day 149

God's Promise of Rest

“Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of You be found to have fallen short of it” Hebrews 4:1 (NIV).

While at the beach recently for a rest time I wrote in the sand in big letters, “REST”. Little did I know that was an omen for the days to come. We spent that day on the beach doing nothing but sitting back enjoying the sights and sounds, reading, napping, and resting. We had no schedule, no definite plans, no place we had to be, it was heavenly. Those times are few and far between aren't they?

I began getting sick on the trip and by the time I returned home it was a full blown sinus infection. I tried to self medicate and I kept pushing until I finally went to the Dr. On Monday feeling miserable.

Years ago my spiritual mentor taught me when a sickness was coming on to say: “If this is of the enemy I refuse it, but if it is of you Lord I accept it. Teach me which it is and if I must go through it teach me to learn from it.

This was a season of going through it so I need to look at the lessons God has for me. It was the sickest I have been in a while. Everything had to cease. I was forced to rest both my body and my mind. I actually slept a lot, between the coughing spells. God knows just what we need. I had been pushing hard and needed to take time to rest. If I didn't choose to rest for my body's sake it would chose for me.

Maybe you are like me, you find it hard to rest, but it is a necessity, not only for the body, but for the soul. It could be a day of rest, but we often find we need to rest in Him for a season. He gives us the promise of His rest and we must be careful not to fall short of entering it. As someone who is driven I often don't heed that still same voice to come aside and rest. Some times God has to make the decision for us and we end up flat on our backs. Hopefully my response will be immediate next time, without a fight that always leaves me exhausted in the end. Lessons learned each and every day, right?

His rest for believers is having a sense of peace and assurance that no matter what may come our way we will one day have a heavenly rest. No matter what we face He is with us both in the actions of our life and in our rest. What a blessed hope He gives us in His Word that we can come into His rest. There is no rest better than that. Are you listening to His voice to come aside and rest in Him or are you barreling through life on your own agend