The Rest of 2017

First off, Happy New Year everyone! I hope you’ve had an inspiring and refreshing time celebrating Christmas and New Year's with your families. Although I had an excellent holiday with those most dear to me, I found myself entering two thousand seventeen downright exhausted. I am normally excited to kick off the New Year with enthusiasm (and The Polar Bear Dip), but this last Monday, all I could do was just “recover” from staying up too late the night before while being pregnant. I had a pounding headache (not from drinking, don’t worry), I lacked energy, and I never left the house all day. My physical condition was unfortunately a direct representation of my spiritual condition that day. If you have read the previous week’s post by Mel, then perhaps like me, you can relate to her Christmas festivities “lacking” Christ focus. This last year has been one of my best years as far as (semi) consistent “quiet times” with the Lord. I am grateful to God for His faithfulness in renewing my desire and need for His word. So what happened during this holiday season? I got swept away by the constant company, the festivities and activities, and all of the other demands that we all face. Mel had mentioned that she can hardly keep track of herself and her own schedule, while she doesn’t yet have a husband or kids. Now, here is an interesting thing: No matter what our current life situation is, the potential to feel like we have no extra time is there. I’ve been through many different phases in life, and they’ve all felt “busy”. I’ve had periods where I had no job, a time when I had no kids (hard to remember), and in every stage, it has been a challenge to just rest. Please don’t think I am saying I don’t relax, don’t ever take a nap, or veg out from time to time because I do. But the all-encompassing spiritual/physical/emotional rest that we desperately need is found only in one place; Jesus Christ. In last week’s post, Mel had encouraged us to write out our “game-plan” for the year. Mel wrote that she was going to cut out secular music for a month, and stick to regular devotions for a month. That challenges me. I often burn up a ten minute gap several times throughout the day with looking at Facebook. I can easily justify that with “needing” to know what’s going on in people’s lives, but wouldn’t I benefit more greatly from frequent ten-minute sessions with my Creator God? Hmmmm, I’m quite sure of it.

Reading the Bible and spending time with God does two things: It teaches us who God is and it teaches us who we are. Without this proper perspective, how on earth are we supposed to tackle each day as it comes? Friends, we NEED this perspective. It brings meaning and purpose to the mundane things we do, as well as guides us through the heavier and higher points of life. We need to be reminded constantly that we are HIS, that the things of this life are temporary, and that our home awaits us in Heaven. That we are to love the Lord (our) God with all (our) heart and with all (our) soul and with all (our) strength Deuteronomy 6:5.

I want to encourage those of you are feeling discouraged, or tired, or weary. Those of you who feel you’ve lost focus. God promises to give us rest. In fact, He set us an example of this rest way back during the week of creation.

Genesis 2:2 “And on the seventh day God finished his work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done.”

Did God need to rest? I really don’t think so. He is God. But we do, and He knows that. By setting an example for us to follow, He points out that our bodies require regular rest, and that He approves it. Now, everyone who has ever walked the earth knows they need to rest every once in awhile; but only those who know Jesus Christ personally are aware of their need to rest in Him.

Psalm 37:7a “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him…”

So how do we do this?

Hebrews 4:3a “For we who have believed do enter that rest…”

I don’t know about you, but that is music to my ears. God created us, God knows us, God chose us, and God saved us. Which means that we have everything we need to truly live. To live boldly, to live confidently, and to continually find our rest in Him. I guess you could say that is my New Year’s resolution: to discover more fully what that mean, to live out my faith, to find my strength and worth in Jesus Christ alone, and to depend on Him more than the pleasures or the trivial things of this life. I’ll wrap up with one last Bible verse, and I’ll be praying with you in this!

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”