June 9, 2014.

Well, I’m back in America. Though I will miss Nicaragua, it does indeed feel good to be back. My prayer is for the work that was done over the past month will grow and prosper so that the kingdom is spread in Granada. I also pray that we don’t loose the fire just because we are back in our comfort zone. As I said before, the gospel needs to be spread here just like anywhere else.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:28-30)

Today I want to talk a little about rest. Maybe this trip is starting to catch up with me. Do you think it is alright to rest? Do you ever feel guilty if you do? Sometimes I do. I feel like I should just go and go until I can’t go any more, and then take a few more steps. I feel like this is the only way I will be worthy. But I don’t believe this is the case. I don’t think Jesus came to this earth in order to burden us to the point of utter exhaustion. Now don’t get me wrong, I do believe we are to be active in the soul saving business. But that doesn’t mean we have to run ourselves ragged.

There is an interesting story in I Kings when Solomon’s son Rehoboam takes the throne in the place of his father.

“Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon, then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” He said to them, “Go away for three days, then come again to me.” So the people went away.”
(1 Kings 12:1-5)

If you are familiar with the story, you know that Rehoboam takes council with the elders and they tell him to lighten the burden of the people. Then he takes council with his peers and they basically tell him to show them who’s boss and make the burden even heavier. He foolishly chooses the council of his peers and thus the division between the house of Israel and the House of Judah was created. This division of God’s people lasted until the time of captivity of both sides, thus technically until Jesus came to fulfill the prophecies about reuniting the two houses.

The point I’m making is the people asked for rest and Rehoboam didn’t give it to him. That was his downfall. We all need rest, and it is not bad to take it. I believe that we can go to even a bigger example to see this point.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 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. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”
(Genesis 2:1-3)

I don’t think God was physically tired and in need of rest after he created the universe. But the fact still stands that he made the seventh day a day of rest for his people. I don’t think that was an accident. I believe God knows we need rest and he is more than willing to give rest too us. In the suggested reading today there is an interesting passage from Hebrews 4 that talks about the rest of the next life. I’ll let you read that for yourself. Let us rest The Lord, but let us never grow weary from doing good.

Suggested Daily Reading: I Kings 12, Matthew 11, Hebrews 4.

Grace and peace.

-Walter