Treasures Within
The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan. W Publishing Group.
The pulse of life races incessantly, its rhythms never ending and its cycles turning in wheels of senselessness. Is there meaning in all this meaninglessness? Is there a story to tell of the gamut of circumstances that parade our lives? Mark Buchanan says there is.
In his book The Rest of God, much is mentioned about endless demands and hectic schedules that leave us spiritually and emotionally withered. In our modern societies that demand efficiency and effectiveness in the professional arena - where can we dig the well of refreshment to revive our souls?
The secret is to embrace the forgotten gift of the Sabbath.
Pastor Buchanan reminds us that practicing the Sabbath is not revelry in legalism or straitjacket obedience to tradition. It is living out the principle of rest that will actually revitalize our souls and strengthen us for a better tomorrow. God knows we need it even more in this day and age. No wonder He gave us the command to keep the Sabbath "holy" - to set it apart - for our own good.
In the succeeding chapters, we are encouraged not just to do nothing or to set apart only Sunday (or for that matter, Saturday) but to hold on to a whole buffet of ideas that when lived out, will provide a whole new dimension to our Christian living.
Firstly, there is the meditation on what "work" is all about. Before we can truly rest, we must understand the concept of work from God's vantage point. It's almost like a sacrament, a blessed gift from God that we can unwrap and re-offer to Him as worship. Here are Buchanan's words: "Whatever you can do with a clean conscience, you can do to the Glory of God. No work is so menial that it cannot be rendered as worship."
This understanding of work is like a magical breaking of the night by the brilliance of dawn - from this "knowing" we can then proceed to realize that the "busyness" of our lives has been veiling what has been so precious to us - those gems that make life all so beautiful and worth living for. When we stop and think about what.s missing, we allow the fragrance of gratitude to diffuse upon our hearts - we can then breathe the fresh air of God.s fragrance.
Once we awaken to the many opportunities of love around us, we can practice how to "number our days." Each and every day is a whole universe in itself, ready to invite all who dare tread. Embracing the Sabbath means to live one day at a time - FULLY - in all its glory and splendor. It's to be generous with our time, to take time and inhale all there is to revel in. Pastor Buchanan says it so beautifully - "pay attention to how God is afoot in the mystery of each moment..."
When we rest and rest well, we'll find joy. The richness of the Sabbath has been lost to the Christian tradition today due to legalism. Man has made what was supposed to be an enriching time into a rule-laden endeavor that only the few, if any, can enjoy. The Sabbath is a time of celebration - a remembrance that God has made all things good.
The author boldly reminds us that we can actually waste time and get well. Jesus wants to heal and reconcile us back to the whole scheme of things. Rest is His way of allowing us to do so. In any one neck-breaking week of back-to-back deadlines, seek to find a full moment of rest. This is the time when heaven will meet earth. This is the time when your soul and body find fruition in God's embrace.
As the music of our lives are played to the score of the Master, with all of its rhythms, beats and pauses - then will we experience the blossoming of our hearts... the awakening of the inner flower that has all the while been in us.
Yes... in today's world, it's difficult. Some even say impossible.
Yet, since when is living on this earth ever easy with all of its groans and moans of mortality?
With God, all things are possible.
Lets head on home now. 
Benjamin Chew handles marketing communications in SKS Books Warehouse, a Christian bookstore in Singapore. He attends and serves at Church of God (Evangelical). Benjamin is a voracious reader, passionate about writing and enjoys watching movies.