Finding Rest

Studies show rest is important… actually it’s vital to our well being.  Not surprisingly then, we also find verses in the Bible encouraging us to rest.  God knows our bodies can only handle limited stress, limited strain, limited… well, everything.  

Often in our busy lives, we let the stresses of our days inhibit the joy our lives are supposed to contain. God makes it clear to us that He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to rely on Him. He wants us to set our fears, our stresses, our everything aside and find rest in Him.

As humans, we get weak, we get weary, and we struggle on a daily basis. God knows us, He knows our weaknesses, He knows our strengths. but He wants us to trust in Him, and rest. We find several verses in the Bible where God reminded his people to rest.

Isaiah 40:28-31 “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Exodus 33:14 - “And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.”

Matthew 11:28-30 - “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”   

Matthew 11:29 - “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

Psalms 4:8 - “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.”

Psalms 127:2 - “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”

Over, and over again in the Bible, we are reminded by God to rest. When we are not rested, we make bad choices, we make mistakes, we are simply not being the best we can for God… all because we have not followed His simple command to rest.