“Do Rest” by @Kaala
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Stop. Just stop. You need to stop, rest and be restored.

In that order. You are restored, refueled, when you rest, when you stop.

God can restore your soul but only if you stop and rest alongside those quiet waters in those green pastures.

Stop what? Stop working. Stop bustling about.

Hey, I get it.

We’re living in an always on, always connected world. Is it 5 o'clock? Oh, work must be finished, quitting time. Uh, uh. Not anymore. We’re still working here!

While nowadays, rest is in short supply, the more pressing problem is that the demand is, too. In other words, less and less of us want, desire or are even aware that we need rest.

I have people bragging to me all the time about how little sleep they get, how busy and important to the functioning of the world of the world. Why, without them, God would be hard pressed to keep up himself. Rest? Who can rest?

OK. They’re not saying that last stuff but still it seems that REST is somehow for weaklings– especially for men.

I asked one group of about twenty-five men how much sleep they usually get. It got real quiet as they all kind of fidgeted and looked at each other. Finally, one guy says, “I usually try for six hours.” Another guy jumped in and said, “Six? I get five.” Yet another guy stood up and responded sneeringly, “Five? Shucks, if I get four I’m lucky!”

It’s like a badge of honor or something. Rest? Sleep? Stop? Not me!

I’ve heard a lot of reasons why we can’t or don’t stop.

If you want it done right…
If I don’t do it it won’t get done
Who else is going to…
I could give all those reasons but I won’t (even though I did). There are three underlying reasons we won’t rest.

First, is we aren’t aware that we’re supposed to. In America that work ethic thing is pervasive. But you know what? On the seventh day God rested. You’re not above God. You need to stop and rest, too.

Secondly, it’s a trust thing. We’re running around doing things because if we don’t we don’t believe God will. Jesus said God understands our needs and that even the pagans run after all these things. But

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33 )

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.” (Psalms 23:1–3)

Let me be clear here. You can lead a horse to water, but what? Yep. You can’t make us rest. I believe God gave us free will and in that freedom we choose to rest or not. He can lead us, and does, to the greenest of pastures, and the waters that refresh and restore us, but we, us, we choose to enter into the rest. Today, take a moment or two or three, and sink back into the rest that only Jesus can offer.


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