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Summer Vacation is Over
With the end of summer comes the end of vacation time for most. Did you get to have a family vacation this summer? For some, it was difficult with the virus being around.
The word vacation is not found in the Bible but there are many times where God’s people took some time to get away from the stress and trials of everyday life. In fact, God wanted his people to take a rest. That’s why He commanded them in Exodus 20:8 “remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.” They had worked for 6 days doing the necessary things physically to survive, now they were told to take one full day to rest and recharge. This day also was to be used to think more of God and to worship Him.
God does talk about His people resting today. In Matt. 11:29 it reads “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest unto your souls.” He never promises us a rest from trials and tribulations because James tells us that they strengthen our faith. He never promises us rest from health and medical problems because they are part of the aging process. He never promises us rest from injury and crime because there are people in the world that will choose to do evil. He never promises us rest from natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes. What he does promise us though is that he will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Spiritual rest is what God provides for his children and the rest we need to search for. Yes there are times to recharge the battery and take a vacation but we can’t rest too long.
Once you get home from your vacation it is time to put down your road map and pick up your spiritual map, the Bible. It’s the only map that will lead you to and keep you on the road to heaven. Remember, Jeremiah tells us “It’s not in man to direct his own steps.”
Before you went on your vacation, you probably made sure your care was in good working order. You checked the tires, battery, oil and gas. On your spiritual journey, you must also check your heart and mind and make sure they are in good working order. Phil. 4:8 tells us things we need to keep our mind on.
Finally, before you went on your summer vacation, you had to figure out how much it was going to cost. Before you start your spiritual journey, you need to count the cost. The Lord expects us to put him first in everything we do. It’s better for you to never start on your journey than to start your journey and quit.
Well, the summer vacation time is over and I hope you had a good vacation. Remember vacations are ok and even necessary, but you can’t rest all the time. God expects you to rest then get up and continue on your journey and road to heaven. There may not be a lot of rest on the narrow road that leads to heaven but God tells us that heaven will be a place of rest for those who didn’t spend their lifetime resting only.
