"On the seventh day God rested from all His work." Hebrews 4:4
God does not want our days to be filled with restless endeavor. He urges us to put down our work and find rest in Him. He has put the laws of the universe beyond our reach, but He assures proper momentum, equilibrium, and harmony. That is God's pattern of creation.
Likewise He has set a definite pattern for our lives, limiting our capacities. Man's life is not to be constant striving. It is to be an interchange of labor and rest, using the day for labor and the night for rest. When our Lord came as the Son of Man, His work had its limits. As the time for His arrest and crucifixion drew near, Jesus prayed to His Father, "I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do" (John 17:4). Jesus knew what His life purpose was and when it was near completion. Likewise, all that is required of us is the work which He gives us to do. We must learn to pray, "Teach me Your will," knowing that in the discovery of God's will we will find rest.
The closing day impresses such thoughts upon us. So much remains to be done. We may be inclined to reproach ourselves because we have accomplished so little. But is there not as much sinning on one side as on the other? Some have been lazy, but others have burned themselves out, neglecting time for rest and Sabbaths ordained for man's blessing.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, we are often weary and burdened. Draw us back to You, for in You alone do we find rest for our souls. Amen.
(Devotions from "The Abundant Life" copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Isaiah 32-33 Romans 3
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