Are you entering God’s rest? Are you setting time aside each week to honor the sabbath, to relax, to take care of yourself, and to be refilled?  God tells us in the 10 commandments in Exodus 20:

“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.”

He also tells us in Isaiah 58:13-15 to take the sabbath, to keep it holy, and He will bless and satisfy us:

“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. Then the Lord will be your delight.  I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

From John MacArthur’s tape, Entering God’s Rest, the word rest has the following definitions:

• To cease from labor or exertion
• To be free from worry – to be quiet, still, peaceful, free from guilt
• To be settled, rooted and grounded in God’s word
• To be secure, trusting and confident in God
• To have something to lean on, to have supply for all your needs.

Typically the Jews set aside Friday evening to Saturday evening for their sabbath, and Christians often celebrate the Sabbath on Sundays.  I don’t think we need to get hung up on which day of the week is the real Sabbath (although I usually honor it on Sundays).  The point is that God wants us to rest one day a week – as He rested after He finished all of His creation work.

We can enter that rest by going to church and worshipping God, fellowshipping with other believers, reading the Bible and praying, physically resting through naps, enjoying time with our family,  relaxing at home, enjoying tasty meals, having friends over, going for a walk, or doing fun things to get a break in our routine.

Today I took that rest and on the way to a matinee, I stopped by a new restaurant. There was a patio in the sunlight with tables, Greek music played in the background inside the restaurant, and a tv screen showed the beautiful scenery of Greece.  I enjoyed hummus and warm pita bread, chicken kabobs, and stuffed grape leaves (beef and rice stuffed inside grape leaves, dotted with olive oil and lemon juice).  I didn’t realize it was so much food when I ordered it (no, I didn’t eat it all!), but it was delicious.  Truly it was a feast, and I was very thankful! 

What about you?  Do you need to enter God’s rest today?

 Here is  a brief vlog of the restaurant, and of the fountain by the movie theatre in Overland Park, KS. 

Vlog of restaurant and food

Water fountain by theatre

Omelette and hash browns

Many of you know that I am NOT a morning person, but once in awhile I do wake up early (early is defined as any time before I drag out of bed!).  This morning was one of those rare occasions, and my eyes suddenly popped open at 6 a.m.  What a mystery – what do you DO at this benighted hour?     Well, the only thing that seemed right to do.  I prayed – and then went to wake up Ray to take me to breakfast!

Our breakfast date was great. We drove to a little mom-and-pop-owned restaurant on the town square. The petite, gray-haired, sweet waitress poured the coffee (even later, she poured it a 3rd time when Ray didn’t want any more), and we made our orders. Ray got the “breakfast pie” (eggs, sausage, and hashbrowns mixed together with hot, white gravy poured over it).  Mine was a cheese omelette and hash browns with ketchup. Oh, it was delicious!  We were also blessedly alone in the restaurant.  Ray was still bleary-eyed from sleep as I happily chatted away.  

Afterward, we went for a relaxing drive down country roads in the morning sun.  No radio, no cell phones, just peaceful quiet, looking at green fields with horses and cows, dairy farms, blue and yellow wildflowers.  It all sounds so simple, but I had so much fun!  (Hopefully Ray did, too!)

Come to think of it, God probably enjoyed the quiet time of solitude that I had with Him this morning, too.   When was the last time you had a “breakfast date” with Jesus?