Rest

Several years ago, the Lord began teaching me about the importance of resting in Him. Scriptures tell us that rest is one of the fruits of walking in faith, “For we who have believed (personally trust and rely on God) do enter that rest….”  Hebrews 4:3.

Real rest is unnatural to the flesh, but it is first nature to the spirit. Romans 15:13 says, “…..there is joy and peace in believing”, and peace is a preceding factor to rest, and rest is a vital element to our spiritual existence.

Resting can often be one of the most difficult spiritual principles for us to learn to practice. Amid the struggle, we may hear God’s comforting voice say, “Relax, lay that struggle aside and rest in Me.” Then we must take a deep breath and allow ourselves to quiet down on the inside because whenever there is unrest on the inside, faith is unable to operate.

Resting however, is not “doing nothing.” It is an action word. It takes effort—otherwise, God would not be teaching us about it.

As humans, we find it hard to rest because our human nature is inclined to strive after things. We are also stress and worry over things. Satan loves this and uses it to his advantage. We end up trusting in our own abilities, even as believers, unable to rest until all is well in our minds.

To truly rest requires an on-purpose decision to do so. It takes quieting down what is going on inside and laying aside what’s happening on the outside. Choosing to yield only to the peace and presence of the Lord.

Rest is something that can only be entered into by faith. Faith must be released in order to lay hold of rest, both physically as well as spiritually. Both aspects are equally necessary and important. Failing to do either can allow you to become weak and vulnerable to attacks from the enemy.

 Proper rest for both the spirit and the body is actually one of the most powerful weapons against attacks of the enemy you could possess. It is in the process of resting spiritually and physically that the work of the Holy Spirit is at its strongest. When resting in Him, we are in a state of complete submission and yielded-ness. Spiritual rest allows you to remain in perfect contact and communion with the Spirit of God at all times.

Often a lack of physical rest during a trial or time of devastation, even when spiritual rest is being maintained, can allow the emotions to spin out of control to the degree that despair takes over the situation. When spiritual and physical rest are maintained, even though the situation may be difficult, our emotions will stay constant, balanced, and influenced by faith and peace rather than fear and worry. 

Under the Old Covenant, God required the His people to observe the Sabbath every week. No work from sundown Friday till sundown Saturday-a day of rest. Under the New Covenant, Jesus is our Sabbath. We rest in Him. This is where our restoration is found.

We know when soil is allowed to rest, it rebuilds itself and, as a result, will produce a great harvest. But if it is not allowed to rest but continually used, adding false nutrients, it will become totally depleted over time. The crop becomes less and less as well as more and more frail and empty. The busyness of the world can do the same thing to us.

Like faith, rest is not a one-time thing, but an everyday thing, a daily-decision-thing. As our trust increases in God, so will our rest. We are constantly moving toward obedience. Our hearts and minds can rest in the fact that God is trustworthy. Rest in the fact that He is faithful. Rest in the fact that everything He said is being fulfilled. Rest in the fact that He is taking care of it all as we believe and put our trust in Him.

We must be diligent and choose to enter rest.