“ I
smiled recently when I read about an angry church member who blustered up to
his minister, saying, "I phoned you Monday, but I couldn't get you."
The preacher explained that it was his day off. "What?
A day off? The devil never
takes a day off!" exclaimed the member with holier-than-thou indignation.
"That's right, " said the minister, "and if I didn't
take any 'time out,' I would be just like him!"
Yes,
we do need to rest. As Vance
Havner used to say, "If we don't come apart, we'll come apart!" from the Bible Illustrator.
There is an
old Greek motto that says:
You
will break the bow if you keep it always bent.
My
friend Jim told me that when he asked his wife where she wanted to go on
vacation, she said that being married to him was a vacation.
When
I commented that it was a really nice thing to say to him, Jim replied,
"Well, actually, what she said was I was the 'last resort.'"
-- Richard
D. Oliva, Reader's Digest, November 1993, p. 111.
Do you enjoy yourself, your life, your Lord?
Without feeling guilty or unspiritual?
Are we a generation of individuals who worship our work, work at our
play and play at out worship? Are
you one of those who brag about never taking a break, a day off, or a
vacation? Is rest and
relaxation spiritual?
The Rest area is a critical part of the game of
life that must not be overlooked. We
all know what can happen on a trip if we fail to stop at the proper time.
We will have an accident or a breakdown or just plain run out of gas.
We must stop from time to time.
Scripture Text:
Mark 6:30 And the
apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things,
both what they had done, and what they had taught. 31 And he said unto them,
Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there
were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 32
And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
Don’t Forget to Stop and Rest.
- Without
A Rest Area in our journey. We
will have a break down in Life if we don’t stop and rest.
You are one person not two or three, so any time that you are tired
physically then you are tired spiritually.
Can resting be spiritual?
- Without
a Rest Stop we will burn out. Burn
out or rust out, but any way you go you are out. God doesn’t want you to be out. Take a time out before you burn out.
- It
is a spiritual need recognized by God.
Ex. 23:12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the
seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the
son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
- It’s
needed to maintain our temple of God.
Don’t feel guilty or unspiritual maintain health.
- We
need to recognize it: Do we
worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship.
Why should you stop and rest?
1.
Repair and Rest.
Mat. 11:28 Come unto me, all [ye] that labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek
and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
2.
Refilled and Refueled. We
need nourishment for body and soul. Fill
up the well again for strength for the journey.
3.
Relax and stretch your legs. Try something new for the Lord.
4.
Rediscover and Wake up. Enjoy your life and laugh again. Look at the map. See
where you are going.
5.
Refocus and worship. Receive
new insights in your life from the Lord.
Don’t forget to move out after the stop.
- Renewed
to get back on track after a much needed rest.
- Revived
with the fire needed to once again serve the Lord and the people.
- Ready
to go with the Lord wherever He may lead.
Tonight Stop at the rest area with the Lord.
1. Drop
your load on Jesus.
1Pet 5:7
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
2.
Pick Jesus’ load. It is easy and light.
3. Find
comfort in the comforter inn.
Slow me down, Lord.
Ease
the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind.
Steady
my hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time.
Give
me, amid the confusion of the day, the calmness of the everlasting hills.
Break
the tensions of my nerves and muscles with the soothing music of the singing
streams that live in my memory.
Teach
me the art of taking minute vacations -- of slowing down to look at a flower,
to chat with a friend, to pat a dog, to smile at a child, to read a few lines
from a good book.
Slow
me down, Lord, and inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life's
enduring values, that I may grow toward my greater destiny.
Remind
me each day that the race is not always to the swift; that there is more to
life than increasing its speed.
Let
me look upward to the towering oak and know that it grew great and strong
because it grew slowly and well. -- Orin L. Crain