,
Lisa G.