Finding Rest

Often I would find myself overstressed and running on fumes—and ending up exhausted and grumpy. My to-do-list would grow longer every day, and I longed to escape to some desert island. Then, one exhausting day, I heard God speaking to my churning mind with the words from Psalm 62: ‘My soul finds rest in God alone’ (v. 1). How I longed for this rest! And I knew that this kind of soul-satisfying rest comes only from God.

As a way of seeking this rest, I began taking 15 to 20 minutes during a busy day to slow down and be alone with God. The time and the location varied.

Sometimes, I went for a walk or found a quiet place to sit. I would talk with God about the pressures of that day. One afternoon, I wondered why God allows human beings to get tired. I thought that he could have created us so that we are perpetually energised, never exhausted. And then I realised that tiredness may be Jesus’ calling us to himself.

At these times, like a worn-out child, I need to snuggle into the lap of Jesus and hear him say, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28).

Prayer: Creator God, thank you for giving us rest in you. We come, weary and tired, to find strength in your presence. Renew us and sustain us with your love. Amen