true sabbath rest

‘This is living now…You turn the night into, this life is worth living with You…see the sun now burning through the clouds, black and white turn to colours all around. All is new in the Saviour I am found. This is living now’

I love these lyrics from a new praise song at church.
This is living now. My new hashtag for this summer alongside #TURNITUP the title of this year’s summer retreat from the young adults at my church.

The summer has kicked off with a few hangouts in sun. My inner Pharisee would love to stay cooped up indoors for the next couple of weeks and make hissing noises as I scroll through my social media accounts and watch others enjoy the British sunshine but God has other plans for my summer.

Whilst reading today’s devotional I could identify with the questions that God posed to the writer;

Where does your defining worth come from? What in your life truly makes you “good enough”?

A few months ago, God showed me that I wasn’t resting in His grace. . I had defined my relationship with Him by a set of tick boxes and predictably.

My worth was tainted. My worth was hinged on my multiple Sunday service attendance, the number of volunteer meetings I attended,the number of sermon podcasts I had listened to and how ‘modestly’ I was dressed.

God was not happy. At all.

Our work is good, a gift from God. Routine is needed and helpful. But without a strong faith in the work of Christ, we will never be able to truly enjoy the rest that God has for us. Deep, soul rest that speaks not only to the way we spend our seventh days, but the how we view ourselves every moment of every day

Earlier in the week I hit a mini rock bottom and emailed a friend saying something along the lines of ‘my soul faints within me’. She directed me to Hebrews 4.

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭11-13‬ ESV)

The only thing we should strive for is to rest in God. Rest in His security, acceptance, love and mercy. When our hearts are hardened and we think we know and can do it all, we aren’t far from disobedience.
When we rest in Him, through reading His word, He does all the work. His word is sharper than any two edged sword – it can get down to the marrow of any indecisive or fatigue- speaks wisdom and refreshes us. What I love about God’s word is it shows us the heart of others and when we pray His word, the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf. Hallelujah !

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭15-16‬ ESV)

We enjoy resting in God when our hope is secure in the fact that Jesus sympathises with us and unlike the religious teachers of His day, Jesus doesn’t look down on us or belittle us.
It’s the throne of grace where we find mercy and the strength in our time of need.

So sit back. Relax.