Rest in Jesus
- April Ross
- Mar 20
- 3 min read
“Knowing He is there is the greatest comfort of all.”
“Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27 NLT
Sunday mornings at my house never feel like a good start for a “day of rest”. My kids are always whining that they have to get up, put on nice clothes, eat breakfast, fix their hair, blah blah blah… Sometimes an argument breaks out in the car ride to church. It’s exhausting! Please tell me I’m not alone in this. Are your Sunday mornings peaceful? Thankfully, during the church service I feel replenished, rested, and ready to take on the week to come, which is exactly what Jesus is reminding us in this verse. Our Sabbath as Christians should be a time of reflection and bringing our mind back to Him, no matter what day of the week we choose to do it.
Now let’s look at what Jesus is saying to those pesky Pharisees. God set up the Sabbath day as a way to set apart the Israelites from the nations around them. He wanted them to be Holy. He also wanted it to be a reminder that they were no longer slaves in Egypt, and they needed rest! God gave them some rules they needed to follow on this day, even giving them a rule that the punishment for breaking the sabbath was excommunication or even death. God wasn’t playing around when He instructed His people to rest! He knows how important it is to our mind, body and souls.
Knowing how important the Sabbath was, Jesus also knew there were times when breaking the Sabbath laws was necessary for people to survive. And with His death on the cross, He bore all our sins and transgressions, allowing us to rest one day each week, but also each time we go to Him. We can find our rest in Him wherever we are and in whatever we are doing.
We don’t all have the luxury of getting every Sunday off of work. As moms, we know that our job is never ending. We still have to cook, clean and take care of those around us. Yep, even on our Sunday. But how awesome is it that we can sit down, pull out our Bible and find rest in all situations, just by reading His Word and talking with Him. Knowing He is there is the greatest comfort of all.
Action steps:
Find a worship song that brings you peace and comfort, listen to it when your mind needs rest.
If you don’t attend a church full-time, I encourage you to get involved in one, or find a sermon to watch during the week.
Make a sabbath day that works for you and your family’s needs so that at the end of the day you feel refreshed and closer to Jesus.
Prayer: Jesus, we humbly ask for rest from our busy, hectic lives. Bring Your peace upon us and give us the strength to carry on. Quite our minds, our hearts and our spirits with Your love. Amen
Written by April, a mom of 3 finding rest with Jesus