Resting to Discern
Are you good at resting?
Verse of the Day
“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.”
Today’s Devotional
Today, I am struggling with rest. I constantly feel like there are things I need to be doing. Before I started working, I had plenty of time to get things done. Not that I used my time wisely, because I did not. But now that I am working, I have to make the chores of home and family fit into the time I am not working. And so far, I am not doing a very good job. Don’t get me wrong, it’s all getting done, but I am not allowing ample time for rest.
I also struggle with actually resting when I’ve completed my lists. I think (for me) there is a difference between laying on the couch and doing nothing and actual rest that is refreshing. For me, in order to truly rest, I have to have the right perspective. I have to be willing to recognize that nothing actually HAS to be done. (This is a giant stumbling block for me, which is based in false pride.) I have to come to a time of rest knowing that God asked me to rest for my own good. I have to have a perspective of trust and gratitude.
Also, if we look at the history of Sabbath, there is preparation that must be done in order to rest. During creation, God created everything in 6 days and then rested on the seventh day. So he did all the work before the rest. During the time in the desert, when the Israelites were eating manna, they had to gather 2 days worth of manna on the 6th day in order to have food ready for the Sabbath day. If they did not gather 2 days worth of food on the 6th day, they did not have food for the Sabbath day. I don’t know about you, but I need food when I’m resting. But that also gives me an example. I need to work ahead and prepare in order to be able to rest. I also need to be willing to trust that what did not get done can wait. I need to use my time wisely, I need to prepare, and I need to schedule a time to rest. When the time to rest has come, I need to have an attitude of gratefulness. God has commanded me to rest. God has commanded us to be still before him. God knows that we cannot live an abundant life without rest.
This reminds me of Isaiah 40:31: “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” I don’t make good decisions when I am stressed. Or tired. Or hungry. What if resting the way God intended can help us with discernment? What if we planned ahead and made the necessary arrangements to rest, then we rested from our work with a sense of trust and gratitude, and then the things we are trying to discern become clear?
For me, the question then becomes: Do I trust God enough to follow the command to rest, or do I trust my own works? Do I believe that God provides rest, or do I believe that I will feel rested when I’ve accomplished everything that I think needs to be done? Ouch. By my behavior, I know the answer to that.
So this week, I am going to make time and preparations to rest. I am going to put down my list. I’m going to trust God and follow his command to rest. I’ve done enough. And even if I haven’t, I’m going to trust that God is still in control. I’m going to rest because God tells me to and Jesus modeled it. Choosing to rest and be refreshed by God will put me in a better frame of mind to seek discernment.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
Are you good at resting?
What makes you feel refreshed?
How can you prepare this week so that you can have a full day of rest this coming weekend? (This is now my new goal…)
How can you show God that you trust him and that you’re willing to be obedient to his command to rest?
How could being rested help you with discernment?