Enter Into His Rest; For He Loves YOU!!

Busyness…

Everyone feels the push, the need to be busy. But is that what God wants for us? I would say no. Enter into His rest; for he loves YOU!!

God has a lot to say in His Word about rest. 

Starting in Genesis 1, he set the precedent for rest when He said on the 7th day He rested. 

Later, He told the Israelite’s in Exodus:

16:22-23On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much food, four quarts apiece, and all the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. He told them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil, and set aside everything left over to be kept until morning.’”

And then, skipping ahead to Hebrews we have what is noted as “The Believers rest”:

4:1-3a. “Therefore, we must fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also did; but the word [a]they heard did not benefit them, because [b]they were not united with those who listened with faith. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,

“As I swore in My anger,
They certainly shall not enter My rest,”

although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.”

There are lots of scriptures in between. 

God felt it was important enough to mention it a lot in the Bible. Maybe we should pay attention. I always say that if God mentions it once in the Word, it’s important. But if it’s mentioned twice- pay attention. Rest is mentioned almost 200 times!!  

This season tends to be a bit busier for many of us. Kids are back to school. The slower (Is it really slower!!??) days of summer are over, and it’s back to the routines of sports, school, and work. 

Fall is a transition time between summer and winter. We are busy finishing up our gardening projects and prepping for the long, cold winters. Then, soon enough, the holidays are upon us. The next thing we know, January is here, and we are left wondering what just happened to the last 4 months??!!!  

Sorry to be a downer here. But it’s what happens.

Let’s consider what it means to rest. 

Rest is such an important bodily function. Our bodies literally have a NEED to rest for us to be at our best.

The first thing I want to talk about then is sleep. Literally, the most important thing our bodies need is sleep. GOOD sleep, I mean. The kind of sleep that we wake refreshed and renewed from. At least 8 hours of good sleep is optimal. 

Not a good sleeper?? 

I haven’t been either and I have learned some things. 

First, regular sleep times and wake times are important. I have read that a good bedtime recommendation is 10 pm. Waking then between 6 and 7 is optimal. Keep your bedroom a place of rest and quiet. Make your bed as comfortable as possible, and keep the room temperature at night cool. Turn off all lights and try for total darkness. A sleep mask might be helpful for that. 

Magnesium and melatonin are great sleep supplements and can help you get a good nights sleep. Lavender and cedarwood are good choices for essential oils that promote good sleep as well.

Resting at night is not the only rest we should be doing. 

Daytime rest is important too! 

We spend our days rushing from one activity or chore to the next never giving our bodies time to relax. And that can be just as detrimental to our health as not getting good sleep. Besides that, if we are always rushing around, our bodies can’t relax to get to a place of good rest. 

We might think we are resting and sleeping well, but actually, its called exhaustion. And while, yes, we are sleeping, in those cases our bodies need so much more than just sleep!

That is why God commands us to take one day a week and rest. A WHOLE DAY!!

Yes. A whole day. 

Its a good thing to rest and relax. Build relationships. Play. Get some sunshine and fresh air. 

Let your body, mind and spirit relax and breathe. 

Its the best thing you can do for your whole being. 

Daily we should be taking some time to rest also. 

Give your body the rest it needs to refocus and center yourself. 

Personally, I love to do what I call “Quiet Time”. During this time I might do some time of breathing deeply. Engaging my core and pelvic floor getting them to work together to fill my lungs fully. I add in a “Yah” then “Weh” on the inhale and then exhale. I play meditative sort of God focused music. Prayer and scripture reading take place here and then journaling. 

For me, I take an hour to do all this. But I have been doing this for over 30 years now and my kids are grown. 

You many not have that much time, so do what you can to give yourself even 15 minutes in the morning to center yourself. Focus your heart and mind on God. Use the tools you enjoy most to help you get that centered feeling. 

The most important thing is to rest in God. 

After a healing session I recommend giving yourself some time to rest and reflect on the work thats been done. Don’t focus on the negative. Rather, focus on where you were and acknowledge it. It brought you to where you are now. But it no longer serves you. Be thankful for the work we have done and take time to give thanks for the work you have done. 

Give yourself the time to honor yourself and God. Choose to enter into His rest today. For He LOVES YOU!

Need some suggestions for Bible Plans?

Check out the Youversion Bible App. There are a number of plans there pertaining to rest. Click here for a web version.

Can’t Rest?

Click here to schedule a chat. Let’s see what we can do to help you be able to rest.

Blessings,

Vicki