Quiet Time

“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.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭6:31‬ ‭NLT‬‬
How busy are you? What are you busy about? Are you spending your time on what is pressing but not really important?
Many of us are busy with matters of life. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle there is a tendency to neglect what is important - finding a quiet place to rest! Rest is much deeper than just the physical. Rest for our souls is also crucial. Our mind, will, and emotion are, all three, vital parts of our person. Let's not forget our spirit! The whole person (spirit, soul, and body) needs appropriate and adequate rest. God has created us as a three component individual.
“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23
The Holy Spirit lists the spirit of man first in the order, not last. The scriptures do not place the order as we do: body, soul, and spirit. No, God puts the important emphasis on the spirit first. Then, in succession, He has ordered the soul and body.
Physical sleep can rejuvenate the body but is insufficient in restoring the inner man. Yes, sleep can help but there must be more. You see, good physical sleep is also dependent upon the rest that we have in our inner person. Have you ever had a restless night because of things weighing on your heart and mind? Have you ever felt unfulfilled in your daily living? If so, it is likely that things are out of sorts in the interior. Inner peace and rest can only come from one place - a right relationship with God! He is the manufacturer of life itself and we must learn to appreciate the structure He has placed in the order of life. We cannot neglect the most important without paying a price in every other area of our lives. Is your spirit empty? Does your soul long for rest? Are you physically tired all the time? Do you only wish you could fly away and find a place of solitude and satisfaction? Has life beaten you down and left you empty and exhausted? Come away from the fray and find the rest that only Jesus can give!
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Cast your cares upon the shoulders of the only One who has ever won this race of life - Jesus!!! Stop trying and start trusting! Stop existing and start living! When we keep "trying" to fix things we only succeed in failure. When we trust and rest in Jesus, He succeeds!
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Life is too much to handle without the rest we have in our Creator! Only He can bring peace in the midst of trouble, joy in the midst of sorrow, and hope in the midst of despair. Let Gods love give you all that you need! Let everything you do flow from the energy you find in Him. Let the Holy Spirit breathe life into you! Only then will you be able to sustain and navigate this perilous world with true success!
Just like you need daily physical sleep, you, correspondingly, need daily spiritual renewal. Find a quiet place with God every day and learn the foundational discipline of spending time in the restful bedroom of the Almighty! There you will find the intimacy that will impregnate your life with life!

Curtis R. Norris