FINDING REST IN JESUS!
Jesus said “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
Read Mark 6:30-31, Luke 10:38-42, Psalm 23:2-3
CONTEXT: In Genesis 1-2, when God our Heavenly Father created the heavens and the earth, He rested on the 7th day! The last thing he had created before resting was man!! In other words, man was created to ENTER HIS REST!
This is also why Israel in the Old Testament was called to have a SABBATH REST on the 7th day of each week (Exodus 20:8-11). The whole purpose of this sabbath rest however was not just to rest from work but to REST WITH GOD as we await that future fulfilment of an eternal heavenly rest! “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.” (Hebrews 4:8-10) Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest!! In the New Testament, we find that Jesus is the fulfilment and reality of that Sabbath day rest (Colossians 2:16-17) and will ultimately be the one to bring us into that eternal heavenly rest!!
So the question is: HOW DO WE FIND THIS REST IN JESUS WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE FULFILMENT OF THAT PROMISE OF ETERNAL HEAVENLY REST?
Read Mark 6:30-31
Mark 6:30-31 “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, 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.”
Now we come to the New Testament, and our saviour Jesus shows us how to find this rest. In Mark 6:30, the disciples had been so busy from the ministry they were doing for Jesus, that they didn’t even have a chance to eat.
In Luke 10:38-42, Martha was so busy with the preparations she had to make FOR JESUS, that we find Jesus saying that was the very thing DISTRACTING HER FROM JESUS!!
So the question that comes from this is HOW DO WE FIND REST IN JESUS AMIDST THE BUSYNESS OF LIFE AND MINISTRY?
In Mark 6:31, we find 3 keys to finding REST IN JESUS!
1.COME TO JESUS! Jesus said in Mark 6:31 to His disciples to “Come with me..” In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus says Come to me all who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” Only Jesus can offer REST FOR YOUR SOULS if we come to Him!!
2.Come to Jesus BY YOURSELVES! Not with the crowds! Even Jesus would often leave the disciples, to have alone time with our Heavenly Father by Himself!! (Mark 6:45-46, Matthew 26:37-39)
3.To a QUIET PLACE- free from distractions!! We are told by Jesus in Matthew 6:6 when we pray, to go to your room, close the door and pray to your Heavenly Father in secret!! Notice by Jesus telling us to CLOSE THE DOOR, we are cutting off distractions and creating a quiet place to spend time with God? FIND THAT QUIET PLACE, FREE FROM THE DISTRACTIONS OF EVERYDAY LIFE TO SPEND A FEW MOMENTS WITH JESUS EACH DAY! (That quiet place could be the park, or a cafe with your bible, or even your room with the tv, phone and music switched off so that you can hear the voice of God!)
And what happens when your quiet place is crowded by others?
Mark 6 vs 32-33 tells us that the disciples went by BOAT to a solitary place, but the crowd got there by foot ahead of them, which suggests they were unable to have that time of rest with Jesus in that place!!
SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR SOLITARY PLACE IS CROWDED BY OTHERS?
Answer: Make the most of the boat ride along the way!!
Later in Mark 6:45 Jesus sent the disciples away on THAT SAME BOAT, and as the storm came on the Lake, the disciples got to experience a REVELATION OF JESUS they had never seen before, as He came out to them on the boat!! It was from IN THE BOAT, that they not only saw Jesus walk on water, but also calm the storm, showing He had authority over the storm!!
For some of us it can be hard to find that quiet place between work, family, screaming kids, church ministry and the general busyness of life! So why not make the MOST OF THE CAR RIDE OR TRAIN TRIP to and from work and church, or your lunch break in the middle of the day? Use this precious time to spend with Jesus by READING THE BIBLE/listening to the audio bible, listening to PRAISE AND WORSHIP and PRAYING to Him, so that you can find rest in Him during your day.
May these principles help us to FIND REST IN OUR WONDERFUL JESUS AMIDST THE BUSYNESS OF LIFE, as we wait for that final eternal rest in Heaven!!
God bless!
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