I'm here in Suffolk for a few days with my best friend from high school and her family. They live in a lovely house near some water and it's probably the most restful place I have been in a long time. No one is asking anything of me, no one is even sitting with me right now and it's pretty fantastic! Now, don't get me wrong, I love my home, my friends, and those God has peopled my life with, but sometimes you just need to rest. This summer is me learn how to rest and how to really let God have my time and use it how He wants to, not just how I have filled me schedule. So be prepared to read lots of posts on resting in the midst of whatever I'm doing. Next week, I'll be able to blog more about what's going on and specifically how God's been dumping buckets full of blessings and love on my undeserving head. But back to now...

I sat this morning on my friend's back porch and just sat. I smelled the scent of flowers wafting through the air, the water nearby giving off it's particular aroma, and I listened to the birds chirp their happy songs of praise to their creator. Even Christy's dog was happy. It's just beautiful. And I can sit and listen and smell and just be. I took a moment and smiled and thanked my God for this precious time of rest and reflection of His creation that I wouldn't have gotten had I stayed home. Below is the scripture I was led to read and yes, it also spoke to me and showed me how important resting on God really is. 

Psalm 30 (New International Version)

 ¹ I will exalt you, O LORD, 
       for you lifted me out of the depths 
       and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

 ² O LORD my God, I called to you for help 
       and you healed me.

 ³ O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; 
       you spared me from going down into the pit.

 ⁴ Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; 
       praise his holy name.

 ⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment, 
       but his favor lasts a lifetime; 
       weeping may remain for a night, 
       but rejoicing comes in the morning.

 ⁶ When I felt secure, I said, 
       "I will never be shaken."

 ⁷ O LORD, when you favored me, 
       you made my mountain stand firm; 
       but when you hid your face, 
       I was dismayed.

 ⁸ To you, O LORD, I called; 
       to the Lord I cried for mercy:

 ⁹ "What gain is there in my destruction, 
       in my going down into the pit? 
       Will the dust praise you? 
       Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

 ¹⁰ Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; 
       O LORD, be my help."

 ¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing; 
       you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

 ¹² that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. 
       O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Give it a rest!

Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. —Genesis 2:3 From the very beginning, rest has had a special significance for God. God rested, and He made the seventh day a day of rest for us as well (Exodus20:8-11).

So the Lord said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.” —Numbers 11:16-17

Pushing hard with many hours and demands can become counterproductive. We need to set boundaries around our time and energy to protect ourselves. God is aware of our limitations and encourages us to lighten the load by delegating responsibility to others who can help us be more productive and effective. We should consider our responsibilities and how we can delegate to others in order to get the job done.

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. —Isaiah 40:31

Isaiah reminded God’s people of the value of waiting upon the Lord. “Waiting” does not mean inactivity; rather, it is patient service that is not over committed and overextended.

Many desire to “mount up with wings like eagles,” but they assume that the harder they run the more likely they will fly. The harder people run the more likely they will fall. Instead, “those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.” Such “waiting” is the antidote for spiritual burnout.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. —Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus says that He will take from our shoulders the heavy burdens that are burning us out, and replace them with an easy yoke, a light burden. Jesus is in touch with the burdens of life that we carry and how much they hurt and exhaust us. When we give our troubled hearts to Him, He gives us rest for our souls. That kind of rest will cure our burnout and renew our enthusiasm for Him.

And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. —Mark 6:31-32

Even our Savior, being God, was aware of His human limitations. He never seemed to be in a hurry; He didn’t work 24-hour days. Even as more and more people crowded to Him to hear His words and be healed, He would often withdraw into the wilderness and pray (Luke 5:15-17). After an exhausting time of ministry, Jesus invited His disciples to take a break in order to refresh themselves. A hectic schedule takes a physical, emotional, and spiritual toll on us. God knows that we need to come aside and rest a while so that we don’t burn out. He will refresh us so that we can continue to serve Him.

Rest and refreshment is not wasted time.