The Upper Room Devotional 14th October 2023, Saturday
The Upper Room Devotional 14th October 2023 , Saturday Message by Andrew Sulgit (West Virginia, USA)
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TOPIC: The Gift of Rest
TODAY’S READING
Psalm 4:1-8
I will lie down and fall asleep in peace because you alone, Lord, let me live in safety. – Psalm 4:8 (CEB)
I frequently fall asleep while praying. I used to feel guilty, but I’ve decided to look at it a different way.
My job demands that I be on call 24 hours a day, every day of the year. I could be at home making dinner or on vacation when I receive a work-related call, text, or email. This constant connection to the workplace can have long-term effects and often leads to exhaustion. At the end of a hectic day, bedtime prayer can be a way to decompress, discuss the day’s challenges with God, and enter into a time of rest and reflection.
So instead of feeling guilty, I’ve decided to embrace the blessing that rest can be. Rest has many benefits for physical, mental, and spiritual health. Jesus took time away from the crowds and his followers to find needed rest.
Just as hard work honors God, so do our times of rest. Words from Psalm 23 tell us that God wants us to enjoy quiet moments: “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul” (vv. 2-3). Let’s not feel guilty when rest presents itself but recognize it for the spiritual gift that it is.TODAY’S
PRAYER
Dear God, lead us to adopt the model that Jesus set for us. Help us to seek physical, mental, and spiritual rest and to welcome your restoration of our souls. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Today I will value rest as much as work.
PRAYER FOCUS
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