WHERE DO YOU GO FOR REST?

Reflections from the Book of Genesis Chapter 2

Genesis 2:2-3

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

I grew up thinking that I will never choose a profession that will never give enough time for myself and my family. When I saw my relatives who were working night shifts, I made a vow that I would never be like them.

However, I am old now, looking back at my life before, I can only conclude that I have always put myself into working some night shifts. It is so ironic. I never wanted this but my passion drives me to work until past midnight. It isn’t healthy but surely I found out that, I am a night owl. I work best in the deafening silence of the night. The best ideas come out when I am awake in the middle of the night.

What is amazing with my life is that I thought I would be tired doing all these working night shifts. I thought I will ruin my life and so that is why I have dreaded it to happen while I was still young. What is more amazing than I found is that I have a Sabbath day celebration. Sabbath day is a celebration as I expect to be recharged, recreated, and renewed not physically only physically but my entire being.

Like my concept of night shifts. For a long time, I was thinking that Sabbath was a burden for me to attend to. I thought it was all about my responsibilities to do in the church. I thought it was all about what to wear and how to greet and smile properly so I will be seen as godly. I thought it was about singing repetitive songs. For a long time, I never found the essence of the Sabbath. Instead of rest, I found burden and confusion.

However, when I became older I was introduced to the understanding that Sabbath is not all about me and what I do to please God and the people in the church. Sabbath is all about Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, and my Creator.

Sabbath is a gift from God that we will all be rested in the assurance that WE HAVE A CREATOR who will continue to work good and great things in our lives. We have a REDEEMER who can set us free from all the things that oppress us and troubles us.

Sabbath brings us to the sweetest moment to remember we have JESUS ON OUR SIDE. JESUS IS THE TRUE SABBATH OF OUR SOULS. WHEN JESUS SABBATHED OUR SOULS, WE WILL BE FREE, AND WE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.

I thought that true rest is ceasing from work and having all enough time for yourself and all your family. Now, I define rest differently. It is only when JESUS IS THE SOURCE OF MY REST that I WILL HAVE THE GENUINE Rest. IT IS ONLY WHEN I REST ON JESUS THAT I FIND TRUE REST. Today, yes, I spend a sleepless night but, I have the best time of my life to receive the precious promises of God’s love and care. I am having a life filled with work but fully rested in body, mind, and soul, because my rest is defined not in the absence of work but the PRESENCE OF JESUS IN MY HEART.

Friend, where do I go for rest? I only go to Jesus!

I tasted Him. He talked to me through His words. He comforts me through people that He uses to reach me. If Jesus did it for me, He can also do it for you.

He blesses me with REST—BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT!