Pastor's Midweek Message

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PASTOR

Midweek Message for October 20, 2021

Are you taking a day of rest? I truly struggle with my days of rest since all my days off are spent taking care of others. Remember how God created the world? God spent six days to create the world, then God rested on the seventh day. God tells us in the fourth Commandment to “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). When we think about Sabbath day, we normally think about going to Church on Sunday. Going to Church every Sunday is extremely important in our faith walk in God. However, we forget that it is also a day of rest. As we worship our God, we need to learn to set aside our worries and learn to take a rest in our God.

Unfortunately, we are the Doing People. We, human beings, many times do not know how not to do something all the time. When we are not busy with something all the time, we might receive the title of being lazy. With high technology, we now have all kinds of electronics and gadgets to help us to plan, organize, meet, and travel quickly to save time in our daily lives. However, we seem to stay even busier. With everything moving so fast, we all develop the Hurry Disease. I certainly have Hurry Disease. People with Hurry Disease do not know how to slow down and do not know how to wait patiently. They normally are involved in multitasking in many things. They also feel guilty if they are not doing something all the time. So, do you have the Hurry Disease?

One pastor mentioned that God could have chosen to create a human being on the first day of creation. However, God waited until the last day to create a human being. Therefore, the first day after he was created was a day of rest, not a working day. When Adam was created, he was not expected to get to work right away, but to rest. Maybe, that is why our calendar starts with the day of rest, Sunday. We need a day of rest before we start working. Did you know that Jesus found time to rest in the middle of ministry? Thousands of people constantly chased after Jesus all the time. However, Jesus made a priority to walk away from that crowd and spent time with God alone. Jesus knew the importance of resting in God in the middle of this crazy world.

Did you know that in the Old Testament time, God’s people were not allowed to do any work on the day of Sabbath? In fact, the ones who worked on the Sabbath day were severely punished. God, who created us, knew how important it is for us to take a day of rest from the craziness of this life. When I was younger, I really thought that my body would always stay strong. Many people may get sick, but certainly not me. The fact that my body will grow old with me did not cross my mind at my young age. The other day, I climbed up to the back of my truck. When I jumped down, I was thinking, “No problem.” Well, it became a problem. When my feet hit the ground, I fell. And it is still hurting me. If you want to live a long healthy life, you need to learn to take a day of rest for yourself from all the work and worries. I’m sure many of you know how to take a physical rest. However, how do we take a rest in the LORD? A rest in our God is a spiritual rest, an emotional rest. How do we do that?

This is how you take a rest in our God. You do all you can with whatever you are dealing with, then leave the rest of what you cannot do to our God. Stop trying so hard to do something that you absolutely cannot do, something that only our God can do, then trust God with it. As one pastor always says, “Cast your burden to the LORD, then enjoy your life while our God solves your problems.” When you leave what you cannot do to our God, you also leave your worries and frustrations with God as well. No point in worrying about something you cannot change.

We run into such headaches and frustration when we try to do what only our God can do. We need to learn to step aside and let God do what God desires. What God has for you is so much better than you can ever hope for. So, learn to take a rest in God by “casting your burdens, cares, and worries to your God, then enjoy your life while God is solving your problems.” It is okay to enjoy your life while having problems and difficulties in your life. It is okay. You are allowed to enjoy your life in the midst of problems as long as you put your trust in our God. Because only in God, are we able to truly experience and dwell in God’s true peace. Amen.

Pastor Hae Rin