Bible Study for Ministry, Christian Women, and The Pastor's Wife ~ I Am Resting, Part 5

Bible Study for Ministry, Christian Women, and The Pastor's Wife ~ I Am Resting, Part 5
     Mark 6:31 "And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."
     I am "fixing to" explain what I believe "labor to enter into rest" (Hebrews 4:8-1.) (Go back and read part 4 for an understanding.) In order to explain, I had to do some things first. I had to read the Scripture. Then, I needed to ask God for understanding. And, then be still and know Him.
     However, I made the grave mistake of reading what a dozen or so commentators said about the verses in Hebrews. I neatly fitted that in after the Scriptures and before praying. WOW! The opinions run the gamut! 
   Some believe "the rest" here is only heaven. Some believe it is here, now. Others believe it is both.
     Some believe the labor means working for salvation. Some believe it means focusing on obedience. Some believe it means exercising your faith and growing it.
     As I was reading these men, God spoke to my heart and asked, "Does My opinion count, Linda?"
     "Lord, Yours is THE only one that counts!"
     "Remember when you were a little girl and had your chores?"
     Visions of feeding chickens, gathering eggs, picking up pecans, weeding the very large garden, defrosting the freezer section of the refrigerator, using a manual washing machine with the rollers to squeeze out the water and then rinsing and squeezing again, and then a final rise and one more squeezing, hanging clothes on the line, un-hanging clothes on the line, sprinkling the ones that needed ironing and then ironing them, feeding the dog and cat cows and bottle feeding the new baby calves, picking beans, snapping and/or shelling them, canning them in jars that had to be sterilized, shucking corn, helping with supper, and doing the dishes, rinsing them, drying them and putting them away and a whole video of others items played in my mind's eye, maybe the eyes of my heart.
     "What happen when they were done for the day?"
     "Lord, I played, relaxed to in my favorite leisure (usually reading or writing), sometimes a surprise waited for us - like an afternoon of swimming at Linder Lake or something else. Regardless, it was a time of resting!" And I did. Maybe out under the shade trees (days before air conditioning on the north side of Houston, Texas) or in the rocking chair. Usually slept pretty good at night, too.
      "Why did you do the chores?"
      "Lord, they were required of me... But in reality, I was part of the family and they needed to be done." I was silent for awhile, pondering that. I was never given an assignment of chores beyond my abilities. Much more was expected out of me at age 15 than at age 5.
      "Abba, Daddy, I get it! You want me to be busy about the assignments you have given me, and let You take care of whatever and whenever 'the rest' means.
      "You got it."

Be blessed in The Name above every name, Jesus! I know I am!
Linda L Culbreth