Rest as a Remedy & Revival for the Soul

• "Welcome, friends. Do you want rest? God knows you do. And He already had the very thing in place you didn't know you couldn't live without before you ever felt your need.

• We often think of rest as what we do when we're finished with everything else. But in the economy of God, rest is the beginning of our strength. Jesus' invitation in Matthew 11:28 is clear: 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest'. At BHHEC, we believe that 'true religion and the laws of health go hand in hand'. Today, we aren't just looking for a nap; we are looking for a revival of our entire being."

• Jesus Himself modeled the importance of rest. Luke 5:16 tells us, "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Even at the well in Samaria, we see our Savior resting from His journey (John 4:6). If the Son of God needed physical and spiritual rest, how much more do we?
• The Sabbath principle, established at creation, reminds us that rest is woven into the fabric of God's design. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy... For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day" (Exodus 20:8-11). The writer of Hebrews invites us to "labour therefore to enter into that rest" (Hebrews 4:11), a rest that is both physical and spiritual.

When we understand rest as God's design, we begin to see how it affects every part of our being—starting with our physical bodies.

• "Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power—these are the true remedies" (The Ministry of Healing, p. 127).

• "Our bodies are the only medium through which God communicates with us. When we are 'brain weary and nervous,' the Spirit of Prophecy suggests that a 'visit to the country' and 'walking through the fields' does more for recovery than any other agency. We must 'give the body a fair chance' by retiring at an early hour to overcome the 'gloomy feelings' and 'unhappy friction' that come from exhaustion. Remember, 'by His wounds you have been healed' (1 Peter 2:24)—physical healing is part of His plan for your wholeness."

• Scripture reminds us that our bodies are sacred: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16). Paul reinforces this in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost... therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
• Consider Daniel's example. When he purposed in his heart not to defile himself and chose simple, healthful food, God blessed him with health and wisdom beyond his peers (Daniel 1:8-20). Likewise, when Elijah was exhausted and ready to give up, God sent an angel to provide food and rest—twice—before he could continue his journey (1 Kings 19:5-8). Physical restoration is a divine provision.

Just as our bodies need rest, our minds require quietness to function as God intended. In our modern world, chronic stress has become a barrier to spiritual clarity and mental peace.

• God's remedy for the anxious mind is simple yet profound: "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).

• "Chronic stress clouds our ability to hear the Holy Spirit. We are often 'too crowded with the cares of life to pray'. But God reminds us that 'the mind must become intelligent' regarding health so the 'will can be placed on the Lord's side'. By choosing to 'come away... to a deserted place' as Jesus did in Mark 6:31, we allow the 'peace of God, which surpasses all understanding' to guard our minds (Philippians 4:7)."

• Jesus invites us to cast our anxieties on Him: "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself" (Matthew 6:34). Peter echoes this: "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7).
• We are called to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) and to have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5). David found mental peace by meditating on God's goodness: "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want... He restoreth my soul" (Psalm 23:1-3). Paul learned contentment in every circumstance through Christ's strength (Philippians 4:11-13).

Physical and mental rest prepare us for what matters most: spiritual revival. This is not merely feeling refreshed, but experiencing a deep transformation of our entire being.

• "A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work" (Review and Herald, March 22, 1887).

• "Revival isn't just feeling better; it's being 'changed into His image'. Acts 3:19 promises that 'times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord'. As we wait on Him, He 'renews our strength' (Isaiah 40:31). This spiritual rest—this 'trust in divine power'—is the crowning law of health that makes all others effective."

• God's promise of revival is conditional on our humility and repentance: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).
• The Holy Spirit is our agent of renewal: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5). The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will quicken our mortal bodies (Romans 8:11).
• "The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him" (Lamentations 3:25). "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart" (Psalm 27:14).

God has given us a weekly reminder of His design for rest—the Sabbath. This sacred day brings together physical, mental, and spiritual restoration in one divine appointment.

• The Sabbath was established at creation as a memorial of God's creative power and a gift of rest: "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" (Genesis 2:2-3).
• The Sabbath is a sign of our relationship with God: "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them" (Ezekiel 20:12).
• Isaiah describes the Sabbath as a delight: "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable... Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD" (Isaiah 58:13-14).
• Jesus affirmed the Sabbath's purpose: "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath" (Mark 2:27-28). The Sabbath is God's gift to restore us physically, mentally, and spiritually each week.

Understanding these principles is only the beginning. Now comes the invitation to apply these "true remedies" in our daily lives.

Do you want rest? God knows you do. Look at the letters; W A N T - R E S T

WATER - AIR - NEUTRITION - TEMPERANCE

REST - EXERCISE - SUNSHINE - TRUST IN GOD

• Jesus is calling to you in His beaufiful, still small voice. 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest'

• "Friends, God 'wishes above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth' (3 John 1:2). As you leave this session, I invite you to choose one area of 'rest' to improve tonight. Whether it is an earlier bedtime or a quiet walk in these beautiful Black Hills, do it as an act of worship. Let us be a people who 'shine as lights in the world' because we have been revived by the Great Physician."