“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”” Exodus 33:14 NIV

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 NIV

Rest, especially our rest, is important to God and to Jesus. God commanded that men and women rest on the Sabbath just as He had rested after the creation of the world. He promised the Israelites that His presence would be with them to give them rest as they journeyed to the promised land. Jesus offered rest to all who came to Him.

But these days, who has time to rest? We tell ourselves that we’ll rest when we finally get some down time. But the to-do list is long, our work is hectic, the phone’s chime demands our attention, our families need care and attention, our kids have to be at soccer practice or dance lessons, the car needs serviced, the grass needs mowed, the list goes on. And we are exhausted. We need rest!

God invites us into His Presence. Jesus says, “Come to me”. Let’s try to take a bit of time out of our day and rest in the presence of the Lord. Let’s breathe, relax and sit back, close our eyes, and invite the Lord to share this time with us.

In the Presence of the Lord…

Close your eyes.

Clear your mind.

Invite the Lord’s Spirit.

Stop, relax, wait.

Breathe in His peace.

Feel His Love.

Experience the calm.

Embrace the gift of rest.

Be refreshed, renewed.

Thank You, Lord.

This week, take a bit of time out of your busy day to rest in the presence of your Lord. Let Him envelop you in love, peace, and rest. Let Him refresh and renew you and go with you through your day. Embrace rest.

I thank God for each of you! And I thank you for joining me this week as we take time to stop and rest in the presence of the Lord.

Blessings and rest!