Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest.  Exodus 34:21

My parents’ behavior on most Sunday afternoons puzzled me. Why would they choose to waste time resting when there were so many things to do?  Not long after I married and started a family, I finally understood why God said, “For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord” (Exod. 35:2). God provided the Sabbath for worship and for rest. I now plan ahead to make certain I rest Sunday afternoons after a morning at church.  Having a day to rest renews our energy and zest for life. A day to focus on something besides work also helps to prevent burnout. Jesus understood this need for rest. After the death of John the Baptist, Jesus told his disciples, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31).  The Sabbath rest not only refreshes mind and body but also refreshes our spirit so we can serve God more faithfully.

Dear Father, thank you for a day to spend special time with you in worship and in rest. Help us, God, to follow your example and to rest. Amen.

“Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:8

The thunder and lightning of a powerful storm rattled my house last night.  As rain slashed against the windows and lightning lit up the dark sky.  I remembered being  woke up years ago to make room for my son to join me and my wife in bed.  I remember thinking with surprise that I didn’t even know it was going to storm. 

What a picture of my life lately.  It’s been a year of unexpected rain.  Some just drizzles, but others, like the storm hitting me most recently, have rattled windows with wave after wave of thunder and bursts of lightning.  What about you?  Is there stormy weather in your life right now?  Where are you finding shelter from the storms? 

My friends and family have been a shelter for me this year, just like my family was that night as we all huddled together in bed.  They’ve encouraged and supported me.  And most importantly, they’ve pointed me to the strongest shelter from the storms, my Heavenly Father.  As I’ve turned to Scripture this week, I’m amazed at the number of times it reminds us God is our shelter.  God knows that we will encounter hard times and His Word reminds us that the strongest and safest shelter is God Himself.

As always we have a choice: get drenched in the rain or seek shelter.  You see, the storms of life can cause us to run toward God, but just as easily they can cause us to turn away.  A whole range of emotions can leave us standing in the rain to get drenched: bitterness, anger, confusion, helplessness, or hopelessness.  If you can relate to these emotions, you might feel badly for having these emotions, but don’t let these feelings keep you from God.  Read the Psalms and you’ll see that God can handle every emotion. Negative emotions are not a reason to turn away from God.  They’re the very reason to turn to Him, desperately wanting the kind of faith and strength only God can provide. 

Keep turning to God, continue to tell Him in prayer how you feel, and leave your emotions with Him.  As you do, you’ll start to feel His nearness, His hope, His promise, and His comfort.  If you find yourself returning to feelings of fear or hopelessness, just go back to God.  Be honest in your prayers.  Acknowledge that you’re having a hard time, but that you want to trust Him in your circumstances. Know that He loves you and will consistently and constantly be your shelter from the storms.

Dear Lord, “Hear my cry, O God; give heed to my prayer.  From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy.  Let me dwell in Your tent forever; let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings”. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The psalmist said to God, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:103

The honeybee is known for ceaseless labor. Its hive is a hotbed of activity.   No wonder.   A single worker bee makes 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in their lifetime, and a good hive will produce 50 to 60 pounds of honey to survive the winter.  The work never ends!

Still, it’s a little known fact that even the hard-working honeybee will find a spot on the comb, cease all activity — and do absolutely nothing for a while! Nothing productive as far as the world is concerned.  But this time of refreshment and renewal is absolutely essential.  Bees seem to require a little time away from the busyness of life, and it doesn’t seem to hurt the hive at all.

Many of us discover that our levels of stress and anxiety rise because of the never-ending tasks that fill our days. We worry about whether we can keep up.  During these moments I find it best to follow the example of the honeybee and just stop.  After all, Jesus did the same thing. When he was very busy, he went up the mountain to pray — to create a time and space for God to refresh his spirit.  If Jesus needed such time, surely we do too.

Lord, we open our hearts to you.   We stop to listen and learn from you.   Amen.