Revolutionary Rest

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Rest reveals how much we trust God and His promises. Rest is not a state of inactivity or even relaxation (though that's part of it), but it's a posture of surrender. Surrendering control over circumstances and trusting that if we don't intervene that God is still sovereign. Real godly rest is a discipline of staying still when everything inside of you is screaming to move ahead, to get your hands in the matter and "help" God out, thinking He needs our assistance. How many of us are guilty of this? I know I am. Biblical rest is learning to play our position and let God be God.

Ironically, it takes hard work to learn how to rest God's way.

Hebrews 4:11 (KJV) says, "Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."

In this scripture, it talks about the promise of everlasting rest from trials and troubles that God has prepared for everyone who believes in Him. It's the same rest that God promised the Israelites when He sent Moses to set them free from slavery in Egypt, however, they couldn't experience it because they didn't believe. Instead of trusting that God would take care of them on the way to the promised land, they complained and wanted to go back to Egypt because they trusted in man and in their own human strength more. They didn't trust God enough to rest, though He was feeding them manna on the way to freedom. They fell victim to unbelief and disobeyed his commands not to labor on the sabbath.

Hebrews 3:19 says, "So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief"

While most of us typically associate resting with the sabbath, it's more than just a day during the week where we don't work. It's a lifestyle and posture of trusting God and not doing anything outside of His leading. It's learning to reverence Him enough NOT to do things on our own terms and slapping His name on it, claiming that "God said so." Rest is an act of resisting our own will and perfecting our ability to hear and obey God's voice.

Trust me, it's NOT easy, but with practice, we can learn how to master the art of rest. God's rest is revolutionary.

Take some time this week to reflect what areas of your life do you lack peace or feel strained? Consider whether or not you made a decision without God's guidance or leading and ask Him to step in and take back control over the situation. Whenever He's involved, you will have the peace, clarity, and rest that He promised.

Stay encouraged!