11 December 2013 - all the rest

11 December 2013 - all the rest

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.

We certainly qualify for this rest.  We all labor and are burdened in our own ways.  But what is this rest all about?  From the beginning God invites us into his rest.  He does not rest on the sabbath for himself.  After all, God "does not faint nor grow weay".  Yet we often thwart his plan and challenge him like the peoples at Meribah and Massah.  We force him to say, "They shall not enter into my rest."  We need to listen to the voice of the LORD and not harden our hearts because "a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God", a rest of which all that went before was just a sign.

The sabbath is a pattern which teaches us to anticipate the greater rest that is still to come when "whoever enters into God's rest, rests from his own works as God did from his."  We learn to lay down our attempts to be justified by "works of the law", indeed by anything we can do apart from grace.  We learn to rely on Jesus for everything.  After all, what do we have that we did not receive  (cf. 1 Cor. 4:7)?  The stubbornness and pride that places ourselves first and will not rely on God keeps us from experiencing his rest.  Let us lay our cares at the feet of him who cares for us (cf. 1 Pet. 5:7).  In this we imitate the meekness and humility of Jesus.  When we do this we experience that the yoke of Jesus is easy and his burden is light. 

When we rest in this way we do not become lethargic or inactive.  Instead we experience the strength which comes from God.

They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.

We all fail to listen to the voice of the LORD at times.  We all harden our hearts in spite of our best intentions.  Fortunately, he is merciful.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.

If we just turn to him and choose to rely on him rather than ourselves we experiencing the redemption he longs to give us.

He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.

Let us join with the psalmist, therefore:

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.