March 25 Devotion - A time to work and a time to rest

 

Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. ³¹ And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”

وَاجْتَمَعَ الرُّسُلُ إِلَى يَسُوعَ، وَأَخْبَرُوهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ: بِمَا عَمِلُوهُ وَمَا عَلَّمُوهُ. 31 فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «تَعَالَوْا أَنْتُمْ عَلَى انْفِرَادٍ إِلَى مَكَانٍ خَالٍ، وَاسْتَرِيحُوا قَلِيلاً»

Mark 6:30-31

 

Jesus Himself told His disciples after their hard work that they should take a time to rest and rejuvenate. So must we. As Solomon wrote: There is a time for everything under the sun.

The Scriptures tell us in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that whatever we do we should do for God’s glory. So whether we are working or at rest we need to glorify God.

We have to remember that Jesus gave us a job to do apart from our regular jobs. In His great commission Jesus said to His disciples and to all believers “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you.”

18 فَتَقَدَّمَ يَسُوعُ وَكَلَّمَهُمْ قَائِلاً: «دُفِعَ إِليَّ كُلُّ سُلْطَانٍ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَعَلَى الأَرْضِ. 19 فَاذْهَبُوا إِذَنْ، وَتَلْمِذُوا جَمِيعَ الأُمَمِ، وَعَمِّدُوهُمْ بِاسْمِ الآبِ وَالاِبْنِ وَالرُّوحِ الْقُدُسِ؛ 20 وَعَلِّمُوهُمْ أَنْ يَعْمَلُوا بِكُلِّ مَا أَوْصَيْتُكُمْ بِهِ.

 

Matthew 28:18-20

 

So if you have retired, welcome to your second career.

 

Let us remember that when we surrender our lives to Jesus and make Him Lord of our lives:

… it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

لأَنَّ اللهَ هُوَ الَّذِي يُنْشِيءُ فِيكُمُ الإِرَادَةَ وَالْعَمَلَ لأَجْلِ مَرْضَاتِهِ

Philippians 2:13

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father God of peace may the blood of the eternal covenant; the resurrection of Jesus; His Shepherd care for His sheep; and the equipping of the Holy Spirit; guide my every action. I declare Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. LORD, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I want what You want for me, work in me Lord to will and to work in order to fulfill Your purpose in me. God, I praise You, glorify You and lift You up on high. In the name of the King of kings and Lord of lords, in the holy name of Jesus I pray. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein