Question 1

Why is rest so important?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 2:1-3So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.Exodus 31:17“It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.’”Rest is important because God tells us to rest. Why would the omnipotent God of the universe rest following his work of creation? Surely, it wasn’t because the Almighty was physically tired! The answer is that God, in ceasing from his work, called his rest “holy.” God knew that we would need to cease from our work to care for our physical and spiritual needs. Work is good, but it must be balanced by regular rest and attention to the health of our souls; otherwise, we miss the divine moments God sends our way. We should make sure to carve out regular times for worship and spiritual refreshment.Exodus 23:12“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the foreigners living among you to be refreshed.”Regular, consistent, weekly rest is an important part of avoiding and needing to recover from burnout.Psalm 23:1-3The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.Psalm 127:2It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.Jeremiah 31:25“For I [the Lord] have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.”Rest is important because it renews us mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, thus giving us more energy for the work ahead. Rest is not only a necessity but a gift from God.

Question 2

Who can afford to take time to rest with so much to do?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 2:1-3So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.When God rested from his work of creation, he set an example for us to follow. He knew we would benefit from a day of rest each week. We cannot afford not to rest.Exodus 20:8-11“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God.”God commands his people to observe times of physical and spiritual refreshment, even if we are busy.

Question 3

What should I do during times of rest?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 20:8-11“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. . . . For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”Exodus 31:13“Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.’”Leviticus 19:30“Keep my Sabbath days of rest, and show reverence toward my sanctuary. I am the Lord.”Leviticus 23:3“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the Lord’s Sabbath day, and it must be observed wherever you live.”Deuteronomy 5:12-14“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work.”Isaiah 58:13“Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.”One day a week should be more wholly dedicated to focusing on God. This is a time of rest when we set aside our regular work, if at all possible, and our own agenda in order to praise, thank, and worship God individually and with other believers. It is a time to stop our normal routines to more fully enjoy the renewal of body, mind, and soul that comes from more time spent with God and his people.Psalm 4:8In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.Psalm 127:2It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.Psalm 145:5I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.Proverbs 3:24You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly.Ecclesiastes 5:12People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.Mark 6:31-32Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.In addition to Sabbath rest, we need times for emotional rest (separation from stress), mental rest (meditation), and physical rest (sleep). This kind of rest brings renewed energy, mental clarity, healing, and peace of mind and heart.

Question 4

What gives me spiritual rest?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 33:14The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”Psalm 23:2-3He [the Lord] lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.Psalm 51:12Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. . . . Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.Psalm 91:1-2Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.Isaiah 26:3-4You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.Jeremiah 6:16This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’”Jeremiah 31:25I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.Nahum 1:7The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.Matthew 11:28-30Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”John 14:27“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”Galatians 1:3May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.Galatians 5:22-23The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.Acts 3:19-20Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah.When we visit friends far away and spend the night with them, they prepare a room for us to make us comfortable and help us rest. God does the same for us. When we come into his presence, we find that he has prepared a place where we can feel safe and rest. In his presence, the burdens of the world are put into perspective and cares melt away. When we need to be refreshed spiritually, we should go to the Creator of rest and linger there.

Question 5

What can disrupt or stop us from getting our needed rest?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 4:12“No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”Deuteronomy 28:65-67“There among those nations you will find no peace or place to rest. And the Lord will cause your heart to tremble, your eyesight to fail, and your soul to despair. Your life will constantly hang in the balance. You will live night and day in fear, unsure if you will survive. In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were night!’ And in the evening you will say, ‘If only it were morning!’ For you will be terrified by the awful horrors you see around you.”Psalm 32:3-5When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. . . . Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.Isaiah 28:12God has told his people, “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.” But they would not listen.Isaiah 30:15This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.”Isaiah 48:22“But there is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord.Isaiah 57:20-21“Those who still reject me are like the restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt. There is no peace for the wicked,” says my God.Jeremiah 6:16This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’”Habakkuk 2:5Wealth is treacherous, and the arrogant are never at rest. They open their mouths as wide as the grave, and like death, they are never satisfied. In their greed they have gathered up many nations and swallowed many peoples.Hebrews 3:18-19To whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.Hebrews 4:2, 6For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. . . . So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God.Revelation 14:11The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”Sin makes us restless and agitated. Sin clogs our lifeline to God, the source of rest and renewal.Psalm 39:6We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.Ecclesiastes 2:23Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless.Ecclesiastes 8:16In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people’s burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night.Mark 6:30-31The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.Luke 21:34“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware.”Work (even ministry service) and busyness can keep us from rest. We always have more to do. But if we never stop, we will never experience the rest we need to function effectively in the long run.Lamentations 5:5Those who pursue us are at our heels; we are exhausted but are given no rest.2 Corinthians 6:5We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food.2 Corinthians 11:27I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.Satan tries to keep us from rest. The more he can distract us with temptations and hardships, the more difficulty we will have relaxing and listening to God.Job 3:26“I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; only trouble comes.”Job 7:4-5“Lying in bed, I think, ‘When will it be morning?’ But the night drags on, and I toss till dawn. My body is covered with maggots and scabs. My skin breaks open, oozing with pus.”Psalm 77:4You don’t let me sleep. I am too distressed even to pray!Jeremiah 45:3“You have said, ‘I am overwhelmed with trouble! Haven’t I had enough pain already? And now the Lord has added more! I am worn out from sighing and can find no rest.’”Daniel 6:18Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night.Grief disrupts rest. Suffering and sorrow often distract us from the God who can heal us.Job 30:17“At night my bones are filled with pain, which gnaws at me relentlessly.”Sickness disrupts rest. When the body suffers, that’s almost all we think about.2 Corinthians 2:13I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn’t yet arrived with a report from you. So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him.2 Corinthians 7:5When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside.Anxiety disrupts rest. The combination of conflict and fear can rob us of sleep.

Question 6

What are some dangers of not getting enough rest?

Accepted Answer

Nehemiah 4:10Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.”When we become weary, we can lose our perspective and ability to trust God, becoming vulnerable to discouragement and temptation.Psalm 69:3I am exhausted from crying for help; my throat is parched. My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help me.Ecclesiastes 1:8Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.Weariness can blur our vision and purpose. Looking ahead and moving forward are difficult when we feel as though we are too tired to go on.Proverbs 30:1-2The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God. I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense.Weariness can blur our ability to think. Lack of perception can lead us to make poor decisions. Rest helps think clearly and choose wisely.

Question 7

How can I experience the refreshment that God promises?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 23:1-3The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.We will experience God’s refreshment by following closely to God, our Shepherd,Matthew 11:28-30Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”We will experience God’s refreshment by giving him our burdens and submitting to him.Hebrews 4:1-3God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest.Hebrews 4:6-8So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.We will experience God’s final and ultimate refreshment when we live with the God of rest forever, which is only for those who put their faith in Christ.

Question 8

What is the difference between taking needed rest and being lazy?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 139:3You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.Proverbs 12:11A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.Proverbs 6:10-11A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.2 Thessalonians 3:11We hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business.Scripture reminds us that laziness can be a sin, while rest is a reward for hard work. Someday we will be asked to give an accounting for how we spent our time in this life. Laziness gives excuses for why we can’t get things done. Rest is the reward of work well done.Psalm 73:12Look at these wicked people—enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.Isaiah 47:8“Listen to this, you pleasure-loving kingdom, living at ease and feeling secure. You say, ‘I am the only one, and there is no other. I will never be a widow or lose my children.’”2 Thessalonians 3:6Now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.When leisure becomes the center of our lifestyle, it displays selfishness and laziness. We should rest when it is time for God to re-create or recharge us.