Rest Days

For hockey players, staff and parents; hockey rest days are few and far in between during the long seasons. Long night, bus rides, fast food we “don't” make time to just rest in God's presence. I can tell you one thing for sure, we can get a fair share of naps but wake up restless, irritated, pressured, not truly resetting. I fall victim to this way of living all the time. Even though a healthy amount of work is put in to relieve my stress, it still lingers in the back of my mind.

You can read the 1st chapter in the bible and you’d read that even God rested on the 7th day of creating everything and the heavens. Throughout the old testament Jews practiced the Sabbath day to be in God's rest and presence. Jesus slept during a raging storm at sea.  When Jesus went back to heaven he sat at the right hand of God. Examples on top of examples of rest in many different forms, but which is accurate to current day?

“4 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

“So I declared on oath in my anger,

    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”

And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”

6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:

“Today, if you hear his voice,

    do not harden your hearts.”

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[e] just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account”

So rest is a space, time and a planned setting to have. Now it says from work so what you define as work is what you should press pause on. If we don't, we will get sloppy and fall into disobedient sin. Pushing gas for too long can cause a burn out. Even the thought of work 24/ 7 is not healthy.  Matthew 6:34 says from Jesus, “So don’t worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

So plan out a time of rest, recovery and connect with God through prayer, praise, song and actions. It will be worth it in the long seasons that life brings us.