"What day is today?"
HUMP DAY!
And on Friday we'll say something like "Almost there, it's Friday!"
And on Monday we'll say "How was your weekend?" to which the standard reply is "Too short..."
We hear these comments in a never ending cycle. Even as the week begins we start another cycle of counting down the days to the weekend, where we can get rest.
Yet when Monday comes, why isn't everyone rested? Even if we sleep away the weekend, we don't feel satisfied.
Jesus said "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
Many of us are familiar with that verse. Yet we are not experiencing that soul rest Jesus talks about here. Perhaps we are missing something. Since he is pointing to himself as an example to learn from, let's have a look at what Jesus did when he was tired.
Flipping through the pages to John 4
"So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. John 4:5-6 (NIV)
The disciples go to get food, Jesus has his famous conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. This leads to her running to town and getting more people for Jesus to preach to.
I think the disciples see this as we would, "Great! It's the weekend, rest time, and now you are working, again?"
31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."
32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."
33 Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?"
34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."
Jesus was nourished by doing God's will . It was like food to him.
Perhaps it is not more days off to rest we need, but to be engaged more in the work God has for us to do?
Doing the will of God, being yoked side by side with Jesus and with each other. This type of work satisfies the soul in a way nothing else can or will.
We are designed for specific work that no one but us can accomplish on earth. When we find that, we find soul nourishment.
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph 2:10 (NIV)
The danger is, we can feel so weary we turn down that work when it comes our way preferring to "rest" instead.
What is the Lord calling you to do today, and are you open to do it?
