I am indebted to a series of devotional readings on the subject of rest originally published by www.youversion.com.

I have benefited from reading this devotional and have entitled it - "Finding Rest This Summer." Whether you find yourself on holiday or not this summer, the rest that the Bible promises and God gives is the rest we need this summer.

Rest—to relax, pause, breathe, and be at ease.

Rest is a gift that we too easily tend to push aside. But life without rest is not sustainable. Rest refreshes our bodies, giving us the energy we need to honour God and to love others. Learning to practice rest is a spiritual discipline that helps you enjoy God’s presence and realign your priorities. 

God Himself modelled rest for us from the very beginning. Immediately after He finished creating the universe—and everything in it—he gave Himself a day to look back on the goodness of all the work that He had just completed. 

READ: Genesis 2:2-3; Matthew11:28-30

By the seventh day, God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day, he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it, he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:2-3 NIV.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30 NIV.

REFLECT: When was the last time you slowed down, unplugged, and relaxed? Stop. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and think back over your last few days.

WATCH and SING: In you, I rest.