Rest - Just Ahead

 Rest - Just Ahead

Sunday, August 22, 2021

On the freeway, there are lots of signs. Green signs. Yellow signs. Orange signs (lots of orange signs). But the ones I like best are the blue ones. They may direct to a number of services, but my favorite is “Rest Area.” 

Sadly, I don’t stop much in rest areas these days. They have become known as places where panhandlers accost travelers with sad stories, to which the solution is always your money. Or, police have to make extra stops because of reported, perverse activities. Sinful humanity can take the park-iest of places and turn it into a wilderness. 

But for the road-weary traveller, just a place to pull in and take a break can be most helpful. Many people need a chance to walk the dog, or themselves. Truckers pull in and lean back or dive in the bunk for a nap or a night’s rest. Yes, rest. That’s what this place promises.

Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28) Let’s review how this rest works for the Christian.

First, there is rest from the futile effort to earn our salvation. It can’t be done, like climbing an infinite ladder. No, God reversed that action, so that He reached down to us to offer us the free gift of salvation in Christ. We can rest from pretending to be our own saviors.

Second, there is future rest, when we will be fully and finally delivered from the presence and power of sins in our lives, and from the sin of the world. We will be delivered from the affects of sin, such as pain, and discord. We will rest in righteousness, not only a personal righteousness through faith in Christ, but in a righteousness that is the rule and order of the knew cosmos.

But third, there is rest from our current situation; from the tensions that continually mark our lives. We battle moment by moment with the tension between flesh and Spirit. We are beset with temptations. We struggle to pray, and to know how to pray. We make judgements to do what is right, only to find that there was a better way. We are prone to discouragement. 

But, we can find rest and renewal. It comes from devotion and fellowship. It comes from the “deep breath” of the Spirit working to revive once again the weary soul. Rest - Just Ahead