The Godliness of Resting

“At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed…”
(Numbers 9:23)

The context of the above verse is that Moses recorded how God led the children of Israel with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Yet, there were times when that leading meant simply remaining where they were and resting.

At those times, it would have been disobedience to God for them to move forward—or to move in any direction. The most God-honoring thing they could do was to remain where God had placed them and rest.

Therefore, we must remember that resting can be just as spiritual as moving when it is at God’s command.

There are seasons for going, serving, building, working, and pressing forward. But there are also seasons when God would have us be still (Psalm 46:10). We sometimes measure faithfulness by how busy we are, how much we accomplish, or how many things we can check off our list. Yet, a packed calendar is not necessarily evidence of spirituality.

Sometimes faithfulness means moving when God says, “Go.” At other times, faithfulness means staying when God says, “Rest.”

May this truth encourage you today to rest in the Lord—and, when needed, to rest physically as well.

Spirituality is not improved by a packed calendar or a full To-Do List. Sometimes the godliest thing we can do is rest.