Rick Warren (January-04-2024) Daily Devotional: God Wants You to Rest.
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.” - Psalm 23:2 (NIV)
Are you always in a hurry? Is your to-do list unrealistically long? Has more than one person ever told you to slow down? Do you feel guilty when you relax? Do you have to get sick to take time off?
The pace of modern society pushes us to keep going and going and going. Many people work even on their day off. And those who go to a church service often head home afterward only to dive right into work (whether it’s housework, schoolwork, or career work), trying to do all the stuff they didn’t accomplish during the regular workweek.
No wonder we’re exhausted! Most of us are maxed out. But that’s not the way of the Good Shepherd.
Psalm 23:2 says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters” (NIV).
God makes you lie down in green pastures—that’s rest. And he leads you beside quiet waters—that’s refreshment.
God, in his goodness, created rest, and he considers it as important as work. A loving shepherd makes sure his sheep get enough rest to stay healthy. It’s the same with God, your Good Shepherd. If you won’t lie down, God will make you lie down. Sometimes the only way God can get you to look up is to lay you flat on your back. He will do that because he cares about your physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
Isn’t it amazing how much better things look after a good night’s sleep? The difference between being stressed and being blessed is often rest.
A lot of your worry, hurry, scurry, and restlessness comes from not understanding the goodness of God in your life. When you understand what God has done for you and wants to do for you in the future, you can relax, let go, and learn to rest.
You can live in the goodness of God.
Talk It Over
- Rest and refreshment look different for everyone. What leaves you rested and refreshed?
- Why do you think overwork is valued so much in many cultures?
- In what ways could you change your schedule or expectations at home and work so that you get enough rest?
Are you ready to find rest in God?
The first step toward rest is to make peace with God by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You can start with this simple prayer:
“Dear God, I don’t want my sin to separate me from you any longer. You have promised that if I believe in Jesus, you’ll forgive me for everything I’ve ever done wrong, you’ll show me the purpose of my life, and you’ll accept me into your family and bring me to heaven one day to live with you for eternity.
“Jesus, I confess my sin, and I believe you are my Savior. I trust you when you say salvation comes by grace, through faith, and not by anything I do. I ask you to come into my life as my Lord. Today, I commit my life to you.
“I want to live the way you created me to live—at peace and rested—and to use the remainder of my life to serve you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
