REST

"The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest..." Isa. 57:20.

"The sleep of a labouring man is sweet…" Eccl. 5:12.

"He giveth his beloved sleep." Psalms 127:2.

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage." Psalms 27:14.

"And on the seventh day God ended his work which He had made and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it…" Gen 2:2, 3.

"Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:18.

"Some make themselves sick by overwork. For these, rest, freedom from care, and a sparce diet, are essential to restoration of health. To those who are brain weary and nervous because of continual labour and close confinement, a visit to the country, where they can live a simple, carefree life, coming in close contact with the things of nature, will be most helpful. Roaming through the fields and the woods, picking the flowers, listening to the songs of the birds, will do far more that any other agency toward their recovery." Ministry of Healing page 236,7.

"The Lord has shown me that Sabbath-keepers as a rule labour too hard, without allowing themselves change or periods of rest. Recreation is needful to those who engage in physical labour, and is still more essential for those whose work is principally mental. It is not essential to our salvation nor for the glory of God to keep the mind labouring constantly and excessively, even upon religious themes. There are amusements, such as card-playing, dancing, theatre-going, etc., which we cannot approve, because Heaven condemns them. They open the door to great evils. By their exciting tendency they produce in some minds a passion for gambling and dissipation. All such amusements should be condemned by Christians, and something perfectly harmless should be substituted in their place. There are modes of recreation which are highly beneficial to both mind and body. An enlightened, discriminating mind will find abundant means for entertainment and diversion from sources not only innocent, but instructive. Recreation in the open air, and the contemplation of the works of God in nature, will be of the highest benefit." Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene page 108.

When the body is resting the cells are resting. In order to be healthy the cells must rest. It is during periods of rest that tissues are rebuilt and wastes are moved to elimination points.

Without proper rest, energy will be used faster than it can be restored and tissues will be broken down faster that they can be rebuilt and poisons are produced faster than they can be eliminated causing sore muscles.

The body without rest will reach the point of exhaustion and disease is likely. This gives Satan another foothold in the battle for the mind. The physical rest of sleep is absolutely essential to the well being of our bodies.

Likewise the spiritual rest in Jesus is necessary for the soul. Jesus gave us the weekly Sabbath rest for both body and soul.

Why Do We Need Rest?

There is not a single cell in the body that does not require rest. They use these periods of rest to return themselves to optimal working order. During periods of activity, the cells work together to perform a function. Healthful rest is recharging to the body. It can take many forms - often just a simple change of pace.

Sedentary jobs - rested by vigorous outdoor activity, - rests the brain by diverting blood to the limbs. During study, the brain is taxed. It needs to be able to relax. Some people rest their brain too much - they need vigorous mental activity to balance their lives. Physical and mental labour uses energy and occasionally cell damage occurs. The repair function seems to be one of the main purposes of rest.

"In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." Isa. 30:15.

• Heart has a balance between rest and activity.
  
  
• Organs have a similar cycle (stomach).
  
  
• When eating, the enzymes and digestive acids produced by the body are emptied and must be replaced for the next meal. This takes about 3 ½ hours. Don’t eat between meals, or they will be depleted.

REST

• Rest decreases muscle tension.
  
  
• Increases hormones which act as a tranquillizer.
  
  
• During rest, tissues are revitalized and restored.
  
  
• Wastes are taken to elimination organs.
  
  
• Improves mental and physical efficiency.
  
  
• Acute infection and injuries are helped by rest.
  
  
• During rest , excess nutrients are able to be stored for future use.
  
  
• In the beginning, God gave us rest every 7th day.

SLEEP

• The amount of sleep varies with age - 7 - 8 hours for adults and best before midnight.
  
  
• Too much is also bad. We need activity and exercise in between hours of sleep.
  
  
• Stomach should be allowed to rest when we sleep - light meal in evenings at least 4 hours before sleep.
  
  
• Heavy late meals - increases blood fats, increases heart attack rate during sleep.

When the body is suffering any kind of disease there is much repairing and removal of waste to be carried out - much higher quality rest is needed. Extra oxygen is also available during periods of rest and sleep as its not being used up for physical activity. This allows greater healing and repair during periods of rest.

Better Sleep

• Sleep much more restful on empty stomach.
  
  
• Avoid caffeine, worry and stress.
  
  
• Regular time for sleep - in quiet well ventilated room.
  
  
• Wind down at end of day.

Sleep Deprivation

When we don’t get enough sleep it is easy for Satan to gain an advantage over us (sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture to break the will) We should guard our sleep time as diligently as we guard our diet.

Spiritual Rest

"Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." Heb. 4:1.

Spiritual rest is just as essential to our well being as physical rest. This is the rest from the guilt that comes from living outside of God’s will. Satan loves to accuse and discourage us but Jesus loves to forgive and give peace and rest.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace give I unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid." John 14:27.

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