MY FRIEND "REST"

 JUNE 27, 2022

Genesis 2:2-3

2By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Proverbs 14:30

“A heart at peace gives life to the body…”




Study after study tells us that rest is critical for our physical, mental, and emotional health. Rest matters so much to God that He even made it one of His commandments.

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8

The Hebrew word translated as “rest” means “to be at peace,” “to be still,” “to be quiet or calm.”

Rest is a gift that we tend to push aside. But life without rest is not sustainable. Rest refreshes our bodies, giving us the energy, we need to honor God and to love, care for, and interact with others. Learning to practice rest is a spiritual discipline that helps us enjoy God’s presence and rearrange our priorities.

God Himself modeled rest for us from the very beginning. Immediately after He finished creating the universe—and everything in it—he gave Himself a day to look back on the goodness of all the work that He had just completed.


Reflect: When was the last time you slowed down, unplugged, and relaxed?

What steps might you take today to build moments of stillness and rest into your living?

Help me to rest in You, Lord. AMEN