Rest in Jesus

There is always so much to do and there never seems to be enough time. There's work, studying, housework, hobbies, and you try to squeeze in some time for family and friends too. But there is a type of rest that "charges your batteries" in a sense, and it's a type of rest you should not miss. I'm talking about rest in Jesus.

Let's see what the Bible says about resting. Again, all the quotes are from the New International Version.

Exodus 20:10-11 (New International Version)

10 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 manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 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.

So we can see that even God rested on the seventh day. We can only imagine how little the Creator of all things would have extra time in His hands for resting, but still he wanted to make time for it.

Hebrews 4:9-11 

9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

So the Bible clearly tells us to rest following God's example. This rest the Bible talks about is meant for everybody, whether busy or not.

But what is this rest that the Bible talks about? Where can we find it? Is e.g. watching TV a good way to rest? David writes in Psalm 62:

Psalm 62

 1 My soul finds rest in God alone;

       my salvation comes from him.

 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

...

5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

So the rest we need is rest for the soul and it can be found in God alone. We can rest in God because we know that our salvation and hope comes from him. We can rest in him independent of the circumstances, because we know we can leave all our worries to God.

Can we find this rest by meditating, by looking into ourselves to find peace? No, we can only find rest in Jesus:

Matthew 11:28-30

 28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

So we have to come to Jesus to find rest. Because any rest that the world may give will never give rest for our souls. Only when we come to Jesus and pray for him will we truly find rest. Jesus told us how to rest in him:

Mark 6:30-32

 30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

 32So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

So whenever you have some time for yourself, go to a quiet place and pray there, and you will find rest in Jesus.