FINDING REST by Mrs. O. E. Cummings

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 5, 1901

FINDING REST.

By Mrs. O. E. Cummings

MRS. O. E. CUMMINGS. (College View, Neb.)

I was very tired this evening after doing a hard day’s work. Then the thought came to me to see what the Bible says about rest.

We find set before us some very strange ways, seemingly, of obtaining rest. Jer. 6: 16 tells us to “stand” and to “walk.” In Isa. 40: 31 we are told to “run,” also to “wait” upon the Lord; or in other words, “become His servants.” In Matt. 11: 28-30 we find still more to do in order to find rest. We must wear a yoke, bear burdens, and learn lessons; and 2 Cor. 12: 7-10 says we must suffer. Why is it we can find rest in these strange ways?—Because God is with us. Ex. 33: 14.

When the Lord is with us, we are laboring with Him. 1 Cor. 3:9. He does so many things for us that we are simply acting as a machine, letting Him furnish the power or strength. We know this must be so, for in Isa. 41: 10 He says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed: for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

Think of the many things He does for us! But we only receive these when we are letting Him work with us. Some may say, “I can’t go out and do missionary work, or work for the Lord in any way. All I can do is to stay at home, and do my housework and care for the children.” I wonder if the Lord can’t help us do our sweeping, our ironing, and our cooking? And doesn’t He consider this as working for Him as much as though we were out preaching the gospel? I believe He says, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” Isn’t the promise, “I will be with thee,” just as true to us who have what we call the little duties to perform as it is to those who have the greater ones?

Read Matt. 25: 31-46 carefully. Here we are told to feed the hungry, give the thirsty drink, entertain the stranger, clothe the naked, and care for the sick. This takes in most of the humble duties of the housewife. It does not say we are to do these things for some one away off in a foreign country: we can do them for our own children, for our neighbors and friends. “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these . . . ye have done it unto me.”

So let us work with Jesus at our side, to help, encourage, and strengthen us in every duty, doing each one faithfully, so that we may at last find eternal rest with Him.