Today’s Bible readings are Leviticus 14:1-57, Mark 6:30-56, Psalm 40:1-10, & Proverbs 10:11-12
Mark 6:30-32
30 The apostles returned to Jesus from
their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31 Then
Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He
said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and
his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.
32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be
alone.
Just how important is it for us to have rest? That is the
thought for the day. The disciples had been out on the most amazing ministry
journey of their lives. They had been used of God in supernatural ways. They
had ministered to countless people for many days straight. They had poured
themselves out for the glory of God. They returned in joy & excitement to
update Jesus on their progress. He must have been very proud of them for what
they accomplished. It was the first fruits of what would come when He was gone.
Jesus saw what the apostles may not have even known was present, a need for
rest.
Jesus was so use to pouring out His life for others. He
constantly ministered to others. The difference was that He also constantly prayed
& communed with His Father. He stayed strong by connect with His Father in
His daily prayer & quiet time. This was something that the apostles were
not use to doing. He would soon be gone. They would be on their own to finish
His work. He wanted to leave them a pattern so they could be successful in
their task.
Even with the anointing WE STILL NEED REST! Jesus needed
rest. Later in this story we see that He withdrew & had His own quiet time
of rest & recovery from ministry.
Mark 6:46
46 After
telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.
He understood the demands of ministry. He understood the pressures
of serving people. He understood the weight of carrying the anointing. The
anointing is a very strong thing. We must learn that we need a balance of rest
with the anointing.
There are many things that can drain us in ministry:
1.
Emotional
strain from others
2.
Constantly
meeting the needs of other
3.
On the go
24/7
4.
Feeding
others & not ourselves
5.
Getting
things prepared
These are
just a few of a list that could go on & on. The anointing enables us to do
these things. Thank God for His anointing. It is by Hi anointing that we do
these things well. I have learned that wisdom is to know when to rest.
What we have
to give is directly connected to what we have received. We have to get away, on
a regular basis, from the grindstone of ministry so we can receive from the
Lord ourselves. This keeps us fresh. It ensures that we always have something
to offer.
Usually, we
give to others that we minister to & have nothing left to give to those
that matter the most; wife, husband, children, etc… Rest is important because
we don’t want to give our leftovers to our families. We want to give them our
best too.
Our families
are usually the first people to experience our lack of rest. We get short on
them. We break our promises to them. We don’t give them what they need. This is
not the way it was meant to be. Jesus doesn’t want to break us. He wants us to
learn HOW TO BEAR THE ANOINTING. That is why He taught the apostles the
principal of rest.
1. Rest keeps us strong.
Isaiah 40:30-31
30 Even youths will become
weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 31 But
those who wait on the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They
will walk and not faint.
2. Rest keeps us healthy.
Psalm 23:1-3
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. 2 He lets
me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews
my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his
name.
3. Rest is God’s plan for us.
Genesis 2:1-3
So the creation of the heavens and the earth
and everything in them was completed. 2 On the seventh
day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.
3 And God blessed the
seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from
all his work of creation.
Do me & yourself a favor, REST TODAY!!! Let the refreshing
Spirit of God revive & refresh you so you can be MORE EFFECTIVE for Him!
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