Come Away with Me and Rest for a While
He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
Mark 6:31 NRSV
Series: Being with Jesus: Solitude and Silence Part 3
Devotional: 2 of 4
Today, we will consider the first of three experiences we are sure to encounter when we choose to carve out time alone with Jesus in solitude and silence: Rest.
In much the same way that Jesus invited His disciples to "come away with Him" to a solitary place to find rest, He is inviting you and me to do the same. (See Mark 6:31) To His apprentices, both then and now, Jesus offers rest not as an escape from our problems but as an easy yoke. Alone with Jesus, under the umbrella of solitude and silence, we begin to experience Jesus as our Comforter, the only One who can offer rest for our mind, body, and spirit.
In this place, intimacy with Jesus begins to grow as we experience Him as our Good Shepherd. The One who invites us to "lie down in green pastures," who "leads us beside still waters" and who "restores our souls." (See Psalm 23:2-3)
Finding rest in Jesus is deeply relational. He meets each of us right where we are, carefully considering our unique makeup and season of life. Below are three aspects of rest in Jesus that we are likely to experience in solitude and silence.
#1 - Jesus meets us right where we are in our brokenness. In His presence, we don't have to pretend to be someone we are not. There is no need to hide from Him what He already knows. Psalm 34:18 assures us that Jesus, our Lord, is "near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
#2 - Jesus protects us from the lies of the enemy. Alone with Jesus in the silence, we do not have to be afraid. Truly He is our refuge and our fortress. He is trustworthy and is more than capable of sending His angels to stand guard against the fiery arrows of the enemy. (See Psalm 91)
#3 - Jesus reminds us that He loves us just as we are. Indeed His love is not contingent on or earned by doing many good works for His Kingdom. Titus 3:4-5 reminds us that "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."
Today, consider this prayer as you begin your time alone with Jesus in solitude and silence. "Lord Jesus cover me with your grace and mercy. Please hold me in your loving arms like a mother pulling her newborn child close. Oh that I might experience true rest that can only be found in you."
OnThe3rdDay Devotionals
Devotionals that illustrate Biblical principles in a simple and short format that can be applied to your everyday life.
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