The REST We Need
When we were children, my parents always napped on Sundays. We lived in northern Indiana, in the gorgeous flatlands where crops are laid in perfectly, straight rows measuring a mile in each direction. Since the territory was known for farming, towns were far apart, making the opportunities for churches also separated by several miles. Our chosen church was by car an hour’s drive, so when arrived back home, enjoyed lunch, and settled in for the afternoon, the next agenda item included a rest for our parents. We knew to expect it, and we knew to not interrupt it.
Back then, as a child, I never understood this fascination and desire for a nap during the sunny part of the day. Laughingly, my mother reminds me how I struggled with the concept even when I was a toddler. However, our parents never struggled to find rest: our mom found rest on her bed and our dad stretched out to sleep on the living room couch. We children knew not to disturb their rest.
As we read certain passages in the Bible, we are often led to past memories in our mind, such as this, and see why the LORD created a Sabbath’s rest. We also see how Jesus took care of His chosen ones, even seeing to their hunger on a day when working in the fields was forbidden by the religious elect.
Let’s pause to see the apostle Mark’s account of a normal Sabbath day and the food that he and the others were encouraged to eat.
“And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath,
(The Gospel According to Mark 2: 23-25 & 27-28 NASB)
and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain.
The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
And He said to them,
“Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry;
. . .
[then Jesus recounted a biblical story from the Old Testament to help them understand]
Jesus said to them,
“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Let us not cling to the easy, to the familiar, while rejecting the truth God is teaching us. Be open to the Lord; be prepared for the lessons He wants us to know, even an unexpected lesson.
Our minds and our bodies need downtime, creating space for our bodies to become rejuvenated. Psychologists research our brains, reminding us how our bodies need time away from the office, holidays, and rest. Ask yourself: How am I doing with that which the LORD has created for me? Lord willing, next Sunday is coming. Make plans now to find rest, and in doing so:
- Be healthy.
- Be rested.
- Be renewed.
God has given us many days to put our hands to the tasks He gives us to accomplish, and then He provides us time to rest our weary bodies.
“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”
(The Gospel According to Mark 2: 27b NASB)