Come Away with Me 

I don't think I have ever looked as forward to a weekend as I did this past weekend. I was absolutely exhausted, physically and mentally. I awoke Saturday morning knowing I had to run a couple errands and I usually take my Mom to get groceries on Saturday. I forced myself in the shower and to get dressed then I called Mom and off we went.

 

                As we were finishing up our errands I began to feel the Lord drawing me, nudging me to get alone with Him. It sounded a lot like heaven to me. We finished our day and Mom went home. I prepared some lunch, ate and sat down for a few minutes...simply to breathe in the quiet. As I did, I could feel the presence of the Lord, nudging me, drawing me away.

 

                I had decided I would spend 24 hours with God, from sundown on Saturday until sundown on the 19th. After a short time of worshipping God I heard him say to me 'come away my beloved.' I continued to worship and again he said 'come away my beloved to a place that I have longed to show you.' Needless to say I had a wonderful night with God. Today I am so much more refreshed and at peace.

 

                Jesus said to the disciples in Mark 6; Come with my by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. Jesus knew this lifestyle; the one of coming away to a solitary place to be alone with God. This place is what Jesus lived out of.

 

                You see, there are times when you must restore yourself, physically, mentally and spiritually. And there are times when sleep alone will not do it. Sleep alone won't always help or relieve the bone weariness you feel through every fiber of your being, sometimes there is a kind of tiredness that nothings seems to help. It may come from a long spiritual battle or from losing someone you love or from taking care of an ill family member. At times we come to a place where we feel completely depleted. What do you do then? You do what Jesus said 'come away with Him to a quiet place.'

 

                When rest alone won't fix it, Jesus will. His presence will. Sometimes we need to be alone with God and hear him speak to the deepest part of our soul. Remember Elijah? He ran to a cave to give up, he was too weary, physically and mentally, to keep fighting. Running didn't help him and rest alone did not help him, he needed to hear from God, he needed to be in the presence of the Lord. He needed God to speak directly to his heart and He did and Elijah was off and running once again.

 

                For me, I took time and got alone with God. I spent hours in His presence. For the first time this week I went to sleep and woke up refreshed. Times of refreshing DO COME from the presence of the Lord.

 

                In the Amplified Bible Matthew 11:29 says; Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (a relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.

 

                There is a place to walk in rest, relief and ease and there is a place of blessed quiet for our soul. That place is in Christ, in God. The Message Bible says it like this; Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.

 

                Learn the unforced rhythms of grace...I love that. When we keep company with God we will learn how to live freely and lightly. I don't know about you but I want that kind of living.

 

                I wonder...are you weary today, bone weary? Do you go to sleep at night exhausted and wake up exhausted? Perhaps there are things in your lifestyle that you need to change. And perhaps you need to find a quiet place and be alone with God for a while. He will restore you. He will refresh you. He will cause His grace to rest upon you. I hear him calling you today 'come away my beloved, to a place I have longed to show you.' I believe that place is the place of His rest, the one that the children of Israel never entered into. It is still there for every one of God's children. A place of blessed rest for our souls. A place of undisturbed peace. It is there, but we only gain access through Christ, through spending time in the presence of the Lord. Are you looking for rest for your soul? It is in HIM.