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| Numbers 9:15-23 |
“Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. At the command of the LORD the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the LORD they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped . . .. Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey” (Numbers 9:17-18, 22).
God guided the Israelites movements with the cloud of His presence. When He moved, they moved; when He remained still, they remained still. Sometimes God commanded stillness and sometimes, He commanded stillness or rest. Each season was valuable as the Israelites learned to follow His lead and trust the seasons He chose for them. They had to understand seasons of busyness and seasons of stillness are both from the Lord.
God works the same way today. We have His Holy Spirit to guide us into our seasons of doing and seasons of resting. I think we are very good at the doing. We can even come up with things to do the Lord has not asked of us. It is part of our American culture. It is not a part of God’s culture to always be busy.
There are certain and specific times He calls us to rest and be still. These times of rest have as much purpose as the busy times. In the beginning with the Israelites in the desert, they were learning to obey God, to move with His movements and to remain still when He was still. It is the same today. We must learn to move with Him and to rest with Him.
When the Israelites rested, they were not sitting in lawn chairs sipping cold drinks and working on their tans. They were still caring for their sheep, fetching water, preparing meals, and managing the service of the temple. Yet, they were in a season of rest. We can continue to live a life of service even in rest. Yet, there are times when God calls us to complete rest, too.
I have been in a long season of rest and I confess I have chaffed all the way through, because I have been so concerned I am just being lazy. However, in that season of rest, I look back and see I have done more things with less effort and I have watched the Lord do amazing things. I am in awe. There has been a season of complete rest, then there has been a season of doing things, but in God’s rest. It is such a better way to live and move and have my being than doing it the old-fashioned American way of feeling like if I am not busy my life is worth nothing.
There is great power in rest. Why? because if God is calling you to rest, there is reward in obedience. It is so much less to do with being busy for the kingdom and so much more to do with obeying Him. I love that Graham Cooke says, “Rest is a weapon.” Amen, brother. Rest is most certainly a weapon. Obedience to Christ is the best weapon we have to overcome strongholds, be transformed into His image, and continue the work of the kingdom.
So where are you today? Take a few minutes and simply ask Jesus to reveal to you what season you are in and what that means for you. You are invited to share your experience in the comments section below.
“For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).