Rest, Refresh, Rejuvenate

"...In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed" ~ Ex. 31:16

     After all of the Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Resurrection services, now is a good time to take a step back and rest. It's easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of activity and lose sight of the real purpose of what we do...and even more important than what we do is our relationship with God. We can be called upon so much that our time with Him gets pushed aside, and then we wonder why we are exhausted. May I suggest that we take a moment, however long that moment may be, to do three things? The three things I'm suggesting are to Rest, Refresh and Rejuvenate.

     Rest is very important to God, in fact so important that the Bible says that God rested on the 7th day of creation. It does not say that He created anything else on that day, but that he rested.

By the seventh day God had finished his work, and so he rested. God blessed the seventh day and made it special because on that day he rested from his work.

Genesis 2:2-3 (CEV)

     The word "rested" here is from the Hebrew word shabath which means to repose, i.e. desist from exertion. If God rested from His work, why shouldn't we?  He looked on all of his creation and it was flawless. While we are resting, we have time to think about what we have done, what we could improve, and even what we need to cease from doing. We have time to be more prayerful, take "time outs" to go walking, go to the beach, the library or the park, spend time with family, and be refreshed and rejuvenated, ready to get new direction or continue with the task we were completing. In our rest time, we can listen to what God is saying and also pay attention to our bodies to make sure everything is in tune. We have more time to read the Word and get revelation and insight into Christ and the world around us. Rest is one of the most important things we can do!

     So, while you are putting away the garments, props, and scripts, make plans to rest...you will be glad that you did!

Selah


     Please enjoy this refreshing video from the Blueprint Dancers from Traveler's Rest Missionary Baptist Church...to Nothing Without You by Jonathan Nelson: