Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Word Study Wednesday: Rest

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Too many demands and not enough rest in the Lord makes an empty, cranky person. At least that's how I feel. I don't necessarily feel burdened, but I do feel weary. I've allowed my to-do list to control me and now my body and mind are rebelling. It's not that I need sleep - I need to rest in the LORD. I need to soak in His glory, to gaze upon His beauty, and to know that He is God.

The Greek word for "rest" is "anapauo" (pronounced an-ap-ow-o Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible). It means to "take ease, refresh (give, take) rest." Jesus is offering us refreshment and rest. To me, it's like swimming in a cool pool on a hot day. We are immersed in His rest, His refreshment.

How do we rest in Him, especially if we have responsibilities requiring our attention? Look at your daily schedule. Are there any blocks of time (an hour here, a half-hour there), that are free? For example, I know once the kids go to bed, I have a couple of hours to myself (which I've been using poorly). I also know I watch too much television and spend too much time surfing the Internet.

Jesus found rest by escaping to quiet places. In Mark 6:31, Jesus tells His disciples to "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Mark 1:35 says "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Notice both of these verses state He went to a quiet or solitary place. He gives us rest when we are quiet.

Find a quiet place and rest in Jesus. Make time for Him because only He can restore our weary, burdened souls.

How do you find rest in Jesus? Feel free to discuss it in the comments section.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just came back from a stay-cation and I am more weary now than before! I too waste time and focus on things that take my joy rather than giving it. When I do find my quiet place, there are others who want to be there too. Now I can't seem to get any peace and it is really taking it's toll!

Jan Parrish said...

Wow, you have been spot on with your posts lately. Just what I needed to hear.

Diane Marie Shaw said...

I've been spending time reading God's word but not really spending that quiet time, listening. As you said, in that listening comes the rest we so desperately need.
I KNOW I need that now because I am cranky and dissatisfied. The answer is easy, doing it takes a little discipline.

Diane Marie Shaw said...

I've been reading God's Word but have not been getting the quiet time that leads to the rest that is so needed. I know I need the rest now because I am cranky and dissatisfied. The answer is easy, it just takes a little self discipline.
Thanks for the reminder. I feel better just reading your blog.

smithsk said...

Thanks for the reminder to look for a quiet place - especially in a crazy noisy world filled with infinite distractions. Elijah heard the still small voice.
The first comment from anonomous - referenced stay-cation. He/she must have watched Corner Gas.
Susan