The Value of Rest

Chuckle: "Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited -- that is until you try to sit in their pews!"

Quote: “Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.” --Sir John Lubbock

Jesus said to his disciples, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet (desolate) place and get some rest" (Mark 6:31 NIV).

Jesus' invitation to his disciples to get some rest can have special meaning for those of us who find ourselves living at a hectic and exhausting pace. We can depend upon our Heavenly Father to always know the desires of our hearts and provide us opportunities for physical, emotional, and spiritual rest.

The Hebrew word, "Selah," is found 71 times in the Psalms. It means to "pause" or "rest" as in a musical score. Picture a choir singing for a while, and then pausing for an instrumental interlude as they rest, catch their breaths, and prepare for the next stanza. Applying this definition to our lives, let's take the time to pause from our fast-paced lives and rest in the Lord's presence.

Jesus led a busy public life, but then He would frequently go away by Himself to be with His Father. He taught His disciples to do the same. He referred to a desolate place. The word translated as "desolate," means that no one else is there, and no one else wants to be there. It is a special place and time for communication between you and God.

Pulling ourselves away from the hectic and complex demands on our lives will give us a fresh perspective and allow us to see the world more clearly as it really is. The only thing that will break its power over us is to detach ourselves from it. However, detachment doesn't mean separation or unconcern.

Jesus says we are to be in the world but not of the world. Jesus prayed to His Father for His disciples, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (John 17:15 NIV). If we don't stand back to gain a wide perspective of what Satan and the world throws at us, we will be overwhelmed. Let God help you make sense of it all by spending time resting in Him. Let him change your life so that being alone with your Father in heaven is central to your spiritual and physical strength and stamina.

Since Jesus found it necessary to pause and rest, there is all the more reason for us to pause at regular points in our lives and contemplate carefully what He has done for us! This will bring a sense of refreshment, well-being, contentment, and fulfillment to our lives! Do whatever you have to do. Then come away to a quiet place and allow God to give you rest, peace, and calmness. Your search for rest and contentment can ultimately lead you to experience the very heart of God.

Love, Jerry & Dotse