Rest With Me
Oftentimes when I write, I speak of being in creation as a time that I am close to God. I thought of this when I read Genesis 3:8, "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden." Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Lord. Maybe it was the rustling of the leaves, footsteps; I don't know. They also knew they were in the presence of the Lord among the trees.
They heard the "sound" of the Lord. Whatever the noise, it was audible, allowing them to know He was there. When I am in creation, I also hear the sound of the Lord when I hear the birds sing, the waves crash, a babbling creek, the breeze rustling through the trees. When I see His beautiful creation, I believe I am in the presence of the Lord. When God was "walking in the garden," it included sound and presence among the trees. I can hear God telling me, "walk with me in the garden (or on the beach) and spend time with me. Rest with me."
Our church staff has been talking about the need for a Sabbath rest for God's people. Hebrews 4:9-10, "There remains, therefore, a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His." Even God rested from His work. Genesis 2:2-3, "And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." He did not rest because he was tired but to be an example to us. Hebrews 4:1, "Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it." This promise is for all of God's children!
Remembering the Sabbath is one of the ten commandments. Exodus 20:8, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Remember to keep the Sabbath. Remember, the work has been done. Just as a farmer lets the land rest every seven years. Why? To refresh it.
This promise still stands, and God wants us to be obedient. I am preaching to myself. I have always felt guilty just to sit and do nothing on Sunday afternoons. But this past year, I have really worked at this, and I have to say, it is refreshing. I try to purposefully sit outside and be quiet in His presence. In the mornings, when I wake up, I stay quiet, with no noise, and rest in His presence. God gives us this time to leave our worldly worries behind and get a deep rest blessed by God Himself. It is a rest that resets our hearts and minds in which we can rejoice! It helps us to maintain our spiritual health.
As God led his people into the promised land, he promised they would receive the gift of rest. Joshua 1:13, "Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’" And in the end, God gave them rest. When we honor the Sabbath, we are saying, "I trust You, God." I trust You with my time that I am setting aside for You! I trust You to take care of whatever is going on while I rest with You.
I love Mark 2:27 in which Jesus said, "Then he said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.'" Jesus said this to the Pharisees who loved rules. God never meant for the Sabbath to be complicated. It is a beautiful gift given to us for a chance to rest, an opportunity to trust, and a time to experience God's faithfulness. God knew we would need this to prevent burnout. Deuteronomy 5:15, "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." God wanted them to rest and reflect on His faithfulness.
The Sabbath is God’s grace to us, intended to give us rest from our hard work. Listen for God to tell you, "walk with me in the garden (or your favorite place) and spend time with me. Rest with me.