Rest Awhile

By Joyce Meyer
Guest Writer

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls] (Matthew 11:28).

Getting stress out of your life takes more than prayer alone. You must take action to make changes and stop doing whatever is causing the stress. You can learn to calm down in the way you handle things.

Jesus invited us to come to Him if we are overburdened. He promised to refresh us if we are weary, worn out, or overworked. Take time to go to Jesus anytime you feel that you are going over the edge of peace and into the pit of stress. Let His presence refill and refresh you.

Come Apart to Stay Together

And the effect of righteousness will be peace [internal and external], and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever (Isaiah 32:17).

If you are feeling compelled to do so much that you are physically worn out, you may be driven instead of led. Remember, you have to come apart from a busy routine before you come apart yourself. You have to get away from everything before you come apart physically, mentally, and emotionally. Give yourself time to get a good night's sleep.

It is tempting to do everything that everybody else is doing, be involved in everything, know everything, hear everything, and be everywhere, but it isn't God's best for you. Be willing to separate yourself from compulsive activity before you come apart at the seams! Spend time with God, and ask Him to give order to your day.

Take a Break

Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you (Psalm 116:7).

We all need a break in the action from time to time. Resting isn't just a good idea-it is a command of God: "Six days you shall do your work, but the seventh day you shall rest and keep Sabbath, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your bondwoman, and the alien, may be refreshed" (Exodus 23:12). The Lord added that "even in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest [on the Sabbath]" (Exodus 34:21)

That means that for one day a week we are to withdraw from common labor and to rest. Don't work that day, even in the busy seasons. Dedicate that day to spending time with God, worshiping Him. Start your week off right by getting back to what is really important-honoring God.

Daily Devotion

Rest Awhile

By Joyce Meyer Guest Writer

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By Joyce Meyer
Guest Writer