Take time to rest

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

Today we are continuing our series on Psalm 23. We are looking at seven ways we can relieve stress in our lives. Last week we looked at the problem of worry and found God’s Antidote for Worry. Today we are looking at God’s Antidote for “Busy-ness”.

People are busier than ever. Busy-ness has become an epidemic in our lives. Let me give you an example. Dinner time. The picture of the family sitting down at six o’clock and eating a home cooked meal together has almost disappeared. More Americans than ever before are eating their meals in restaurants. The words, “Let’s just grab something to eat.” – carries with it the sense of busy-ness in our lives. Did you know that many fast food establishments don’t call themselves restaurants but call themselves "stores"? By calling themselves stores, it gives the impression these places are not a place to go and enjoy a meal – but they are a place were we go to shop for meal. Many of the fast food places keep records of the amount of time it takes the customer to place the order until the food is delivered in their hands. The goal is to get as many customers through the "store" as they can in the least amount of time. This is how busy we are in our lives.

Did you know that God really does want you to relax?  Yes!  It is his antidote for busy-ness.

Realize God wants you to relax.  The only way that we can really enjoy life is by getting enough rest. The only way that you have enough energy to make it through another day is take the time to rest. It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know God enjoys giving rest to those he loves? Psalms 127:2

God never intended for us to work ourselves to death. Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed. Exodus 23:12

The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren’t made to serve the Sabbath. Mark 2:27  What this means is that the Sabbath is there for your benefit not the other way around. God knows that you need rest to recharge and revitalized. His will is to keep to healthy mentally, spiritually and physically. Rest so you can be refreshed.

Is your life a busy place where things sometimes feel like they are moving at breakneck speed? In the midst of my extreme busy-ness, I sometimes feel the need to escape, to decompress. My response? To create a quiet place. On those days when I don’t have specific chores or plans, I retreat to a quiet place. I grab some lunch and sit where I can read, listen to music, think, pray—and be refreshed. I think this is the essence of what the shepherd-psalmist points to in Psalm 23:2. He sees the Good Shepherd bringing him to “still waters”—that is, waters to rest by. It pictures a quiet place, a retreat from the pressures of life, where you can rest in the presence of the Shepherd of your heart and be strengthened for what lies ahead. Even Jesus withdrew to a solitary place to pray and commune with His Father. Mark 1:35.

We all need retreats in our lives, not only because of the overwhelming nature of life, but because of our dependence on the resources of the Master. In our fast-paced days, it is essential to find a place of solitude, “a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God.”

All of us can make time to meet with God, but do we? In Robert Foster’s booklet “7 Minutes With God,” he suggests a way to begin:

Start with a brief prayer for guidance, then read the Bible for a few minutes, and close with a short time of prayer that includes adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication for others. It’s vital to take time today to connect with the Lord, who is our life.

We need to set aside the time
To read God’s Word and pray,
And listen for the Spirit’s voice
To guide us in His way.

I hope you find time to rest and reflect this week.