His Rest

A couple days ago a friend of mine came over to my house to visit. We were talking about how she dedicates an hour or two every morning to God, through Bible study and prayer.

"I know why everything seemed to go wrong for me this morning," she confided. "I wanted to sleep in for just a little bit, just until 6:30. But my bed was warm and comfortable, and though I meant to rest for just a few minutes, soon an hour had passed. By the time I got up, I only had fifteen minutes of Bible study before it was time to wake the kids. I just know that's why my day has been off!"

I've been there so many times before. Though I don't do a morning devotion time, I try to dedicate an hour over lunch after I have put my children to their nap time. Most of the time, this works perfectly. But there are definitely days when time slips away from me and I don't get in as much as I'd like.

It made me think of something, which I shared with her. I think that when we choose to rest in an earthly way, such as stretching out in bed or watching a television show on the couch, or talking with friends on the computer, we are granted rest for those moments. Doing those things is relaxing, and our bodies reap the reward of that rest while we are still. But soon, as life continues and we have to get moving on with our day, that rest fades away.

We need to make sure that our days include quiet time with God, because His rest lasts long after our time with Him. When we take part of our day and devote it solely to God, we get inner rest. Our hearts and bodies are calmed. Our mind is satisfied, and our spirit is refreshed.