Wisdom Wednesday
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Two weeks ago, we considered the wisdom of sleep. Sleep is crucial to good rest. But rest is not all about sleep.
Here is our question today. Why should we rest?
You are probably aware of the Old Covenant command to God’s people to have a Sabbath day of rest. A day when they do no critical work, trusting in the provision of the Lord while spending that time in reflection on Him.
In the New Covenant, the true Sabbath rest has been found in Jesus Christ. We show our dependance on God not by physically resting (though we still might) but by finding rest for our souls in Jesus Christ.
In Christ, our restless souls can find peace. We have no guilt before God. We have truth, identity and purpose which brings certainty and a clear way of living. We know the future and trust in the fullness of God’s mercy and grace.
But notice the difference. In the Old Covenant the emphasis was on physical rest. In the New it is spiritual rest with the promise of physical and spiritual rest to come.
So. Should Christians physically rest in the form of Sabbath? Well. Yes and no. We don’t need to keep the Sabbath law like Old Covenant Jews. But wisdom tells us that physical rest is necessary and God-honouring as we trust that His kingdom work continues without out.
So how do we rest well? Let’s actually push that to the next week or two because here is a topic that many are wrestling with.
For Today:
Pray: Praise the Father for His promise of ultimate rest in the new creation. Give thanks for Jesus Christ who gives rest for our weary souls. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others find spiritual rest in Jesus.
Matthew 11:28-30
Two weeks ago, we considered the wisdom of sleep. Sleep is crucial to good rest. But rest is not all about sleep.
Here is our question today. Why should we rest?
You are probably aware of the Old Covenant command to God’s people to have a Sabbath day of rest. A day when they do no critical work, trusting in the provision of the Lord while spending that time in reflection on Him.
In the New Covenant, the true Sabbath rest has been found in Jesus Christ. We show our dependance on God not by physically resting (though we still might) but by finding rest for our souls in Jesus Christ.
In Christ, our restless souls can find peace. We have no guilt before God. We have truth, identity and purpose which brings certainty and a clear way of living. We know the future and trust in the fullness of God’s mercy and grace.
But notice the difference. In the Old Covenant the emphasis was on physical rest. In the New it is spiritual rest with the promise of physical and spiritual rest to come.
So. Should Christians physically rest in the form of Sabbath? Well. Yes and no. We don’t need to keep the Sabbath law like Old Covenant Jews. But wisdom tells us that physical rest is necessary and God-honouring as we trust that His kingdom work continues without out.
So how do we rest well? Let’s actually push that to the next week or two because here is a topic that many are wrestling with.
For Today:
- Have you ever thought about the difference between Old Covenant & New Covenant rest?
- How do you rest? What does it look like for you?
- Give thanks for the spiritual rest we find in Jesus Christ.
Pray: Praise the Father for His promise of ultimate rest in the new creation. Give thanks for Jesus Christ who gives rest for our weary souls. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others find spiritual rest in Jesus.
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