10 December 2014 - all the rest

Our struggles are not hidden from the LORD. He isn't ignoring us. He knows that we labor. He knows that we are burdened. He wants to give us rest. He invites us, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart". Wait. Another yoke? More work? How can this be rest? Maybe he doesn't really know what we're going through after all. Maybe he's too wrapped up in his own projects to really care what we're going through. We start to perceive a God who offloads his job to his creatures because he himself grows tired. Nothing could be further from the truth.

To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.

The world remains in existence. It keeps spinning day to today. Our limits are not his limits. God certainly does not get tired from his effort...

The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.

...so maybe we shouldn't expect him to give us rest in the way the world does, if there is no one like him as an equal. The world can only give rest by laying down yokes, by taking vacations, time-off, and sick days. If we take worldly rest someone else has to pick up the slack.

But God gives us rest by allowing us to share in his yoke which is easy and his burden which is light. Our burdens and loads are heavy and tiresome, tedious, boring, and exhausting. It amazes us to read that there is a yoke and burden which is easy and light. But if we just take Jesus at his word, if we accept the invitation, "Come to me" then we will for rest for our souls. But this rest doesn't look like worldly rest.

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.

Even under the load of the yoke our strength increases. As we rise even gravity can't hold us down. He has given us wings to fly. Running doesn't wear us out. We are marathoners, ready to run the race with endurance, with the whole cloud of witnesses cheering us on and interceding for us (cf. Heb. 12:1).

Yet even God himself rests on the Sabbath. He commands us to enter into this day when we set all work aside. God has the power to give let us carry any burden indefinitely. So what is the true purpose of this rest? Why doesn't he just have us keep going? We know that if he wills it we won't grow weary. This Sabbath rest is about priority. It says that even though all of the work we do is important, even though it may be the yoke of Jesus himself, our priority must always be our relationship with him. It is just like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus. The yoke of Martha's serving is valid and important. But what Mary chooses is the "better part".

Let's praise God today because he does care about us. He dispels the myth of his indifference with the most amazing excesses of love.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.

Let us come to him and enter the rest of freely offers.