Greetings,
My hope is that you have been able to settle back into your regular home life since the Feast – in peace and at rest. A Psalm of David’s comes to mind. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass” (Psalm 37:7). We live in an environment where the ungodly seem to prosper and wicked schemes regularly come to pass. But we should be people who are at rest in our relationship with God. Rest denotes a quietness of mind, a submission and direction toward God.
From all appearances the year ahead does not offer much hope of restful times. At least not peaceful from the point of view of the world in which we live each day. How can we achieve a stronger state of rest with God? The answer lies in the substance of repentance.
Isaiah is inspired to point the way to rest, quietness and confidence. “For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15). The word “returning” is shubah, from shub, to return. This word conveys the whole concept we know as repentance – to turn our lives around and redirect them to God. The Commentary on The Old Testament states it this way – “… turning from their self-chosen way, and rest from self-confident work of their own.”
Repentance is such a familiar concept to us that its impact may be lost if we don’t keep it in focus. It regulates a daily approach to life. It is how we think and act throughout a day. It requires a constant recognition of what human nature is and how that nature is still within us biding its time to influence us if we let down our guard. As the old man is constantly identified and put to death, the replacement new man is, “… renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” As this inner new man develops so do conditions of peace and rest. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:10,15).
The Sabbath day is an excellent time to consider resting in the Lord. This day is not only a day of rest from our physical work and portrays the larger millennial rest we recently celebrated but it also represents the rest that an individual can have with God. “There remains therefore a rest (Sabbath) for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest (abode) has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His” (Hebrews 4:9,10). Repentance is to cease from “our” works and to walk as a new man in a close relationship with our Father. In this way, we rest in the Lord as David encourages us to do.
Warm Regards,
Brian Orchard
