Maneuvers - No. 62
Come Rest
With Me
What’s your favorite way to rest, friend?
Is it visiting the beach and surfing the waves? Reading an encouraging book? Watching a hilarious movie or TV show?
For us (Jennifer and Justin), nothing beats huddling around a warm campfire in the mountains with our family or close friends. Just laughing, talking about life, and sharing what’s on our hearts.
But as amazing as that is, it’s still not the source of our true rest. That’s something only Jesus can fulfill.
That’s why, in this week’s message, Holy Spirit is inviting us to enjoy true, deep rest with him.
It’s an invitation the world won’t–and can’t–offer. Instead, the world tells us to forget rest in a frenzied attempt to win others’ approval and meet their expectations… because have we really accomplished enough to deserve to slow down and be restored? (Or at least that’s how we might think.)
And when our culture does encourage us to take a break, its version of rest never satisfies–not really.
So what about you, friend? Do you need some real rest right now? Do you long to quiet your soul and find peace in Jesus’ presence? To experience the kind of renewal that heals us, restores us, and equips us to love God and people even more?
Then come, let’s listen together.
01.
The Message
“Can you hear it? The music I play within you? It is time to relax now. Not everything is for you to do. There is deep peace to be found in my rest. And true rest comes only in my presence. Stop running now. Pause. Let me see your face. Let me quiet your heart. You are enough here.
“Always here you are enough–because I love you, because I say so, because I gave everything so your heart wouldn’t be separated from me.
“You are capable (it is possible) of being completely connected to me, to have nothing come between us. But you need to be willing to look at what you are allowing into your heart that steals joy, steals connection with me.
“I can take away every shadow that clings, every dark habit, every evil thought. But will you surrender your whole heart–all of it–and trust that I am good? Over and over and over again? For the darkness wants to cling to you. It is its nature. But my love is stronger. And I love you. I redeem you. I resurrect you from the death that comes when sin wants to pull you away from me. My Son gave it all. I gave–I give–my all.
“Surrender and find me here. Surrender and find that you can love me more than your sinful tendencies. Surrender and find that you can love me more than any temptation, any evil way. Will you choose surrender, repentance–new life over pride, over deception, over selfishness, over death? How much do you want me? How much do you want to live? How much do you want freedom? How much do you want light to lead you home?
“I am for you; I gave you everything I am, I give you everything I am. I wanted all obstacles removed so that you could have connection with me. Do you accept the gift? My love–all I have? Do you want to receive it? Are you desperate for it now?”
02.
Listen
Imagine yourself resting with Jesus. As you do, meditate on the words you just read… What’s stirring in your heart? What do you want to say to the Lord right now? Let’s journal a prayer in response.
03.
Think
“I said to myself, ‘Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings. Soul, you’ve been rescued from death; Eye, you’ve been rescued from tears; and you, Foot, were kept from stumbling” (Psalm 116:7-8, MSG).
1. What worries weigh on you, friend? What responsibilities or tasks get in the way of your rest?
2. Think of the last time you felt truly rested. What were you doing? How did the Lord minister to your heart at that moment?
3. Read Hebrews 4 and be silent for 5 minutes. In this quiet, what is Holy Spirit teaching you about resting in Jesus? What next steps is he calling you to take?
04.
Trust
Our society today tells us to go, go, go. Rarely do we get a moment to stop and relax. After all, what if others think we’re lazy? What if we let our loved ones down? What if we don’t accomplish all we want?
But let’s look at this from another perspective.
What about the dangers of not resting? Why did God command the nation of Israel to rest on the Sabbath day, and why did he punish those who rebelliously refused? Could it be because God knew the horrible consequences we place on ourselves when we ignore our need for rest?
Let’s think back to what we read in Hebrews 4 and meditate on these verses again:
“So there is a full complete rest still waiting for the people of God. Christ has already entered there. He is resting from his work, just as God did after the creation. Let us do our best to go into that place of rest, too, being careful not to disobey God as the children of Israel did, thus failing to get in” (Hebrews 4:9-11, TLB).
If God rested on the last day of creation and if Jesus rested after what he accomplished on the cross… how much more do we need to rest in him? (While the main point of this passage is about entering salvation as our promised rest, it also reminds us to keep resting in that finished work.)
Let’s pause here and invite Holy Spirit to show us any areas in our lives where we have been refusing to rest in him. Places where we’re striving to be good enough on our own and depending on our own strength instead of his completeness.
To do so, let’s lie down in our bedroom or on the couch and close our eyes. Now, let’s breathe in deeply… surrendering to Jesus and inviting him in… and breathe out slowly… allowing distracting thoughts to melt away.
As we continue to breathe in deeply and slowly, let’s pray…
05.
Pray
Holy Spirit, I invite you to show me where I’ve been stubbornly refusing to rest. Show me where I’ve allowed the world’s thoughts and messages to dictate my habits of rest and relaxation instead of allowing you to lead me and satisfy me.
(Pause here and allow Holy Spirit to reveal specific areas in our lives that he wants to change. Surrender each one to him as he brings it to mind.)
I surrender to you every fear of inadequacy and every prideful motive. Help me find times to rest with you–and prioritize them.
Right now, I confess that all I need is in you, your guidance, and your love. Thank you for quieting my soul in your presence. Your closeness refreshes me and fills me up–there’s nothing like it!
I love you so much, Father. I love you, Jesus. I love you, Holy Spirit.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Waving the banner with you,
