AUTUMN SERIES: REST

Jesus said: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 

September 8th, 2021
​By: Cami Lee

Today, we'll focus on Rest...

Intro and explanation: Our hope is that this guided time of reflection and devotion will be powerful, but simple enough that you can replicate it for the remainder of your life. We'll begin each post with the scripture passage as well as the practice of slowing down, allowing our savior to speak to us through His word.This "slowing down" is based off of a form of reading, prayer, and meditation that has been around for centuries called Lectio Divina. This simple, yet powerful way of reading scripture (and meditating on it), is helpful for connecting us to the word of God. Then, we'll move on to a video and devotion written by an Exago staff member. Let's get started...

​SLOWING DOWN:

1. Breath in, slowly, for 5 seconds.
2. Hold it for 5 seconds and REST in the Lord and His goodness. Ask Him to clear your mind.
3. Breath out, slowly, for 5 seconds.
4. Repeat this as much as you would like, always thanking the Lord for whatever He puts on your heart, or brings to your mind.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY:

• Today we'll focus on Rest. Let's open our hearts to how the Lord is speaking to us. What does rest mean to you?
• Slowly, read the passage of scripture three times before moving on.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

• What is the Lord revealing to you today in this passage? Write it down.

DEVOTION OF THE DAY:

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By: Cami Lee
September 8th, 2021
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​​When was the last time you truly felt rested?
When was the last time you weren’t surrounded by noise?
Life is nuts. It's noisy and demanding.

In Matt. 11:28 Jesus told us that He will give us rest, but sometimes life makes that seem unattainable. Maybe the reason we aren’t able to get the rest we long for is because we’re looking to the wrong thing. It seems like an oxymoron, but to really rest, it will take some work.

Here’s a thought… what would happen if we truly took that verse to heart and applied it? The last part says that Jesus will give us rest, but the first part says for us to come to Him.

​Do we do that?

Maybe we need change up our sleep schedule.
Maybe we have to choose to turn off all noise and go into our closet or sit in our car and just spend some time with God. It doesn’t have to be hours upon hours— maybe just a few minutes.

I challenge you this week to spend at least 10 minutes alone with God each day. Bring a notepad with you if need be so you can write down the nagging things that slam into your head and try to distract you. They can wait. Make this more important to you. Come to Jesus and see what happens!