Reluctant Rest

Read: Genesis 2:1-3; Mark 4:35-38; 6:30-32

Lilia pulled her paddle into the canoe and laid it over her lap. Spencer followed her direction and did the same. After a few moments of floating down the river confused, Spencer spoke up. “Hey, Lilia,” he asked his sister, “why did we stop paddling?”

“Well, we’ve been paddling down this river for close to an hour, and I think it’s time we took a rest,” said Lilia.

“But I’m not tired! I don’t think we need a rest. Let’s keep going!”

“Sometimes we need to rest even when we don’t feel like we need it. Plus, we need to rest up to paddle all the way back,” Lilia reasoned. Spencer groaned, still not convinced. “You know, I’m not the only one who tells you to rest,” Lilia said.

“I know,” Spencer huffed. “Mom and Dad do too.”

“And God tells you to rest too!” Lilia added, splashing a little water toward Spencer.

“He does?” Spencer asked, splashing water right back at his sister.

“Yes. God set aside a day after creation to rest.”

“But why?” Spencer asked. “God didn’t really need to rest after making the world, did He?”

“No, but He knows we need to rest, so He set an example for us to follow. Jesus also showed us the importance of rest. He took breaks from teaching to rest and spend time with God, and once He even took a nap on a boat during a storm. When we take time to rest, it helps us remember to trust Him instead of relying on ourselves. We can rest knowing that He saved us by dying on the cross and promises to take care of us.”

Spencer tucked his paddle next to his leg. “I guess that makes sense. Okay, we can rest for a little while.”

“Oh, and there’s one other reason I wanted to take a break from paddling.” Lilia smiled slyly. “Look up.”

Spencer looked up and gasped at the beautiful trees along the river. They arched along the riverbank and made a bright tunnel of autumn colors for the canoe to float through.

“When we rest, it’s easier to appreciate the beauty of God’s creation,” said Lilia. “We might have missed this spot if we were focused on paddling.”

Spencer just nodded, not able to take his eyes off the beautiful trees all around him.

–Naomi Zylstra

How about you? Have you ever been told to take a break even when you didn’t want to? Or maybe bedtime came around but you weren’t tired yet. Rest is important, even when we don’t feel like we need it. We often think we should keep going without a break, but Jesus tells us to rest because it helps us learn to trust Him and enjoy His blessings around us. Schedule rest into your daily life so you can be refreshed body, mind, and soul.

Today’s key verse: [Jesus] said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Rest in Jesus