Rest Is A Weapon
by Rosella Shishido, Communications Ministry Coordinator
Matthew 1:18-23 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
In Matthew 1:20, we read how the Lord used an angel to speak to Joseph in a dream. It was a crucial message. Joseph needed to be on board with Godʻs plan to take Mary as his wife, even though she was already with child. The dream mustʻve been so vivid that Joseph couldnʻt deny the message was heaven-sent. If God spoke to the people of old through dreams, I believe He still does to us today.
But before we can even dream, we need to sleep first, right? Sleep (and rest) is one of the top things Americans are most deprived of, according to the Sleep Foundation. The thing is, when we are rested, we are more alert of whatʻs going on around us. We are better prepared physically and mentally against temptations. Rest is a weapon. How many times have we forgotten our niceties when weʻre so tired and worn out? Kindness just goes out the window, doesnʻt it? When we rest and sleep, we give ourselves more opportunities to hear from God, even through our dreams.
Joseph also found rest in Godʻs faithfulness. He trusted God enough to risk his reputation by taking pregnant Mary as his wife, and believed that what the angel told him in the dream was true. We, too, can find rest in Godʻs trustworthiness by what He says in the Scriptures. Trusting God is resting in Him. Instead of being in panic mode, we choose to be at peace. Rest is a weapon against the enemy.
With only eight more days before Christmas, letʻs pause, ponder, and find rest in verse 21: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” God sent Jesus to our world as a baby many Christmases ago to be our Savior.
He is Immanuel. God with us.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to make time for rest so I can be better armed against sin and be better prepared for the work You have set for me to do. Help me to also find rest in Your promise that Youʻll take care of all my needs. All praises to You, My Savior! Amen
