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by Dennis Wheeler
I hear folks all around me talking about that good 'ol summer tradition . . . taking a vacation!!
Going to the beach...renting a cabin in the mountains...a trip to Ireland...taking the kids to Disney World...climbing a mountain in California...a cruise through the Panama Canal. It all sounds like so much fun!!
I have found that my life is so hectic right now...I feel like I'm going in a hundred different directions. I hear the soft whisper from my wife..."We need a vacation!". A time to stop, to rest, to refresh and to refuel.
You know, it's easy to get so busy serving God, our families, our friends, our relatives, etc. - - feeling so burdened by the needs around us - - that we forget one of the seven things God initiated on earth. After spending six days creating the world...He RESTED on the seventh day and declared that we should too.
In the busyness of our lives, and yes, even on a fun-filled vacation, we need periods of rest and reflection.
So - - where do you find this place of rest? Well, Matthew 11:28 gives us a clue, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
In this passage from Matthew, the word 'rest' comes from the Greek word 'anapauo' - - which means, 'calm, comfort, and refreshment.' Ahhhhh...doesn't that sound wonderful right now??!!
If your life is fast-paced and in constant turmoil...what a blessing to have access to rest! For us - - calm, comfort and refreshment (a place to rest) is always only a prayer away.
Praying keeps us calm...like the stillness in the eye of a storm.
Praying comforts us...reminding us of God's goodness and His availability to us.
Praying refreshes us...giving us renewed energy and strength.
Let's not forget these familiar words from Isaiah...
"Those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and now grow weary. They will walk and not faint." - Isaiah 40:31
Oh precious Lord, thank You for the calmness, comfort, and refreshment You offer. Amen!!
He serves as the Senior Pastor with southwest Virginia church... a loving church family in Abingdon.
He and his wife Sharon have been married for over 27 years and are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, one son-in-law, and two precious grandchildren, the second arrived arrived on the scene in September 2004!!
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