Remember that Rest is Holy

Hi, Hooga friends! Welcome to our reflections on rest. We just want to remind you that Jesus cares so much about our daily rest. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus sent out His disciples in pairs to preach the Word of God and heal the sick. After a long day of ministry, the disciples were unable to eat. When they gathered to meet with Jesus, they began to tell Him about what they had done and seen. Jesus responded, "Come with me privately to a solitary place, and let us rest for a while" (Mark 6:31-32).

Remember that God constantly feeds his people throughout the Bible. He wants to bless us with both physical and spiritual food. Jesus, too, wanted his disciples to eat, rest and connect with Him.

It can feel good to be productive, especially when God commissions us to do what we were called to do. However, remember the importance of relying on Him rather than ourselves for fulfillment. Burnout and poor decisions can result from being too immersed in our work, daily responsibilities, and serving others without solitude and rest.

Jesus was aware of this and understood human limitations. He demonstrated the rhythms of connecting with God by withdrawing from people, praying, and resting physically.

When we value rest and make time for solace daily, we can quiet the noise around us and the demands of others. We can better hear His guidance and enter into His calling with wisdom and renewal.

Despite what you might think, it is not the heart of God to burden or overload you. When the Pharisees saw Jesus and His disciples picking grain on the Sabbath (the religious day of rest), they accused Him of breaking the law (Mark 2:23). However, Jesus defended His disciples and taught the Pharisees the value of human life over religious rituals. He explained that caring for others was the whole point of the law, not burdening or restricting others for the sheer sake of it.

When we feel weary, we can always turn to Jesus because He will carry our burdens, give us rest, and teach us His ways. We experience freedom, joy, and peace when we learn to rest just like He did.

In the book of Hebrews, chapter 4, it says that complete rest is available today to anyone who believes. Everyone has the ability to enter eternal rest. We no longer need to rely on laws and works to be right with God. Instead, we have peace with God because of Jesus. Jesus shows us how he is both a source of rest and a provider of rest for us.

To our Hooga family: we hope that no matter how busy life gets, you will continue to spend quiet time with the Lord, take care of your bodies, eat regularly, and sleep when you're tired. That way, you can have the energy to pursue your callings diligently. Let us continue to love and take care of each other without burning out. And most importantly, let's make it known to people that God's rest is available, waiting to be experienced!

A wonderful way to make quiet time your daily habit is to invest in a quality devotional that you love. Our team spent months creating the most well-rounded devotional available: The Abundant Life Devotional Journal. It includes 30 weeks of Scripture-based wisdom, therapeutic worksheets, recipes, stickers, artworks, and other creative calls-to-action. The devotional journal will surely help you build better habits!

We hope that this reflection inspires you to live abundantly today! We love hearing your thoughts, so please leave them below in the comment section or tag us @TheHoogaShop.

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