During
a winter vacation trip to Florida my wife and I had the privilege of walking up
and down the beach. It was fun to
enjoy the warm rays of sunshine and experience the cool water of the Atlantic
Ocean lapping at our feet. We enjoyed relaxation and refreshment in this beautiful setting and saw other people enjoying the same
thing. I turned to my wife and said, “I
think I could be one.” To which she asked,
“Be one what?” “I think I could be a ‘Beach
Bum’, I said.” Of course, I was kidding,
but in a sense, I was just expressing how wonderful it was and how great it
felt to take a break from the regular routine of work. The Bible talks about rest and shares some valuable truths about it.
1)
God wants all of us to
rest and be refreshed. Jesus told His
disciples, “Come
with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31). God wants us to have rest, so He created both
the day and the night.
2)
God is the only one who
can give us spiritual rest. The psalmist says, “My soul finds rest
in God alone; my salvation comes from him” (Psalm
62:1). When God talks about rest, He is
concerned that we not only have physical rest but that we also get spiritual
rest. That rest can be characterized as an inner
peace of heart and mind which is possible through a personal relationship with
God.
3)
God does not make the
decision for us to receive His rest; we do.
The writer of Hebrews very pointedly says, “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter
that rest” (Hebrews 4:11). In
order to obtain the rest that God offers, we must make a personal decision to
receive Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord.
When we do so, Jesus promises us a place in heaven with Him. He says, “In my father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would
have old you. I am going there to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you
also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3).
So,
is it time for you to rest? Have you
spent some time apart from your regular routine (no matter what that routine
is) to get some physical rest? Are you
aware that only God can give you spiritual rest? Do you know that God cannot make the decision
for you to receive His rest? Maybe this
would be a good time for you to personally receive the spiritual rest that God
provides. Turn to Him in prayer and ask
Him to come into your life and make you the kind of person He wants you to be.
