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Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Numbers 5-6
Mark 6:30-52

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Mark 6:30-31 (CSB): “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.’ For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

The Bible has a lot to say about working. It has a very high work ethic, celebrating a woman’s ability to work for the well-being of her family (Proverbs 31:10-31) and saying that a man who doesn’t provide for his family is worse than someone who will spend eternity in Hell (1 Timothy 5:8).

However, the same Bible that celebrates work also strongly advocates taking needed rest.

God did not rest on the seventh day of Creation because He was tired. Instead, He provided all humanity with a pattern to follow – work six days and rest one day.

However, while we strive to comply with this helpful life principle, it doesn’t always materialize. And, sometimes, there are seasons in our live when the one day of rest principle is not sufficient to ease the deadening discomfort of intense, non-stop physical labor or the emotional toll weighing on our shoulders.

Fortunately, Jesus had something to say about rest and rejuvenation. In the text we read today, He observed that His disciples had seen God working through them, so they apparently skipped rest breaks. He saw the excitement in their eyes but the weariness in their posture that made it clear they needed some time to rest and relax.

But we realize that Jesus Himself was also struggling. He was almost certainly emotionally weary because He had just heard that John the Baptist had been beheaded in prison (Mark 6:27-29). They all needed to get away for a while.

Mark 6:30-31 (CSB): “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.’ For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.”

Jesus cared enough about them that He wanted them to have some time to relax and recharge. This was His intention. He fully intended for the guys to get away, laugh, talk, listen, rest, and get rejuvenated.

Jesus doesn’t change. There are times when the busyness or the weight of this world gets so heavy on our shoulders that the most spiritual thing we can do is take a nature walk or take a nap. There’s nothing wrong with it. Sometimes, Dr. Jesus continues to prescribe a time of rest to weary souls.

But … a couple of paragraphs ago, I mentioned that it “was His intention.” I wrote those words with the full knowledge that Jesus’ intentions didn’t actually materialize. After taking a boat ride to a “desolate” location, 5,000 men plus women and children showed up. Jesus’ heart of compassion moved Him to teach them and then feed them. No rest yet.

Then, Jesus sent His disciples by boat to the other side of the Sea while He went up on a mountain to pray. In the middle of the night, Jesus came walking on the water as the sleepless, weary disciples were struggling to get the boat to shore in a windstorm. No rest yet.

While getting some rest and relaxation may be the most spiritual thing to do, it is not always possible. Just pray for wise discernment and make the most of the moments Jesus gives you.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you rightly assess whether you are working too much or resting too much.
  • Ask God for the wisdom to make the needed adjustments to be busy but not burn out.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into what the Bible says about getting recharged, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What does the Bible say about rest and relaxation?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)