BE QUIET AND REST

Typed 4/10/2026

“Come with me by yourselves to a

quiet place and get some rest.”

(~ Jesus, to His disciples; Mark 6:31)

I don’t know about you, but obeying the invitation in this Scripture passage may be one of THE hardest things God ever asks me to do.  More often than not, I wind up getting sick before I finally listen.  In fact, I am just recovering from my most recent attack of “this is what happens when you disobey.”

It has taken me three weeks to begin to feel human again.  For most of that time, I wasn’t exactly sure what sort of illness it was.  Cold?  Allergy?  Sinus infection?  Some weird flu strain?  The symptoms mirrored aspects of each of them . . . and of none of them.  The one symptom I was absolutely certain of was fatigue.  Most days, I was completely exhausted.

However, curiosity about the cause kept me from actually sleeping.  Instead, I would sit in my recliner --- snuggled under a blanket --- listening.  No T.V.  No radio.  Not even reading a book.  Just listening to the quiet.  Many times, I heard the phrase, “Be quiet and rest” whisper into my mind.

Of course, MY mind always wants to know why.  So, I kept listening.  Gradually, I began to sense that this was not a physical, human illness.  It seemed more like a response to something going on around me.  Something I could not see or hear.  COULD my body have been responding to a Spiritual battle?  Each time I thought that, I heard the last few words of Ephesians 6:13 in my mind:  “. . . and having done all, to stand.”

Frustrated with how little I understood about what was happening, I continued to sit in the quiet.  Wanting to know more, I grabbed my Bible and a notebook.  Using Google, I began researching what the Bible says about rest.  My research revealed a lot . . .

Many passages of Scripture discuss rest, in one aspect or another.  Isaiah 30:15 tells us, “. . . in returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and

confidence shall be your strength.”  Other passages that speak of rest include Hebrews 4:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:11; Matthew 11:28-30; and Psalms 46:10, to name a few.

I have learned, through this quest, that rest is an act of faith.  It indicates our trust that God is in control.  Rest also offers us a chance to reconnect with God.  In the face of all the distractions that this world hurls at us, this is important.  We may find we need that reconnect more often than we did before.

Personally, I am learning that Sunday church and my morning prayer and devotion time are no longer enough.  The more I strive to center my life around God --- and the more I try to work for Him --- the more I need to reconnect TO HIM.  Sometime during each day, I’m finding I need a “booster shot”.

My search for answers also showed me some ways I can tell if God is urging me to rest.  If I am:

·         Overwhelmed; burned out;

·         Constantly sick;

·         Filled with anxiety;

·         Feeling distant from Him

·         Constantly irritable;

·         Emotionally exhausted;

·         Forcing results in my own power;

·         Struggling to control my emotions; or

·         Losing interest in my work or calling,

These are good indicators that the Spirit is trying to encourage me to rest.  Think of it this way:  if rest is an act of faith, and it reconnects us with God, then God may very well see our times of rest as moments of worship.

So, as I work toward a more balanced approach to life, I leave you with these thoughts.  I encourage you to sit in the quiet and see what you hear.  And, I urge us all to remember that we can do our very best work for God if we strike a healthy balance between busy and rest.

To His Glory . . . BJ