Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Proper Rest


Proper Rest


Genesis 2:1-3   Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
Gen 2:2  And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Gen 2:3  And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made”.

     We need proper rest on a daily basis, as it is essential to healthful living. God is our example in all things and it is clear that He rested after his labors were complete as presented to us in the Bible. We were created to work for a period of time and then our bodies require rest in order to rebuild and restore so that we can continue our labors and remain healthy temples for the living God.  Rest is necessary for us as it was for God, and He designed us to work and rest as He is our example in all things. In order for us to receive proper rest, we must follow Gods instruction which is laid out plainly in the Bible, and the Bible should be our instruction guide to healthful living.

      We read in Exodus 20:8-11Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10  But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it”.

God has instructed us as to when we are to work, He says six days are we to work, as he also worked, Sunday the first day of the week, thru Friday the sixth day of the week, then He rested the Seventh day which is the sabbath of the Lord thy God.  God rested after creation week on the Sabbath, He also rested in the tomb on the sabbath after being crucified, and rose early on Sunday morning and returned to work.  The earth is a practice field for the next life where those who have followed Gods instruction will have the priveledge to reign or live in the many mansions in His fathers house.  Isaiah 66:22,23 says
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
Isa 66:23  And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.”
   When we rest as God has instructed us on a weekly basis, following His law and word on a daily basis, we have marvelous rest daily and especially on the Sabbath day, the day God blessed and sanctified, or set aside as Holy.
    Rest helps the body fight off invaders, such as bacteria and viruses that would leave us incapable of functioning at optimal health.  The best hours for sleep and rest are 9:00PM to  6:00AM,  and we should make it a habit to form a regular sleeping pattern. The hours from 9:00PM to 12:00AM provide excellent assistance to the body systems for restoration and rebuilding as the brain releases the seratonin which aids in restoring the immune system and assists other organ systems with the repair of the damage done by the days activity. Sleeping an hour, two or three, between 9 and 12AM provides twice the actual time in restful sleep to our bodies, and these are critical hours. Drugs for sleep assistance should be avoided. Melatonin is a natural sleep aid which is sold in health food stores and can assist the body to get rest in preparation for the brain releasing seratonin. Always consult your healthcare professional and read the labels prior to taking natural or man made chemicals.  Adequate physical activity during the day will cause a relaxing of the muscle tension, and will increase the natural hormones that act as tranquilizers to aid the body getting rest. If we follow Gods instruction, we can have peace and obtain the rest our bodies require.  May God bless this endeavor.


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