Do you have a quiet place you can go to when you need rest? Is there a place where you can block out all the noise of the world? Are you still seeking a quiet place in which to find rest? Have you even attempted to rest your soul in solitude?
We live in a hustle and bustle world. True rest is seldom found. Sure, we may sleep for six or seven or even eight hours, but we do not truly rest. We may sit down for a few hours in the evening, but we are watching television rather than resting. We have lost the importance of rest.
Our vacations are filled with activity. Oh, we may be away from our jobs, but we are no less busy. We bounce from one activity to another. True, we may see things we have never seen, and they may be very enjoyable. And, yes, they may even bring some small bit of rest to our minds. Yet, our minds still go back to the tasks of work that are stacking up for our return.
Just the other day, we were discussing with an employee the many things they do for the church. One point made was that this person needed to take time off, get away, enjoy a few days doing what they liked. Recharge their battery. Good advice. But we cannot fully recharge without the rest that only comes when we spend quiet time with God.
In today’s passage, the apostles have returned from a busy assignment. Jesus knows they have put in a lot of work and need to recharge. He tells them to come with Him to a quiet place to get some rest. We need that quiet place as well.
Some of us are afraid of the quiet. So much so that if it is quiet for more than a couple moments, we feel compelled to say something. Sitting in quiet is unnerving for some. Yet, when we convince ourselves to be quiet, to sit in quiet, to focus on God, we can truly recharge. Doing so will surprise us more than a beautiful sunset. We will desire to do it again and again.
I pray we all discover a quiet place where we can rest. I pray we seek quiet time with God. I pray each one of us will go to our quiet place, spend time with Jesus, and be surprisingly recharged. Find your quiet place. Spend time with God. Spend time with Jesus. Get some rest. Be recharged.
Mark 6:30-31 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Marty Pressey 