Sabbath rest

"I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses", or peonies as the case may be.  What a restful place.


But, truth be told, we don't need a restful place.  I mean, how many of our brothers and sisters worldwide get green places to commune with God?


What we need are restful hearts.  Resting in Him, refusing to panic, choosing to trust.


I learned this keenly of late while trying to make a decision about "what to do with the rest of my life", now that I've finished homeschooling.  While wrestling and laboring and refusing to rest because I had decisions to make, the Sabbath arrived in all its restful glory.  And while focusing on God in worship and the quietness of the day, I rested from my labors.  Matthew 11:28 is truly true: "Come to Me [Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God], all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).  God put His warm hands on my worried face and gently turned my eyes to Him.  And there was peace.


This is why we have Sabbaths.  We need them.  God delights in them.  They remind us, at least one day in seven, that apart from Him we can do nothing (see John 15:5), that He is the great Shepherd of the sheep (us wanderers!) (see Hebrews 13:20), that He can do abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine (see Ephesians 3:20).


I urge you to observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, to glorify God and to enjoy Him.  Therein lies our peace.