Japan’s rise from the devastation of World War II to economic prominence between 1945 and 1975 was not without human cost. The Japanese cannot work for ten or twelve hours a day, six and seven days a week, year after year, without suffering physically as well as mentally. During the postwar decades, unfortunately, no one paid any special attention to the larger than usual number of men in their 40s and 50s who died of brain and heart ailments, most often from acute cardiac insufficiency and subarachnoid hemorrhage. It was not until the latter part of the 1980s, when several high-ranking business executives who were still in their prime years suddenly died without any previous sign of illness, that the news media began picking up on what appeared to be a new phenomenon. The rest is history.

Karoshi is a Japanese word which means "death from overwork." The syndrome is now so common in Japan that it claims as many as 30,000 victims each year. Its increase has caused such concern that since 1990, the Government Labour Ministry has been forced to provide restitution to karoshi widows.

There is a worldwide syndrome of overwork of the soul. Singapore is increasingly becoming one. Singaporeans not only work hard (which is good), but they also work long hours (which is not so good). Working long hours is a health hazard. In the long run, it wearies the soul and eventually destroys it.

There are other contributing factors to soul-weariness and heaviness which include such things as grief and sorrow, career, finance, family, studies, future, marriage, singlehood, sickness, aging, conflict with others, and above all, sin. A good example was King David. He became miserable and restless when he refused to confess his sins of adultery and murder. He said, "There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me" (Psalm 38:3, 4; 32:4).

Are you weary? Are you worn out with a draining fatigue of soul that never seems to be relieved? Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Nowadays, people try to find ways and means to relieve their weary souls – vacation, recreation, massage, smoking, alcohol, drugs, singing, dancing, yoga, religion and more. I do not deny that some of these resorts are helpful, but none can offer the soul-rest which many weary souls try to find in them. There is no soul-rest because you never get enough to satisfy you, and when you do get what you want, you find it isn’t fulfilling after all. Indeed, everything leads to weariness (Ecclesiastes 1:8).

In this day and age, there is hardly anyone who is spared from this syndrome of overwork of the soul. Where then can we find rest for our soul?

Soul-rest can never be found in anything under the sun. We may try yoga or meditation or religion, but we won’t find fulfilment of life. Only Jesus can offer this rest for our soul. He says, "Come unto me" (Matthew 11:28a). He is the Sabbath Christ. He wants to infuse us with such strength that we will understand the truth of these words spoken by Isaiah, "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).

This is what God says. Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint. What we need is to believe it and that settles it.

Man can never find soul-rest until he rests in God. C.H. Spurgeon said, "The soul is insatiable till it finds the Savior." In the same vein, St. Augustine said, "I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are wise and very beautiful; but I have never read in either of them: Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden."

Do you know this early church father was once a restless man until he found God in his life? In one of his famous sayings, he said, "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." What a realization! What a discovery! Man can never find rest till he rests in his Creator.

Man is an enemy of God because of sin (Romans 5:10). Therefore, he is condemned in the sight of God (Romans 8:1). Man has tried education, counselling, rehabilitation and other means to solve the sin problem, but it can only help for a short while. The sin problem is a heart problem. Who can change a man’s heart? The human heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9).

That is why Jesus had to come to give us soul-rest. How? He paid for our sins by dying a cruel death on the cross. In doing so, our sins are forgiven – past, present and future. He has become a bridge between God and us. He has become our Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). Through Him, we have made peace with God (Romans 5:1).

Having made peace with God is one thing but to experience the peace of God is another thing, for it requires obedience from us. When we experience the peace of God, it is a sure sign that we have been delivered from spiritual karoshi. We have found solace in the One who gives soul-rest.

Jesus’ invitation is open to all those who are weary and burdened in soul, regardless of age, morality, education, social background or church experience. However, you must come by yourself. No parent, friend or pastor can come for you. Above all, you must be willing to forsake all other ways of finding soul-rest. Your soul cannot find rest by running between two masters (Matthew 6:24).

How do we come to Jesus for this soul-rest? We come to Him in our soul. Through prayer we approach Him and open our "weary and burdened" soul to Him. Then He enters. He says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20). And there is rest – rest for our weary and burdened soul. God promises to satisfy the weary soul and every languishing and sorrowful soul He will replenish (Jeremiah 31:25).

When Jesus gives us soul-rest, that solace is rest for our body, soul and spirit. An illustration comes from the experience of a missionary in Africa, who encountered great difficulty in trying to translate the Gospel of John into the local dialect. This missionary faced the problem of finding a word for "believe." He continued to do his best, but always had to leave a blank space when he came to that particular word. Then one day a runner came panting into the camp, having traveled a great distance with a very important message. After blurting out his story, he fell completely exhausted into a nearby hammock. He muttered a brief phrase that seemed to express both his great weariness and his contentment at finding a delightful place of relaxation. The missionary, never having heard these words before, asked a bystander what the runner had said. "Oh, he is saying, "I’m at the end of myself, therefore I am resting all my weight here!" The missionary exclaimed, "Praise God! That is the very expression I need for the word "believe!"" And so he was able to complete his translation.

My dear Lifer, with open arms and tenderness, Jesus is inviting you to rest all your weight on Him. There is no burden that is too heavy for Him to bear. His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). Rest on Him today! He is the Sabbath of your soul. Amen.

—Lovingly in Christ, Pastor Colin

A written review exercise of the verses is being given out today. Please submit by 13 Apr 08.

If you have young children who have memorised the first 7 scripture memory verses and who can recite them well but cannot write them because they are unable to spell some of the words, they can participate in the review exercises and receive prizes upon completion of the programme.

All they need to do is to recite the verses they have memorised to their mother or father, who will write the recited verses down in the review sheet without correcting what was recited. All 7 verses should be done at one sitting, and without any help or visual aids. The parent should include the following information on the review sheet:

- Name and Age of the child who recited the verses.

- Name and contact info of the parent who wrote them on the review sheet.

This applies only to children who are below 8 years old. Children who are 8 years old and above are required to write the memory verses on the review sheet on their own, without any help.

May this encourage our young children to memorise portions of God’s Word!

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All members of Life B-P Church are reminded to attend this meeting. The combined English worship service begins at 9.00 am.

Please collect the ACM package which will be given out before and after the morning worship services on Sunday, 6 and 13 Apr 08.

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