Psalm 37:3-7
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him…
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My grandmother often tells me, “I just can’t do everything like I used to.” I know what she means. Even though I am almost half her age, I have come to understand that I can get overloaded if I don’t take time to rest. And I know that when I do this, my body loses its ability to fight off germs and illnesses, and sometimes I can become physically sick. I’ve learned to pace myself, and when things get really hectic, I grab some time to be still and rest for awhile.
The truth is, we all can become mentally and spiritually overloaded at times. We can let the worries and stresses of the day… the challenges and temptations… the constant pestering of the devil to get us down. And if we are not careful – if we don’t give ourselves time to rest and restore – we will have a Spiritual breakdown. Satan loves this! He loves to dig at us, and he will not stop. He loves to catch us weak and vulnerable, and that’s when he really goes to work planting seeds of dissention, skepticism and second-guessing, discontent and more. All of this can leave us susceptible to sin and Spiritual sickness.
So how do we stay healthy? Physically, we listen to our bodies and rest when necessary. We skip that night out with friends to stay home in pj’s and “veg out” in front of the TV or read a good book. We eat right and stay hydrated… we exercise and stay fit. We don’t overindulge in bad foods and inactivity.
Spiritually, we spend time resting in the Lord. We set aside some quiet time to sit in a chair or on a rock or wherever it’s relatively peaceful, and we simply talk to God… pour out our hearts to Him, tell Him about our day, and then listen to what He has to say in return. We make time to read our Bible. We surround ourselves with people who love God and wish to wholeheartedly serve Him. We get away from the noise and busyness of the world and engage in some one-on-One time with the Lord… a walk, sitting and listening to our favorite Christian music, or just lying down and closing our eyes and shutting out everything but God.
Be still in the Lord… wait patiently for Him…make time in His presence a priority… and give yourself permission to rest in the Lord. This will be some of the best time you spend each day… and set the tone for everything else. Take time to delight in Him, and He really will give you the desires of your heart.
©2011 Debbie Robus
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