God’s Words of Life on Rest

Devotional Thought on Rest

Are you exhausted today? Are you taking pills for energy to get through the day? Or are you on a nervous high and need something to slow you down? Perhaps what your body is really crying for is rest. Is there rest for anyone in this tension-filled world?

As the disciples returned from a missionary journey, they were elated with their success. They gave glowing reports of how God had worked. Jesus was glad to hear their accounts, but He knew that they needed physical rest after their arduous journey. He invited them to come rest with Him in a quiet place.

We, too, need to refresh ourselves to maintain physical and spiritual strength. Our schedules are demanding. They drain our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual life. God’s Holy Spirit gives us strength for His schedule for us. I believe God plans for us to include times of rest and relaxation in our schedule. If the disciples needed rest, so do we.

Our rest times may consist of a vacation where we can rest and relax, a change of environment, or simply a respite right where we are. Time spent with the Lord brings renewal and refreshment.

~ Millie Stamm

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” — Matthew 11:28–30

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. — Galatians 6:9

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” — Exodus 33:14

You are awesome, O God, in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to His people. Praise be to God! — Psalm 68:35

[God] gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but 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. — Isaiah 40:29–31

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. — Isaiah 41:10

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint,” says the Lord. — Jeremiah 31:25

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat — for He grants sleep to those He loves. — Psalm 127:1–2

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy,” says the Lord. — Exodus 20:8–11

[The Lord] makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. — Psalm 23:2–3

Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders. — Deuteronomy 33:12

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest. — Hebrews 4:9–11

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. — Psalm 91:1

Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, [Jesus] said to them, “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” — Mark 6:31

Excerpted with permission from God’s Words of Life for Women, copyright Zondervan.

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Your Turn

Do you rest? Do you ever put down unfinished work, endless laundry, the long list of calls or emails to return, and the demands of work and home life? Take a moment today to soak in the truth that God Himself desires for us to rest and restore so much that He modeled it for us in Scripture. Come join the conversation on our blog! We would love to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily