“Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.’”
—Mark 2:27

Reflection

David took time every day to seek the Lord. He learned to rest in Him, and this caused him to become a man of great faith, character, and presence.

The Lord Himself demonstrated the importance of resting in the creation account. After creating the world in six days, God rested on the seventh. He was showing us a pattern for our own lives. Resting is a creation principle designed by God Himself. He built the need to rest into the fabric of our lives.

If we try to work continually, we will eventually become burned out and ineffective. But if we follow God’s pattern by resting in Him, He refreshes and restores us.

In a similar way, we need to set aside time each day to rest in the Lord’s presence. These times of quietly soaking in His presence are like little daily Sabbaths that help us connect with God. God wants us to learn to receive from Him, not just do things for Him. We do not need simply to become better doers. We need to become better receivers.

We can be running here and there, attending services, reading spiritual books, watching Christian teaching, and doing things for the Lord. All these things can edify us. But when do we take time simply to sit quietly before Him?

As we learn to soak up God’s presence, we enlarge our capacity to receive from Him. Our ability to focus and meditate on Him grows, and we become more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. God desires our undivided attention. Intimacy with Him requires us to be set apart unto Him, focusing completely on Him.

This intimacy also strengthens us against fear.

Our Father in heaven is not the author of fear. He does not want us living afraid of what might happen tomorrow, afraid of losing everything, afraid of being alone, or dominated by any other fear. When fearful thoughts and images enter our minds, we need to reject them and remember God’s Word and His trustworthiness.

Fear and worry do not add anything to our lives. They rob us of experiencing God’s presence today.

So rather than leaning upon our own understanding or trusting only what we see with our natural eyes, we need to seize God and His Word. Spend time in His presence each day. Sit at His footstool and learn of Him. Yeshua is always waiting for us. He is always with us, and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Application

• Set aside time each day to stop striving, sit quietly before the Lord, and learn to receive from His presence.
• When fear arises, reject its lies and deliberately return your attention to God’s Word, His presence, and His trustworthiness.

Prayer

Dear Father, thank You for saving me and showing me Your ways. Teach me to rest in Your presence each day and to become a better receiver of all You desire to give me. Help me rise above fear by trusting Your Word and remembering that You are always with me. I will cling to Yeshua in faith and love, acknowledging You in all my ways and trusting You to direct my steps. Thank You, Yeshua, that You are always with me and that You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.