Personal Devotions – Rest

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. (Isa 40:29-31 NIV)

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This post is overdue…. sorry about that 🙂  You can see why I needed the rest – this post was sitting in my Drafts folder unfinished (un-started – just the title!)  for a week before I could get to it….

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I have been pondering these verses about rest for a little while now.  Isaiah 40:31 was given to me prophetically by one of my best friends and chief intercessors, who told me that God wanted me to rest.  I was known to others and to myself as prophet, encourager, listener, advisor, friend, confidant, minister… all these things … for so long – that being told I needed to stop them for a time of sabbatical threw me into a tail spin.  I had an identity crisis.

It was hard to unplug, hard to stop the good things like praying for people, prophesying, seeing God’s hand in deliverance even over the internet… it still is hard.  But I’m trying to make it good.  I’m trying to obey the word of the Lord, and work Isa 40:31 into my life.  “They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength….” (KJV)   Once you wait your strength shall be renewed. That’s a promise.  So I’m being deliberate…..

So deliberate, in fact, that for a time, I’m on vacation.  It’s nice not to have the constant demands of husband and father for a bit.  I can just be.  I didn’t even have to rush and get up to cook breakfast like I usually do – I came down to my own father having finished breakfast, rather than having to do it myself! (Hallelujah chorus in background!)

So, here I am.  Trying to get rest.  Wondering whether I should feel guilty for feeling so free… and just wanting to rest, not only from responsibility, but learning how to rest in God as well.

Father God, show me how to enter your rest.  Help me to stop striving. Help me to not work, but take this time as a Sabbath time, holy unto you.  Help me to come back refreshed, but also with a plan as to how to move forward.  Speak to me during this time, so that it will not have been a time to just goof off, but that I would seriously hear what you are saying to me during this quiet time.  I ask that for those of us who read here, that you extend your rest to them as well.  Thinking about my friends who are battle weary,  frustrated or even just weary ( my last convo with Annie – love you little sis!) and I ask for rest for them too!  Thank you Lord!  AMEN.