In the Old Testament Jews believed that when the awaited Messiah came there would be times of physical rest and refreshing. They anticipated the times of the gospel as a period when they would have rest from their enemies, and respite from the evil oppression of war.
Well, Messiah has come and He has promised us rest for our souls. Surely after all these many months since Covid, and dealing with the fallout of this deadly disease, we could all use a vacation. But this year refreshment may not look like what we are used to. Certainly after one year and several months of dealing with the evils of Covid 19, and all that we have had to endure individually, and otherwise, we are just ripe for a time of refreshing. We may still not be unable to openly visit with one another without our masks, or staying six feet apart. We may still not be unable to book a flight or to go on a cruise because the threat of Delta is making itself known, and we must be careful and prayerful.
Yet we have so much to be thankful for, in spite of all that we’ve been through. We have had consistent preaching and teaching of God’s Word. We have had consistent prayer and fellowship time. We’ve had funerals, and endured the loss of friends and loved ones, but we have celebrated new births, new babies, new marriages, and new engagements. We’ve had retirements and new entrepreneurships. We have had each other. God has not forgotten us. He has been with us from the beginning, and He is with us now.
If nothing else Covid 19, has taught us that though life is full of hardship it is also full of beauty; if we have eyes to see. Pastor has been preaching about “Seeing God Clearly,” and the messages have forced us to look at the way we view our life with God. After experiencing all the world had to offer in terms of opulent luxuries and worldly pleasures, Solomon writes, in Ecclesiastes that true joy can be found in life through gratitude for God’s gifts. We’re grateful for Solomon’s wisdom. It is an example for us.
We go after many things in life, and they come after us. We exhaust ourselves with the cares of this life and don’t think we’ll ever have enough until we’re spiritually bankrupt. But we have found out that whether you have enough money or not, there is no happiness or peace or refreshing apart from God Himself. Life is a gift, and we were created to worship Him.