Holy Rest

Read Isaiah 40:1-11
Want to go deeper today? Read Psalm 103

Light two candles and say together
Come, Giver of Rest. We are weary without you.

Reflection

"The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads." If your household is anything like mine, this isn't typically how the night before Christmas goes; or really, how any night before Christmas goes. It is so hard to sleep when you're excited about something and it is so hard to find the time to sleep when there aren't enough hours in the day to get through a to-do list.

I wonder if maybe, it was similar at the manger. "Away in a manger no crib for a bed. The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head. The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay. The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay. The cattle are lowing the Baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes.”  “No crying He makes” is a lovely line in a sweet Christmas hymn, but as a mother, I cannot believe that line was true all the time. Yes, Jesus was fully God, but He was also fully human, and human babies cry. "Sleep like a baby" is definitely a misnomer, if I've ever heard one. Sleep is hard to come by with a newborn.

There was probably a lot of exhaustion, even on that very first Christmas.

Being tired is not a character flaw. Neither is resting. It is a natural part of our human existence. And it isn't something that God shies away from, either. Even Jesus napped (don't believe me? Check out Luke 8:23-25). Jesus also set the example for resting, even in the middle of doing incredibly important work. In Mark 6:30-31, we witness that “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.’” 

Even in the opening pages of the Bible, we can read one of the very first directives from God: "On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation." (Genesis 2:2). But when we read this in conjunction with today’s reading, we know that "The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary" (Isaiah 40:28). God didn't need to rest from creation. He rested to model for us how not only important, but holy rest is. And while God waited until all His work was done to rest, this day of rest was Day 1 for humans, according to the Biblical narrative. They hadn't even begun their work, but they were invited to start from a place of rest.

Here is what you can trust: God will not rest until He is done His work. But you do not have to earn your rest. You are invited to start from a place of rest, to go to a place of rest while you are busy, and to see this rest as holy. Not only that, but when weariness feels bone-deep and you have no strength left and even rest doesn't restore, our Lord promises to restore you. In both Isaiah and in Matthew, we see that it is God who gives us the true rest we need.

Don't shy away from rest this season. You are invited into it as an act of holiness. Run to Jesus, the ultimate Giver of Rest and strength.

Reflect and Discuss

  • Do you feel guilty resting?
  • How does it feel knowing that God won't rest until the work is done but He doesn't expect you to skip resting, even when there is still work to do?
  • How can you add a holy rhythm of rest into the rest of this Advent season (and maybe into the new year)?
  • What things do you need to remove from your life so that rest is more accessible?

Pray
Lord, you promise us that those who hope in You will renew their strength. Lord, help us place our hope in You. Let us soar on wings like eagles, run without growing weary, and walk without growing faint. We lean on you today and every day, Lord Jesus.
Amen.

Advent in Action
Turn off all electronics early tonight. Go to bed before your usual bedtime. If you’re not tired, find a good book, listen to calming Christmas music, or drink some non-caffeinated tea.


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