TIME TO REST

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and
you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matt.
11:28-30 NIV

What does it mean to rest?

• Our schedules seem to be getting fuller with each passing month. When
we attempt to get together with friends, we are surprised that our next
open evening is over a month away.
• There are our kids’ activities, church events, work projects, birthday
parties, and summer vacations. We have programmed and planned our
entire lives leaving little to no room for anything that might remotely
rejuvenate us and offer us rest.
• Too often we think that rest means we should be lazy. It means we can
totally chill out at home and do absolutely nothing. While there may be an
element of that in our restful times, that is not the whole story.
Rest is about recovery.
• It is knowing when we are drained, exhausted, and need to breathe
deeply for a while.
• It is knowing our limits and how we are handling the demands of our
daily lives.
• In order for our bodies to truly recover, we must receive abundant rest,
which includes sleeping well at night. (Example) If we find ourselves tired
on a regular basis, it would be wise for us to evaluate not only the amount
of nightly sleep we are getting but the time frame we are getting it. ( Insert
possible kwento about your experiense)
Rest is about refreshment.
• It is learning what energizes us and what doesn’t.
• It is choosing to incorporate activities or stillness that will bring refreshing
times to our spirits.
 • If we continue doing things that deplete us when we should be finding
things that fill us, refreshment will never come.
• We must make more deposits into this bucket than withdrawals during
our times of rest.
Rest is about renewal.
• It is experiencing a deep renewal in all parts of our lives.
• It is spending time with God so that we are spiritually made new
. • While we may love to do certain things that refresh us mentally,
ultimately, we need our spirits refreshed by spending time with God each
day.

OBJECTIVES:
• We will dive into some ways to find rest for our bodies, minds, and spirits.
We will learn how to incorporate routines that become daily habits.
• And in doing so, we will be on our way towards eliminating mental,
emotional, spiritual, and physical depletion from our lives.

Reflect When you think of getting rest, does it feel like an impossibility?
What area of your life do you feel needs the most rest? Body, mind, or
spirit? Write down any revelation that God speaks to you through today’s
Bible reading or devotional.
1. Meditate on God’s Word.
"The more you read the Bible; and the more you meditate on it, the more
you will be astonished with it.' — Charles Spurgeon
• Many Christ followers don’t understand what meditation actually means.
• When we meditate on something we are simply focusing our thoughts. To
understand what it means to meditate on God’s Word, let’s read Pastor
Rick Warren’s description. He says,
“Surprisingly, if you know how to worry, you already know how to
meditate on the Word of God. Worry is when you take a negative thought
and think on it over and over and over. When you take a passage of
Scripture and think on it over and over and over, that’s called meditation.”
• The Bible mentions meditation over twenty times and calls us to meditate
on God’s Word. This is a beneficial practice to incorporate into our daily
time with God as it provides a mental and emotional rest for us as well as
spiritual growth.
• As we spend time reading the Bible each day, we can look deeply into the
passages and begin a conversation with God. In order to grasp how to
meditate on a verse or two,
• let’s dissect Ephesians 4:31-32 which says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage,
anger, harsh words, and slander as well as all types of evil behavior.
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just
as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
• Let's read it again and ask God: Do I have bitterness? Am I an angry
person? Are my words harsh? Is my heart tender? Do I forgive others
freely?
• Then we listen and wait for the powerful, yet gentle voice of God. It will
rarely be audible but we will know what He is saying to us.
• We can allow these scriptural meditations to go with us throughout our
day making us aware of any bitterness, anger, harshness, hard-heartedness,
or unforgiveness that is attempting to hijack our thoughts. ( INSERT
EXAMPLE SCENARIO) This is meditating on God’s Word.
• The truths from Scripture sink deep into our souls when we meditate on
God’s Word.
 • Meditation provides us a new level of rest for us because we are
spending our mental energy thinking about God’s Word and not drowning
our minds with the worries of the world. ( INSERT POSSIBLE EXP

Not only that, but we have the power to apply these life-changing words from
God to our lives. We can’t help but become all that God wants us to be when we
put this kind of effort in.

Reflect: Choose a scripture from today’s reading, or another of your choice,

and meditate on it. As you read through it, ask God to show you where you are
obeying Him and where you need to make changes for spiritual growth. Allow this
new discovery to permeate your thoughts throughout your day. Write down any
revelation that God speaks to you through today’s Bible reading or devotional.

2. Renew Your Mind by Journaling.

"Whatever you think about grows. Don’t focus on what you are going through.
Focus on what you are going to do!" — Dr. Caroline Leaf
• On day 2, we learned a way to rest by meditating on God’s Word so that our
actions will line up with His truths.
• There are many ways to let Scripture penetrate our spirits.
• His truth will literally pour over our minds and we will begin to see things
differently.
• As we meditate on God’s Word, our minds will be renewed and we will find rest
that we didn’t think was possible.
• In order to get the most out of our time in God’s Word, we can integrate
journaling as part of our daily practice.
• Journaling doesn’t have to be in depth or in great detail if this isn’t something
we are accustomed to doing.
• It can be as simple as writing a few lines from any insight we received while
reading the Bible. There are so many ways to journal:
• We can write down our thoughts or prayers; some people even do artwork
during their journaling time.
• There is no right way to do it. To help you get started, here is a simple outline
to follow: Choose a verse (or multiple) and read it. Read it again. Write it down.
• Ask God for insight and write that down. Maybe you decide to journal about
Romans 8:28 which says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good
of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

• After reading through it two to three times, we write it down. We might even
choose to write it down in different Bible versions.
• We finish off our time journaling by asking God for insight about what we’ve just
read. As we pore over Scripture using the plan outlined above,
• we can internalize it through the day. *
• Journaling daily also provides a timeline that we can look back on to see the
spiritual progress we’ve made and the fresh ways that God has spoken to us in
the past.
• We will see things clearly and have a newfound perspective about how God’s
Word applies to our lives and restores us from the inside out.
• And with our minds being renewed, we are receiving a rest that cannot be
acquired by any earthly pleasure.

