HEARTLIGHT®: Two Minute Meditations: "Get Away and Rest"


PREVIOUS ARTICLES p;loc=" + escape(window.location)); if (document.referrer) document.write ("&referer=" + escape(document.referrer)); if (document.context) document.write ("&context=" + escape(document.context)); if (document.mmm_fo) document.write ("&mmm_fo=1"); document.write ("'>"); //]]>-->

ARTICLES

ART & MUSIC

DEVOTIONALS

COMMUNITY

SHOPPING

SEARCH
Support
Contact

Yet he also saw the exhaustion in his disciples’ faces. “Come with me... to a quiet place,” he said, “and get some rest.”

Don’t you think it’s time we heard his voice?

When their rest was short-circuited by the press of the crowd, Jesus ministered to the exhausted crowd through his disciples, then sent his disciples away ahead of the crowd. He wanted them to get away and get some rest. In our busy world, don’t you think it’s time we heard his voice, “Come with me... and get some rest.”

I’m not sure where you are right now in your walk with God. I’m pretty tired. A whole lot of folks I know are tired, too. So many pressures, so many demands, so many obligations have crowded into our lives.

God in his grace confronted us at HEARTLIGHT® and reminded us that we, too, needed to take some rest. For the first time in nearly three years, we’ve decided to not put out a weekly issue. We’re going to get away, get some rest, and get ready for the journey ahead. This is not a crisis. This is not something we did because we don’t have material or ideas. This is something we made a commitment to each other and to the Lord to do several months ago. We’re dedicating this next two weeks to rest — getting caught up on sleep, spending time with the Lord in communion, loving our families, and giving thanks to our great God who has blessed us with so many blessings. Today’s Verse will still continue, we’ve put up a rich full edition that should carry us through the next two weeks, but most importantly of all, we believe that Jesus has called us to get away with him and rest. We urge you to do the same.

“Okay,” you’re saying to yourself, “but I’ve got to still go to work, take care of my family, and fulfill my responsibilities at church. How am I supposed to rest?”
Glad you asked! You see, HEARTLIGHT® isn’t our job either. We have full time ministry jobs elsewhere. Our world will still be busy, but we’re going to find rest during this time, too. Let me share with you a few principles I think that will help you rest in the middle of a busy time:

First, spend some time in prayer committing yourself to God and finding rest in him. You will need his help to know what to not do during this time and what you must do.
Second, each morning take a “pause of grace.” A “pause of grace” is an intentional timeout during the early part of the morning where you take a deep breath, acknowledge the presence and goodness of God in your life, consciously relax your body, and take five minutes to thank God for all of his blessings.
Third, consciously decide to take a 20 minute rest during each day, giving up something that is not essential, just silly busy work. This may mean putting off an errand and clustering it with several other errands later in the week. It may mean deciding not to do that busy work at all. As you take your 20 minute rest, put on some Christian music, find a comfortable place and relax for a few minutes in God’s care.
Fourth, dedicate one day each of these two weeks as a day of rest. God made the world with rhythm, a seven day rhythm. On the seventh day, God rested. This day of rest is for us to cease from work, to be with family, to enjoy God’s people, and to spend time with him.
Fifth, over the next two weeks, find a quiet place and spend time with Jesus. “Come with me,” he said. Pick up the Gospel of Mark. On day one and day fourteen, read two chapters. The rest of the time just read one chapter a day. Ask God to reveal Jesus to you as you read his Gospel. I encourage you to do this at the end of the day, making a conscious effort to get to bed at a reasonable time and go to sleep thinking about our Savior.

We’re all busy. But as disciples, we want to be productive. We want to be good stewards of the time God gives us. To do that, we must hear the voice of Jesus and follow: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”