Rest, as it is used in this verse, means to "settle down and be at rest." It means to know the presence of God is with you & take comfort in it. It means to be so fixated upon Him that nothing can stir you to worry. One of the greatest issues we find in Israel's history is that they often struggled with this concept. How could they rest entering into the Promised Land? How could they rest knowing that they would have to fight off enemies? How could they rest when they were not sure where the next meal was coming from? It is this lack of rest (or lack of confidence) that was the root for many of their problems.
In Matthew 11:28, one of the most famous quotations from Jesus, we find that He longs to give rest to those who come to Him. Thayer defines rest in this way:
1) to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labour in order to recover and collect his strength
2) to give rest, refresh, to give one’s self rest, take rest
3) to keep quiet, of calm and patient expectation
Apparently, this was quite different than carrying out the Law. If the people could have found rest in it, I believe Jesus would have just taught them how to live in it correctly. However, what we discover about the ministry of Jesus is that He came to fulfill the Law on our behalf. In this way, we can RELAX and be REFRESHED by His goodness in our lives.
I hope you understand by now that resting in Him doesn't mean that you have to take a day off. In fact, I believe you understand the true nature of rest when you learn how to do it in your busyness. Learning how to rest in Him when you are dealing with a family crisis. Finding rest in Him when you aren't sure of your next move. Seeking to rest in Him when it looks like all hell is breaking loose around you. You and I need to discover how to enter into, live in, & enjoy the rest that comes from relationship with Jesus.
Some practical applications:
#1 - Discover who God is for you.
Take some time to look back through some of the revealed names of God in the Old Testament. You will find Him to be Provider, Healer, Righteousness, Sanctification, etc. Can you rest in that?
As you go back through these names, you may find that the Lord draws you to certain ones depending upon the season your life may be in. That's o.k. Allow the Father to teach you everything you need to know about that name. It will require you focusing intently, but you will discover the "peace that passes all understanding."
#2 - Realize the grace of God that is available to you.
I was talking to a friend the other day who was telling me about some of the changes he was going through. He termed it as "trying to do better." He wanted to be a better Christian, a better husband, & a good father. I looked at him and said, "There is grace for that." What I was saying in that moment is that you don't have to try to do any of these things under your own power. God knows the longing of his heart. He is more than capable of giving him what he needs to become in each of these areas. I think we have gone so far in our separation from God mentality that we don't realize that those longings came from God. He wants you to experience the best in your relationship with Him. He wants you to experience His best of your marriage, or His best in your parenting. He's willing to help you, and (in fact) He has already given you everything you need through the Holy Spirit.
#3 - (and by know means is this list exhaustive) Praise & Worship.
If you don't have good praise & worship music in your library of songs - GET SOME!!! Find music & lyrics that speak deeply into your spirit. Listen to them. Learn them. And use them in your daily life. What these songs can do for you is help you to keep your mind stayed upon Him during the busyness of the day. Oftentimes, I will have music playing in the background while I'm doing other things. Other times I deliberately put music on just to help me focus.
I recently purchased a new worship album and decided to listen to it while I was eating supper one evening. There was no one in the house but me. As the music played, and I ate, immediately there was such a rush of peace that came into the room. It literally changed the atmosphere around me. AND that my friend is what resting in Him feels like.
There may be times that you have to stop all the activities. There may be moments in life when you have to say "NO" to certain things just so you can rest. However, for the majority of us, we need to learn how to rest in the moment. And my encouragement to you is to learn how to rest before things get out of hand. When you can make rest a part of your daily life, you will know how to do it when the chaos tries to creep in. It is a journey, but there is REST along the way.
Be Blessed!!!
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