June 18th, 2025
by Sarah Cushing
by Sarah Cushing
The human body is fascinating. From bones and muscles, the senses and the brain, to how we grow and heal, God designed our bodies with care and intention. Equally fascinating is what the human body needs to live. We need oxygen, food, water, warmth, and we need rest. Our bodies will begin breaking down after 1-2 days without rest, and after three days, our mood, cognition, and communication is significantly impaired.
As finite humans, we need rest because our bodies cannot go on without it. God, on the other hand, does not grow weary or tired. Isaiah 40:28b says “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not grow faint or weary…” Yet, from the beginning of creation, God introduced rest as good when He rested “from all the work he had done” (Genesis 2:2).
He rested. Why?
Rest is one of the many ways God has molded our Christian life to point us back to Himself. Rest is listed in the Ten Commandments as the day of the Sabbath. The Sabbath points to a rest that goes beyond our physical need. Exodus 20:9-10a says, “Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God [emphasis mine].” It is a day of rest meant to be dedicated to God.
For years my rest was dedicated to myself instead of to God. When the work week ended, I filled my schedule with activities or seeing other people to keep myself busy and make the most of my free time.
Rest was a last resort; there was always something that I’d prioritize over rest. Only when I was too sick to go anywhere, or life was beginning to feel overwhelming, would I finally rest. I had turned my gift of rest into a lifejacket I would grab onto when I felt that I was drowning (ok, maybe not always quite that dramatic), when instead I should have made rest a part of my regular rhythm.
A few years ago, my husband Josh and I began conversations about what creating a Sabbath day for us would look like. We spoke about our Sabbath being a day that we direct our hearts and minds to God, a day dedicated to Him.
Last week Pastor Matt wrote that rest is a practice in trusting God. For me, rest is also a practice of contentment and thankfulness. For me, I try to avoid any grocery shopping or creating Amazon wish lists for future purchases. Instead I pray for contentment and thank God for how He has provided. I don’t look to the week ahead feeling overwhelmed and creating to-do lists in my mind, but instead I pray and thank God for the days ahead because I know that He is in control.
God designed so many things in our lives to point us back to Himself. How can we further experience rest in a way that draws us closer to God?
As finite humans, we need rest because our bodies cannot go on without it. God, on the other hand, does not grow weary or tired. Isaiah 40:28b says “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not grow faint or weary…” Yet, from the beginning of creation, God introduced rest as good when He rested “from all the work he had done” (Genesis 2:2).
He rested. Why?
Rest is one of the many ways God has molded our Christian life to point us back to Himself. Rest is listed in the Ten Commandments as the day of the Sabbath. The Sabbath points to a rest that goes beyond our physical need. Exodus 20:9-10a says, “Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God [emphasis mine].” It is a day of rest meant to be dedicated to God.
For years my rest was dedicated to myself instead of to God. When the work week ended, I filled my schedule with activities or seeing other people to keep myself busy and make the most of my free time.
Rest was a last resort; there was always something that I’d prioritize over rest. Only when I was too sick to go anywhere, or life was beginning to feel overwhelming, would I finally rest. I had turned my gift of rest into a lifejacket I would grab onto when I felt that I was drowning (ok, maybe not always quite that dramatic), when instead I should have made rest a part of my regular rhythm.
A few years ago, my husband Josh and I began conversations about what creating a Sabbath day for us would look like. We spoke about our Sabbath being a day that we direct our hearts and minds to God, a day dedicated to Him.
Last week Pastor Matt wrote that rest is a practice in trusting God. For me, rest is also a practice of contentment and thankfulness. For me, I try to avoid any grocery shopping or creating Amazon wish lists for future purchases. Instead I pray for contentment and thank God for how He has provided. I don’t look to the week ahead feeling overwhelmed and creating to-do lists in my mind, but instead I pray and thank God for the days ahead because I know that He is in control.
God designed so many things in our lives to point us back to Himself. How can we further experience rest in a way that draws us closer to God?
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