Reflect : Have you ever made journaling a part of your daily time with God?
Choose one verse and journal about it using the outline above. Write down any
revelation that God speaks to you through today’s Bible reading or devotional.

3. Disconnect From Distractions. " If you don't take time away from the world
around you, you're going to get pulled down by the world around you." — Erwin
McManus • One of the definitions of rest is to be free from anxiety or
disturbance.
• In this time in our lives, we can easily find things that would disturb our rest as
well as cause anxiety.
• They may be enjoyable in the moment and feel like they refresh us, but in the
end, we are depleted from true rest.
• Countless people are talking about the different ways to disconnect in our ultra-
connected world.
• There are books, articles, podcasts, and messages giving us three steps to not be
overwhelmed by things that rob our attention.
• But not everyone is distracted by the same things. What distracts one person is
not a struggle for the next. In order to break away from the distractions in our
lives, we have to consider a couple of things.
• First, we have to know what distracts us. Those things that tear us away from
the important because they either feel urgent or they are just fun to indulge in.
• And secondly, we have to be willing to lay down our agendas so that the most
important people in our lives don’t feel like distractions.

• Whatever that thing is that steals peace and rest from us, we must set some
limits. (EXAMPLE: SIC MEDIA) Likely after reading that sentence, we all know
exactly what it is. Instead of letting distractions keep us from rest and the most
important people in our lives, maybe we…
...don’t open our computer for work while our kids are awake.
...choose to focus on the good instead of being distracted by the worries of the
world.
...set a specific ringtone for our family members and let the rest go to
voicemail.
...choose not to watch TV until the weekend.
...set aside our plans for the future so that we can live in the present.
...set time limits on certain websites, apps or video games.

If we find ourselves in a continual place of anxiety and feeling disturbed, we must

decrease or even eliminate such things that cause us to feel that way. It won’t be
easy. • Anything worth having takes work and sacrifice. Let’s not go another day
where we allow the distractions of this world to keep us from God’s best rest for
us.

Reflect: What is the biggest thing that distracts you from truly resting? What
steps do you need to take today to remove or limit these distractions in your life?
Write down any revelation that God speaks to you through today’s Bible reading
or devotional.

4.. Fill Up To Pour Out.

" Being filled with the Spirit is simply this — having my whole nature yielded to
His power. When the soul is yielded to the Holy Spirit, God Himself will fill it." —
Andrew Murray
• The reason we need rest is because we have been working or exerting energy in
some way. And just because we learn how to rest and may feel rested, doesn’t
mean we will stay that way.
We will work again.
We will help others again.
We will be emotionally drained again.

• Getting rest for the sake of rest is not the whole point. We rest and get rest so
that we can work again.
• There is a beautiful ebb and flow of working and resting; of being filled up so
that we can pour out.
• As we’ve discussed, meditating on God’s Word, journaling, and disconnecting
from things that distract us are practices that fill us back up. We find rest as we do
these daily.
Just like our physical bodies need ample hours each night to recover, our
spirits do as well.
We can’t expect to have strong, vibrant spirits without investing in them.
We can’t think that one week of vacation will carry us through for months
and months. We must make daily deposits in our rest bucket to endure.
And we have to be paying attention when too many withdrawals have
been made.
In his book, Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Refueling Your Passion,
author and pastor Wayne Cordeiro tells about a dream he had.

• A woman approached a farmer at his farm and asked him for something he
didn’t have.
* He said, "Come back tomorrow, and I'll have more." She was upset but it didn’t
bother him. He just kept working.
• People came to his farm everyday and when he was out of eggs or milk, he
would simply say, "Come back tomorrow, and I'll have more." Pastor Cordeiro
shared this newfound view he had after the dream:
• I don't have to tie myself to an imaginary, unrelenting cycle to produce more,
make more or try to outdo last week's numbers.
• I have just so much time in the day, and I want to do what I can with all my
heart involved.
• When the clock runs out, then I’ll say, "Come back tomorrow, and I'll have
more.” ( EXAMPLE EXPERIENCE)

CONCLUSION:
We wake up each day with a certain amount of mental, emotional, and physical
energy.
When we have poured out everything we have to give, we must rest. When we
are in this empty state, there is less of us to get in the way of His work in our lives.
Lean in, be still, and rest. This is the most opportune and appropriate time to be
filled up with God’s Spirit.

Reflect
Do you feel that you have to meet every need that you see? What is something
you can incorporate into your day to feel refueled? Write down any revelation
that God speaks to you through today’s Bible reading or devotional.

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so
that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be
prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8 NIV https://joshua.bible/joshua-1-8

Joshua 1:8
joshua.bible

You sent Today at 4:41 PM

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is
life and peace. Romans 8:6 NIV https://romans.bible/romans-8-6