We as a society are obsessed with success, we don’t put any value on resting. We think that the more we do the more we impress God. A few years back I was involved in a wonderful Bible study on festivals. We studied the Old Testament Festivals and were shown how God symbolically mirrored each Old Testament Festival in the New Testament.

It was a fascinating study and I realized one unusual aspect of God. He loves to party! No kidding! He really loves to party. In fact He directed the Israelis many times within the Old Testament to have an all out celebration and do no work.

What?!! No work? I mean partying is one thing but no work is another right?

In Isaiah 30:15a the Word of God says: “This is what the sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation.”

Maybe that is why God calls only one out of seven days holy. The Sabbath is the only day which is to be considered holy and that is to be a day of rest.

Well, one can not become successful by just repenting and resting right?

You are right. Isaiah goes on to say that “In quietness and trust is your strength.”

Wait a minute. How does keeping quiet and trusting accomplish anything?

When you confess and rest, you acknowledge your sin before God and repentance means turning from that sin. When you are quiet and trust in Him you allow Him to do the work. Let us remember who is in charge of miracles. It is God not us.

So what did the Israelis do with this directive?

The Bible says, “They would have none of it.”

I am no better than they were. I constantly pray and then try to work the prayer out on my terms.

How many times have you thought that God wasn’t answering your prayer in an efficient enough manner so you would just assist Him?

How many times has your assistance really been the answer to prayer that you were seeking?

Yeah, that is what I thought. I have a big zero in my department as far as the ability to answer prayers and God has a really great record.

He doesn’t always answer them in the way I want or in the time frame I want but since He is God, I think he may have a better handle on knowing how my prayers should be answered than I do.