Rest

[bluidkiti]

Rest

Read Psalm 62:5-8

[The LORD] makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.
-Psalm 23:23 (NRSV)

MY dad invited me to spend part of my vacation with the family on one of our country's beautiful beaches. I was busy working on term papers, focusing my time and energy on finishing school projects. On the other hand, time at the beach would be a good opportunity to get away from the stress. As I tried to look forward to vacation, everything that I needed to do when I returned to school was constantly on my mind.

When I arrived at the most beautiful beach I had ever seen - which was empty, as if God had reserved it solely for my family - I remembered that from the beginning of time, God commanded rest for us. God knows that our bodies and souls can be taxed and overwhelmed. Sometimes we refuse to take time for ourselves because we feel the time is wasted. We forget that in times of rest, we find our strength in the Lord.

At the end of the trip, I realized that God has offered us times of rest not only to get away and relax but also to open our hearts, to pray, and to read God's word. In these moments, we can truly experience the presence and the wonders of the God of life.

Lina Fernanda Montoya (Cali, Colombia)
Prayer
Loving God, in the midst of everyday toil and stress, help us to find spiritual rest in your presence. Amen.

Thought for the Day
Sabbath rest is not just a good idea; it is a commandment.