In today’s blog post, I would like to talk about “REST”. I think most people in this day are struggling with sleep deficits and are experiencing constant tiredness and fatigue, whether in their minds or their bodies. I think this is partly because of the spirit of the age – where a constant barrage of negativity and bad news pollutes and influences our thoughts and worship - however, I believe this is mostly because of our busyness and lack of rest and sabbath.
Our bodies require rest to function at their best capacity. The problem is that most people see sleep and rest as a reward for hard work or a luxury to be enjoyed when we “eventually” find the time, when it is in fact, a health need. It is such a need that God had to put it into the 10 commandments. Of all the commandments, God laboured on this one the most:
8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
I believe God laboured on this the most because He knew we wouldn’t take rest as crucial part of our lifestyles.
John Mark Comer describes the Hebrew word “menuha” as the word often translated as rest – It’s not just a nap on the couch. It’s a restfulness that’s also a celebration. It’s often translated as “happiness.” And to the Jews, menuha is something you create. It’s not just that you stop working and sit on the couch for a day every week. It’s about cultivating an environment, an atmosphere to enjoy your life, your world, and your God. It’s more a mode of being than a twenty-four-hour time slot. (Robertson, 2017)
Elijah, after calling down fire from heaven and killing 450 prophets of Baal, gets threatened by King Ahab’s evil wife Jezebel and becomes afraid and flees for his life (1 Kings 19:3-8). I ask myself – How can a man of faith like Elijah perform such awesome and fearsome miracles by the power of God, and by one threat of an evil queen - flee in terror? The answer is this: Elijah was tired.
Be watchful of yourself when you are any of the following:
H – Hungry
A – Angry
L – Lonely
T – Tired
These are the environments where the enemy takes his opportunity to tempt us because we are weak and susceptible to believing lies. When we feel these things, we should H.A.L.T. Think about how often he gets us with the last one.
4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” 6 He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
7 Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
8 So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai,[a] the mountain of God.
We all have moments of restlessness, where God will instruct you to rest so he can give you enough strength for the journey ahead. It’s important to note that in this story, it was sleep, accompanied by baked bread (a symbol of the Word of God and the body of Jesus in communion), and water (a symbol of the indwelling Holy Spirit), that nourished Elijah.
God needed to give special instruction to Elijah, but he was in no condition to listen or take in the Word of God. Twice he is told to eat and drink, and twice he is allowed to sleep. Only then would he be ready for his journey. Again, we are reminded that we are humans with fragile, mortal frames, and God understands this:
14 For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.
I would like to close with another quote:
“Corrie ten Boom once said that if the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy. There’s truth in that. Both sin and busyness have the exact same effect—they cut off your connection to God, to other people, and even to your own soul.” – John Mark Comer
May we all find open spaces of God’s supernatural grace and rest as we navigate our days on this side of heaven.
Amen.
References:
Robertson, C., 2017. You are not a machine: John Mark Comer and France on the importance of rest. [Online]
Available at: https://greenroomblog.org/2017/01/25/you-are-not-a-machine-john-mark-comer-and-france-on-the-importance-of-rest/
[Accessed 25 January 2017].