Rest Is A Must-Do For Widows

In the Old Testament, II Chron 36.21 says "The land enjoyed its sabbath rests . . ."

Unfortunately the land didn't receive it's God-ordained rest until God's judgment poured out upon it. For generations Israel and Judah rebelled against God's command for sabbath rest. As a result of this plus many other sins, the countries were invaded on separate occasions, the people were carried off into slavery and exile, and then the land was allowed to rest.

Psalm says of the exiles, "By the rivers of Babylon we sat down and wept . . ." They finally had to sit down! But they sat in sorrow, not in the rest and relaxation God intended. They needed to recover because they hadn't bothered to follow God's command for rest in the first place.

God's command to rest our bodies and rest our resources still applies today. (See #4 of the Big 10, Exodus 20:8-11). The earth is the Lords and if we won't let it rest, if we wont' let our bodies rest, then rest will be imposed. Rest is not an option. Do we want our rest to be forced upon us because we've exhausted and depleted our resources, or would we rather set aside time each week to embrace rest--to set aside time to allow our souls, ourselves, our resources and those around us to recover and relax?

Grief is hard work. Rest is doubly important, especially when it seems impossible. Even though your mind is racing and your heart is torn out, let your body just lay there. Rest. God will minister to you.

One of the blessings of widowhood is that you've been taken out of the mainstream.. You can observe the culture's activity addiction. You can say "Stop! Enough already!" You can share the message, "Go play with your kids! Love your husband! Cherish your time!" But most importantly, you can rest.

Take advantage of resting sometime this weekend.
Like right now. Turn off me and the computer, turn off the phones and the tv. Listen to the quiet. Breathe. Be still. God loves you; be still and let Him.

♥ ferree