Rest - Mid Week Epistole by Jim Massey

Rest
One man challenged another to an all-day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had. "I don't get it," he said. "Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did."
"But you didn't notice," said the winning woodsman, "that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest."
God demands us to rest. Even the commandments tell us this - "that on the Sabbath day you shall rest." I am beginning to learn that this means that I should lay aside the worries of the day and listen to the Word of God telling me the true direction that I need to take. That lesson may come from Worship in Church, the Word of God opened during a Bible Study with friends, or simply your taking the time to let God be the only one you spend time with.
Rest helps us sharpen our lives to cut down the sin of the world that grows so freely in the world today. Be sure that you are ready for each new challenge.

Loving Father, we come to You this day and ask for Your Holy Spirit to sharpen the faith that we proclaim. Jesus said for our "yes to be yes, and our no to be no". The only way we find the direction that is true is during the time of rest we stop trying to interpret what we mean in life and understand what You mean in salvation. Give us this glorious power this day, in the blessed name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Now that we have a direction for our rest, join me next week when we find a sure cure for sleepless nights.
Rev. Jim Massey