Let Us Find our Rest in Thee (from “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus”) 

By Tresanay Cannon
Indianapolis, USA

Scripture Reading:
Genesis 2:2-3
Luke 2:14-17
John 14:27

On Tuesday, Sept 13, 2016, I woke up around 7 a.m. not able to breathe.  My husband, Steven, called 911.  They informed me in the ambulance that I was having a heart attack.  In the course of the 10 days I was in the hospital, I suffered two heart attacks, my heart stopped twice, I had three surgeries and three stents.  Now I wear a heart defibrillator and a loop recorder.

The first week home, I slept 18 hours a day.  I didn’t have the strength to go downstairs.  I didn’t drive for six months.  For 27 years, Steven and I had gone 100-miles-an-hour serving together in the full-time ministry, but now it was all different.

My physical therapist was firm with Steven and me that I was not to be under any stress.  She was adamant about it, which was a shock to us!  NO STRESS?, I thought.  How would I serve in the ministry?

My first year after the heart attack, I returned slowly to the ministry.  We made a change as I went to part-time status and eased back in.  As I got healthier and stronger, I pushed too much, and in December 2020 I had a stroke.  The one thing about ministry is that part-time is full-time, and full-time is your life.

The stroke was hard.  All of a sudden, I couldn’t speak. Steven thought I was joking, but soon realized that something was wrong again.  This time we drove to the hospital together.  COVID-19 protocols were already in place, and Steven couldn’t go to the examining room with me.  

He felt so alone and helpless as they took me away to figure out what was going on.  It was about 11 p.m. when we drove to the hospital.  At around 2 a.m., the nurse gave him a number to call, so I was able to speak to him and assure him that I was fine.  

Everyone surrounding us during this time was great.  The church staff, elders, members, and, of course, my family were incredibly supportive.

I’ve learned a lot since then.  God has taught me many lessons and for that I am immensely grateful.

The three great lessons I’ve learned are the following:

1. Knowing when to say it’s enough.
2. Knowing when to rest.
3. Knowing when to pray.

1. Knowing when to say it’s enough

Have you ever asked yourself what it means that on the seventh day God finished the work that He had been doing. In Genesis 2:2 it says,

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

We see here that after God brought order from chaos, He rested.

So, did He just close His eyes and sleep? No.

The scriptures tell us in Psalms 121:4, “…indeed he who watches over Israel will neither slumber or sleep.”

What did this REST possibly look like since God is eternally awake and limitless in strength?  It would be good to know because God has called us into His rest.  Hebrews 4:9-10 says,

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.

How do we know when enough is enough?  Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Are you weary and burdened?  Are you worried?  Are you anxious? Maybe it’s during these times you need to examine and say “enough”!

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

2. Knowing when to rest

In God’s rest there’s a gift (blessing).  Genesis 2:3 says, “And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he rested.”

God’s gift is a massive and gratifying gift.  What is it?

IT’S PEACE!

A shalom peace that passes understanding.

This peace is not from the fruit of our labor but from the rest of creating.  God is a God of enough.  Could the Father have created more?  Yes! Because His creativity is unlimited!

But with God’s enough, which is perfect and complete, there’s no need for extras.  How do we find this peace?  

My way of finding quietness is looking for a cozy spot, wrapping myself in a warm blanket with a good movie and enjoying a hot beverage or lying on a beach with a good book or taking a nap with soft music.  Oops! That’s not shalom peace.

Shalom peace is learning to find peace in Jesus!

You see, the Father knows we were having a hard time finding peace.  So, the Father brought us His shalom peace in Jesus.

In the Bible, the concept of peace is wholeness, total health, and total welfare.  It covers the sum of God’s blessing to a person who belongs to the covenant community.  The angels understood at His birth that Jesus was to be the great peace-bringer as they called out glory to God in the highest heaven and peace on earth to men on whom His favor rests (Luke 2:14-17).

Jesus shares, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

Jesus is well-aware and takes notice that the frailty of the human condition cannot achieve what our soul longs for.

We overwhelm ourselves with a great burden as we try to find this shalom peace from our labor.  Our peace is only in Jesus!

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

3. Knowing when to pray

True shalom peace comes only from the highest heavens.  It comes through learning from the master—Jesus.  Look at how He found peace as He was facing the most difficult time in His life.  He was in the garden of Gethsemane, a place where He experienced great stress and pressure, where His soul was overwhelmed to the point of death (Matthew 26:36-38).

Even before Jesus was hung on a cross, He was sparring with death.

How did Jesus find peace and rest amid great turmoil?

     1. He connected Himself to the Father by crying out to Him in prayer.  
     2. God strengthened Jesus by sending an angel to give Him what He needed. 
     3. God placed Himself in the midst of Jesus burdens, strengthening Him. And He will do the same for us as well.

As I think about all that God has taught me over the last five years about His rest, there are a few lessons that I’m still learning:

1. Listen to your body.
2. Seriously take care of yourself.
3. Exercise.
4. Eat for health and stress.
5. Rest and take naps.
6. Learn to stop.

May God help you to find His peace and rest in Him!

Questions for Reflection:

1. What keeps you from saying enough is enough?
2. Do you think it takes trust in God to rest?  Why or why not?
3. How would you change your prayer life to connect more deeply with God?

About the Author:

Tresanay Cannon has been a disciple for 40 years. She’s been in the full-time ministry for 30 years. She has been a missionary in London, England, and served in Washington, D.C., Norfolk, Virginia, and Chicago, Illinois. Currently, she serves as a women’s ministry leader and elder’s wife in Rise Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Tres has also co-authored a book called Guru Wisdom with her husband of 36 years, Steve. She is known for deep teaching of the scriptures and raising women up to lead for God. Tres and Steve have three adult children: Steven 27, Casey 25, and Kaili 21, and a new daughter-in-law!

To hear a special version of "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus sung by your sister AMy Kinzer, please click the image below: