The Need for Rest

How many people do you know who are stressed-out? The truth is, God built into our mortal make-up the need for rest, for sleep.  None of us can go and go without sleep. Sleep is the body’s way of recharging.  God made it so we would get tired physically and have need of sleep. In the spiritual realm, we must learn to pause, to still our minds and our heart so that God can do for us spiritually what sleep does for us physically. 

It’s amazing, years ago churches would stop doing everything and hold revival meetings that would last for weeks. What was the result of those meetings?  God would visit His people, unleash His power, and revive the church.  Today, we can’t seem to slow down long enough to hold a three-day meeting.  Our lives are full throttle, and the results are obvious: anxiety, heart issues, stress, problems in relationships, even church strife. We lose sight of our priorities.

 A few years ago, I read of a stunt pilot in an air show. He was flying upside down in a jet and he got confused. At a high rate of speed, he pulled the flight stick in the wrong direction and crashed. There is danger for all of us to get disoriented if we don’t settle down and still ourselves before God.  When we are disoriented, we lose discernment.  Our margin for error and mistakes is increased, we make bad decisions, and most of all we lose touch with God. His power in us is diminished. If we don’t voluntarily slow down, God can force us to do so. Psalm 23:2 says, “He maketh me to lie down…” God can use health problems, crisis, tragedy, and failure to cause us to re-evaluate our priorities. Elijah and Jonah are examples of that in the Bible.

Are you calloused in your spiritual life, hardened in your heart toward the things of God?  Maybe what you need is simple, some time alone with God. Come apart for a little while and you will find renewed power with God. 

The Pastor’s Pocket

Pastor Bruce Freeman