Ready For Rest
8/7/2024
Written By: Paige Wassel
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. -Matthew 11:28-30
When was the last time you experienced soul-deep rest? We live in a culture that seems designed to make rest difficult and weariness a way of life, encouraging us to fill every spare minute with activity. We wear our busy schedules as badges of honor, proof of our productivity and all we are accomplishing even as it drains us physically. Our minds aren’t allowed a spare minute of relief either as we’re bombarded with messages daily, from dozens of texts and emails to news stories and social media posts to the ever-present “ding, ding, ding,” of incoming phone notifications. Our God wants a better pace for us, and rest is part of his good design for our lives.
In the Bible, two main Hebrew words are used for rest: shabbat and nuakh. The word shabbat, from which we get the word “Sabbath,” refers to stopping. God set an example for us in this form of rest in the very beginning, when he rested on the seventh day after completing all his work of creation (Gen. 2:2-3). The other Hebrew word for rest, nuakh, means “to dwell” or “settle.” It gives a picture of being present and abiding and is used just a few verses later in Genesis 2:15 when God “rests” man in the garden of Eden to work and care for it. In Exodus 20:8, God reinforces the importance of rest in the commandments he gives the Israelites, reminding them to “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”
Fast forward several hundred years and the Jews focused on keeping the Sabbath as a series of rules and regulations provided by God about what could and could not be done on their day of rest, creating a burden of law-keeping that caused them to miss the power of being with God. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invited them to remove that burden and find ultimate rest in his presence, learning from his example. This invitation extends to us today, as Jesus asks us to come sit at his feet, listen to his words, and follow him.
As it has from the beginning, creating space to experience God’s rest requires “stopping” and “abiding.” I recently participated in a 21-day devotional challenge called “Rhythms” offering new routines to encourage “walking the pace of Jesus.” These rhythms included kneeling in prayer three times a day, reading Scripture, journaling, limiting social media time, taking a 21-minute daily walk outside without my phone, and challenges to encourage quality time with family and friends. While I didn’t perfectly keep every rhythm, these routines helped me to “stop” and “abide.” By limiting time spent mindlessly scrolling social media, I found myself less anxious and distracted. By taking daily walks without my phone, I began talking to God more, observing his creation and lifting up my prayers and praises. Kneeling in prayer put me in the posture of recognizing God’s authority over my life and reading Scripture reminded me of his promises and character.
Finding soul-deep rest in our busy world requires us to seek Jesus intentionally and learn from his example. In pursuing this rest, we aren’t just giving our minds and bodies a break but inviting God to speak into our lives and be present in our families and in our community. In these moments we abide with him, we get a heaven-on-earth glimpse of the day when we will eternally rest in his presence, dwelling with God again.