Cease From Worry, Rest In Him!
BRD REFLECTIONS
Genesis 1; Genesis 2:1-3 and Psalm 2 (NIV)
(Aw Choon Hui, Lay Leader)
READ:
Genesis 2:1-3 (NLT)
v2: “On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested (or ceased) from all his work.
v3: And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.”
OBSERVE:
Notice 2 important happenings here:
1. “God rested from all his work” (Gen 2:2).
God doesn’t need rest the way we do after a period of physical or mental exertion because He “neither faints nor is weary” (Isa 40:28). Here, the word ‘rest’ is translated from the Hebrew word ‘Shabat,’ which primarily means ‘to cease or stop’. So, God intentionally stopped creating and did the next important thing:
2. He “blessed the seventh day and declared it holy” (Gen 2:3)
God blessed the day of rest and designated it as holy – meaning He “set apart” the seventh day as different from the other six days. It is a consecrated day.
So here, we see that the concept of rest, or Shabat, as instituted by God. And he desires that I set apart, not just any time, but a time that is consecrated and holy unto him.
APPLY:
Matt 11: 28 says “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
For me, the second half of 2022 has been one of almost daily hospital visits due to hospitalisations involving my dad, mum and daughter-in-law consecutively. It was a time when I felt helpless so many times and rest was elusive. Amidst the anxiety, physical tiredness and a feeling of being overwhelmed many times from juggling work demands, church & family responsibilities, and rushing to and from hospitals, it was surely only the Lord who kept me going day after day. On my own I would have collapsed a long time ago.
So how do I find a sacred time of Shabat that I can consecrate and set apart for the Lord when my schedule gets seemingly upended almost every other day?
God promised the people of Israel, a life of rest in His presence, provided they remained faithful and obedient, and surrendered fully to Him by living righteous lives. So, I can also enjoy His rest when I do likewise.
While not ideal, I try and snatch small pockets of sacred time throughout the day to cease from hurry and just commit myself to Him and ask that He help me be mindful and obedient to him for the next meeting or activity. When I rush from place to place, I try to pause for a minute to utter a breath prayer to commit everything and everyone to Him. Doing this helps me consciously centre myself on Jesus.
DO:
As I begin a new year and new challenges, I will still try to intentionally set apart a day unto the Lord to cease from worry and striving. Just to meet with God, delight in His presence and rest in Him.
May God have mercy on me and grant me His grace to do just that!
PRAY:
Lord, I need Thee every hour. No tender voice like Thine can peace afford. Help me to establish a sacred rhythm of consecrating time for you alone, my Lord and Master. Amen.
