Rest, it’s a God idea.

Genesis 2:2

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

In the Old Testament, everything was literal. So rest, abstinence from labor was forbidden, and if you study how exact, it is not just a word. You could not cook, bake, light a fire, carry anything of weight, washing, tying or untying, or even to write.

The Old Testament was a schoolmaster teaching us spiritual things by showing us the physical/literal things.

In the New Testament, rest is spiritual. Specifically, our rest is in Jesus. His Blood, His Sacrifice, His Work of redemption, and by reflecting on that reality and living in honor of that fact is in fact the highest form of worship we can do. Because of Jesus, I can truly rest.

Further, in a higher dimension of this rest, Jesus gave us a promise, and that promise is fulfilled when we are filled with the precious Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit works through us, when we participate in the Kingdom of God, it is the Spirit that works through us.

1 Corinthians 12
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.

Just as David did not slay the Giant but by the Holy Spirit using him as a vessel of His Purpose for His People.

God is looking for someone to stand with Him to be a vessel of God to allow Him to WORK through you.

” I will work, and who shall let it?”” Isaiah 43:13

We can rest in Jesus, however, New Testament Rest is not inactivity; New Testament is faithful obedience, and through that, God does the Work.

Be in prayer, preaching, serving, helping, encouraging, teaching, and witnessing; God works through your willingness to serve His Purpose.

You have not because you ask not. Often why you are not seeing God work in your life is because you are not actively engaged in praying for and seeking his will.

This Saturday morning I am enjoying a day of rest. However, I am determined to do something that puts me in a position for God to use me to be a blessing to someone.

This act of writing would violate the Old Testament Sabbath. On So many levels.

However, in the New Testament, as I make this effort in devotion and meditation in hopes of encouraging others, it is not me that ultimately would bring some blessing, but the Spirit of God that works through this effort.

Mark 2
24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.