Robert Morris - Take the Day Off: Receiving Gods Gift of Rest

Sheep cant sleep. Perhaps the reason we count sheep to help us sleep is because they are awake.

Sheep struggle to calm down. Its understandable. They are defenseless. They have no sharp teeth or claws. They run slow. When they fall over, they struggle to stand up. They cannot protect themselves. Consequently, they are hesitant to relax.

For sheep to sleep, everything must be just right. No predators. No tension in the flock. No bugs in the air. No hunger in the belly. Everything has to be just so. Unfortunately the sheep cannot find safe pasture, nor can they spray insecticide, deal with the frictions, or find food. They need help. They need a shepherd to help them lie down in green pastures (Ps. 23:2). Without a shepherd, they cant rest.

Without a shepherd, neither can we.

We work hard. There is money to be made. There are degrees to be earned. There are ladders to be climbed. Busyness is next to godliness. We idolize Thomas Edison who claimed he could exist on fifteen-minute naps. (Somehow we forget to mention Albert Einstein who averaged eleven hours of sleep a night.) In 1910 Americans slept 9 hours a night, today we sleep 7 and are proud of it. And we are tired because of it. Our minds are tired. Our bodies are tired. But much more importantly, our souls are tired.

We are eternal creatures and we ask eternal questions. From where did I come? To where am I going? What is right? What is wrong? When Ive done wrong, how can I be made right? Do I have a Maker and does my Maker care about me? These are the primeval questions of the soul. And these are the kind of questions which, left unanswered, will steal our sleep.

Yet we are so busy making a living, we have no time to ponder the meaning of living.

Our Good Shepherd has a better idea. He makes me to lie down (Ps. 23:2). The One who leads us has a plan to restore us. That plan includes ordained moments of rest. That plan includes a Sabbath day.

It is time to rest. In this powerful, restorative book, Robert Morris calls us back to the ancient practice of regular renewal. I love Robert. He is a dear friend, generous with his wisdom and gracious with his leadership. God has given him a message for our generation. This book will bless you. Read it, then read it again.

A century ago Charles Spurgeon gave this advice to his preaching students:

Even beasts of burden must be turned out to grass occasionally; the very sea pauses at ebb and flood; earth keeps the Sabbath of the wintry months; and man, even when exalted to Gods ambassador, must rest or faint, must trim his lamp or let it burn low; must recruit his vigor or grow prematurely old In the long run we shall do more by sometimes doing less.

The bow cannot always be bent without fear of breaking. For a field to bear fruit it must lie fallow. And for you to be healthy, you must rest. Slow down and God will heal you. He will bring rest to your mind, to your body, and most of all, to your soul. He will lead you to green pastures.