Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Rest, Relax, Reconnect!

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Vacation! What wonderful images that word evokes for me—laughing hilariously while playing games with family, walking along the shoreline with Dick, the sun warming our backs and the water lapping our toes, hiking and climbing through forests, trying to keep up with the grandkids. Good times, for sure!

Perhaps the even greater appeal of vacations is time to rest.

As a respite before we move, Dick and I are venturing to Pawleys Island, South Carolina this week. After the last few weeks of sorting, hauling, wrapping, and lugging, the house is pretty much packed up. So we are really looking forward to relaxing and recharging. We both need it. Moving creates stress, (no matter how happy we both are about it) and stress is exhausting (so if hefting loaded boxes around!).

Hebrews 4 talks about rest. Not the kind that restores us physically; the kind that restores us spiritually. Trying to please God with our good works and flimsy goodness is exhausting. (Been there; done that!) 

Thankfully, God has provided a way for us to rest from all those labors. When we place our trust in Jesus as the sacrifice that takes away all our sinfulness, we will truly find spiritual rest. We can rest in the knowledge that the “work” that was needed has been done—not by us, but by Jesus.

Have you found that needed spiritual rest? It’s available to all of us. Just tell God you are tired of lugging around your sins and shortcomings. You are exhausted from trying to be good enough. And simply trust in the finished work of Jesus. God will give you that rest we all need.

For we have heard the Good News, just as they did.
They heard the message, but it did them no good,
because when they heard it, they did not accept it with faith. 
We who believe, then, do receive that rest which God promised.
Hebrews 4:2-3

[My next post will be from the Southeastern U.S. We’ve heard winters can be a bit snowier and colder in Trucksville, PA, so we want to store up some sunshine and all that healthy vitamin D beforehand. I look forward to sharing some stories and pictures with you along the way.]

Blessings!
Pam

©2013 Pamela D. Williams