Our God is a God of rest. He rested after creation. Jesus rested at times. God calls us to rest in Him, and when we don’t there are times He makes us rest. 

The first time we see rest in the Bible is after God created the world. “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had done (Genesis 2:2). If God needed rest, surely we do as well.

Jesus rested. There were times He got away from the crowds and times He rested from ministry. If Jesus needed rest – we should rest as well.

We need rest, and are called to rest. We are told to come to Jesus, and if we do He “will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).” We see in Scripture that we are to pattern our rest after God. But what happens when we don’t rest?

If we don’t rest as God commands, God will make us rest. You read that right, forced rest. Why would God do that? 

First, He would do that because He knows what is best for us, and we need rest. There are times when we do more than He calls us to, and He stops us to give us a break. We are His people as believers, and He wants to take care of His children.

Second, there are times He is trying to speak to us, and we need to stop to hear Him. It’s like when a parent is trying to get the attention of his children. Sometimes Dad needs to stop them from an activity so he can be heard. God does the same with us. There are times He needs us to be silent to speak with us. That’s why He says, “Be still, and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10. We can’t hear God if we are not still.

Even note the phrase in the famous 23rd Psalm. “He makes me lie down in green pastures (2).” You wouldn’t think God would have to make us rest. Sheep should want to enjoy relaxing in a green pasture. But sometimes we prioritize things which are not as valuable as God deems valuable, so He makes us rest. 

Do you rest as God commands? Do you take time to let Him speak to you? Do you take time to let your heart, strength, and mind get rejuvenated?

Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes  or Googleplay.