June 4, 2024 Devo

Several years ago, I took a Sabbatical. I had never had one before, even though I had been in ministry for over 20 years by that time. I took 8 weeks off from the church and did some golfing, some traveling, and some hiking. It was very restful. When I came back to the church, I simply picked up where I left off and went back to a hectic, fast-paced life. It didn’t take long for the benefit of my extended time away to wear off. What I didn’t understand at the time was that my over-stressed life didn’t need a long vacation. My life needed a better PACE. I needed a better rhythm of REST.
I thought about this as I read our passage today. Here, Jesus just had this amazing event where He performs His first public miracle. There was lots of excitement, lots of elevated expectations, and lots of people who were most likely clamoring for more. But Jesus did what He knew He needed to do. He took a break and went home with His family and disciples for a few days. There He could catch His breath, recharge His batteries, and chart His course for the coming work ahead.
This wasn’t just a one-time thing for Jesus. He did this over and over again throughout His ministry. You’ll read several times in the Gospels how He would withdraw to the wilderness, get alone on a mountain, or go to the Mount of Olives. Jesus knew His human body needed a sustainable pace. He knew that after giving so much teaching, preaching, and healing that His soul needed to be renewed. So Jesus built into the rhythm of His life, time to be alone, time to rest, and time to pray. I guess He figured His sabbatical would be in heaven.
How about YOU? How’s the rhythm of YOUR life? I hope that you are living a life that is fulfilling and productive. I hope that you are doing your part to serve and advance the Kingdom of God. But I hope that you are always giving yourself time to rest, pray, and be restored. The rhythm of rest is just as important as the rhythm of work. Not giving yourself ample time to catch your breath, spend time with God, and restore your soul will eventually leave you dry and lifeless. Sabbaticals are nice. Rhythms of rest are NECESSARY. Make sure your life has one. That’s God’s Word for you today.