15 April 2005

Word of the Week: Rest

Anapauo (verb) [New Testament Greek]
1. To cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labour in order to recover and collect his strength
2. To give rest, refresh, to give one's self rest, take rest
3. To keep quiet, of calm and patient expectation

Abah (verb) [Old Testament Hebrew]
1. To be willing
2. To consent, yield to, accept
3. To desire

Look at John 6:1-11. Familiar, huh? Have you ever noticed that Jesus made the people sit down before He would feed them? After they sat down, He gave thanks, multiplied the food, and made available to them more than they could eat.

Rest. It's such a crazy concept. But we are called to find rest and to find it in Christ.

"Work is not always required of a man. There is such a thing as a sacred idleness, the cultivation of which is now fearfully neglected." [[George MacDonald]]

Mood: Tired Listening to: Jeremy Camp, Restored Reading: Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes

1 comment:

Edwin Smith said...

Kopiao (noun)
1. to grow weary, tired, exhausted (with toil or burdens or grief)
2. to labour with wearisome effort, to toil
a. of bodily labour

Jesus calls us into his rest, his refreshment, away from the labour and exhaustion from life's work. Praise God for rest, for we would have otherwise killed ourselves from exhaustion...

Thanks for reminding me of this, Kate, even at 3:15 am.