Wednesday, 22 December 2021
Title: God’s Rest
By Ted Hoo

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.

What is that rest that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 28? My first thought was rest of the Sabbath day. God’s commandment was to rest on the 7th day of creation and all work was to cease. Presumably the Jews already knew that yet did not find rest as Jesus’ invitation to them indicates that they were still weary and burdened in spite of making the Sabbath holy. They were to rest one day out of seven from their labour. This was not just a physical rest but a cessation from labouring. The Sabbath rest was a foreshadowing of the coming of Jesus Christ who is the Lord of the Sabbath. In Matthew 11:28, He invites all who are weary and heavy laden to come to Him and He will give them rest.

The Old Testament laws made the Jews constantly labouring to make themselves acceptable to God. There were ceremonial laws, temple laws, civil laws etc. They could not keep all of the laws without breaking them. So God provided a temporary way of forgiveness and restoration of fellowship with Him through offerings and sacrifices. These sacrifices point to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross. After offering one final sacrifice for sins, He sat down on the right hand of God. He sat down and rested for there was no more to be done. Because of what He did, we no longer have to labour in law-keeping in order to be justified in the sight of God. Jesus was sent so that we might rest in God. We can find complete rest from our spiritul labours and rest in Him not just for one day, a week but always. Our righteousness comes not from our strivings to gain God’s favour but on the righteousness of Christ. A works based salvation was therefore replaced by our faith in Jesus.

There is no other Sabbath rest besides Jesus. He alone satisfies the requirements of the Law and He alone provides the sacrifice that atones for sins. He is God’s plan for us to cease from the labour of our works and He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Never lose sight of this lest we fall into works based salvation.

Are we experiencing God’s rest for our Soul? We can let go of burdens and trials that are keeping us from rest and move away from thoughts that are troubling us and creating restlessness within us. We may be experiencing this because we have not allowed Jesus to resolve our past. Let us bring every sin, disappointment, betrayal and rejection to Him. He is ready to forgive and heal us. Lay every burden at the foot of the cross. It is dealt with and gone.

Are worries and anxiey the cause of our restlessness? Fretting about people, places, things, actual and potential problems can hinder us from God’s rest. Now is the time to direct your mind from worry to prayer and not let the toxic thoughts stew in your mind. What you focus on affects your emotions at the heart level as well as your day-to-day outlook. Focus on Him who is our life giver instead.

We can strive to be perfectionists and still be without peace. God’s solution is to be still and surrender our worries, let go and quieten our hearts and minds and stop trying to solve things on our own. Rest is a gift of God but also a decision we can choose to make.

Let go of the past and fasten yourself to the future. Let go of your cares and anxiety at the feet of Jesus. Be still before God

Prayer: We thank You for the reminder of Christmas that You sent Your Son to be our Emmanuel, to invite us all to live in Your Kingdom, to find the rest in our restless spirit that seeks salvation through works rather than through faith and coming to You for forgivness and adoption into the family of God. Help us Lord in our unbelief that Your Holy Spirit may show us all things and direct us into the way everlasting. Amen.

班底浸信教会
每日灵粮
星期三, 2021年12月22日
标题：上帝的安息
作者：何福华医生
翻译：陈健萍姐妹

【马太福音11:28-30】 凡劳苦担重担的人，可以到我这里来，我就使你们得安息。我心里柔和谦卑，你们当负我的轭，学我的样式这样，你们心里就必得享安息。因为我的轭是容易的，我的担子是轻省的。

耶稣在马太福音28章中提到的 安息 是什么？我首先想到的是安息日的休息。上帝的命令是在创造的第七天休息，所有的工作都要停止。想必犹太人都已了解这一点，但并没有得到安息，因为耶稣对他们的邀请表明，尽管他们把安息日定为圣日，他们仍然感到疲惫和负担沉重。他们工作每七天中要休息一天。这不仅是身体上的休息，也是停止劳作。安息日的安息是耶稣基督降临的伏笔，耶稣基督是安息日的主。马太福音11:28，祂邀请所有劳苦和担重担的人到祂那里去，祂会让他们得安息。

旧约的律法使犹太人不断地努力使自己为上帝所接纳。有宗教礼仪律法、圣所的条例、民事律法等，他们没有能力遵守所有的律法。因此，上帝提供了一个暂时的方法，通过献祭和祭祀，宽恕并恢复人与祂的团契。这些祭献指向基督在十字架上的终极舍命牺牲。献上最后一次的赎罪祭之后，祂坐在上帝的右边。祂坐下休息，因为没有什么要做的了。因祂所作的，我们不再需要努力守律法才能在上帝面前称义。耶稣被差遣是为了让我们在上帝里面安息。我们可以从灵性的劳苦中得着完全的安息，不只是一天，一周，而是永远在祂里面安息。我们的义不是来自我们争取上帝恩惠的努力，而是来自基督的义；以行为为基础的救恩因而被我们对耶稣的信心所取代。

除了耶稣以外，没有其他的安息。唯独祂能满足律法的要求，唯独祂能作赎罪的祭物。祂是上帝让我们停止劳碌的计划；祂是道路、真理和生命。千万不要忘记这一点，以免我们陷入基于行为的救恩。

我们在经历上帝给我们心灵的安息吗？我们可以放下阻碍我们安息的负担和考验，远离困扰我们并在我们内心制造不安的思想。我们之所以经历这种情况，可能是因为我们没有让耶稣来解决我们的过去。让我们把所有的罪、失望、背叛和拒绝都交给祂，祂乐意饶恕和治愈我们。将所有的负担都放在十字架之下；事情已被处理了，已过去了。

忧心和焦虑是我们烦躁不安的原因吗？为人、地、事、实际和潜在的问题烦忧，会妨碍我们得着上帝的安息。现在是时候把您的思想从担忧转向祈祷，不要让有毒的思想在您的脑海里肆虐。您关注的事情会影响您内心深处的情绪，也会影响您的日常生活观；要专注于赋予我们生命的主。

我们可以努力成为完美主义者，但依然没有平安。上帝的解决办法是要我们安静，放下我们的忧虑，让我们的内心和思绪平静下来，停止试图靠自己解决问题。安息是上帝的恩赐，也是我们可以选择去做的决定。

放下过去，展望未来。把您的牵挂和焦虑卸下在耶稣跟前。安静在上帝面前。

祷告：我们为圣诞节的提醒感谢祢，祢差遣祢的儿子成为我们的以马内利，邀请我们所有人活在祢的国度里。我们曾靠行为而不是凭信心去寻求救恩，我们到祢这里来祈求祢的赦免而蒙接纳进入上帝的家，让我们不安息的灵得着安息，我们献上感恩。 主啊，在我们不信之处，求主帮助我们。愿祢的圣灵将一切事指示我们，并指引我们走永生的道路。阿们。