For many of us, rest feels like a luxury we can’t afford or a reward we haven’t earned. We see a free hour and immediately think of how we could be productive. But God commands us to rest. It isn’t a suggestion; it’s a gift essential for our survival.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” – Psalm 23:1-3 (ESV)
Notice the language in this well-known Psalm. The shepherd makes the sheep lie down. Sometimes we are so driven that God must lovingly intervene to make us rest. The result of this rest is not laziness, but restoration. It is beside the “still waters,” not the raging rapids, that our souls are restored. We need to stop thinking of rest as the absence of work and start seeing it as a vital spiritual discipline that refuels us for the journey ahead.
Action Steps:
Prayer:
My Shepherd, You know my needs better than I do. Forgive me for ignoring my need for rest. Lead me to the green pastures and still waters where You can restore my soul. Help me to accept this gift without guilt. Amen.