“A deficiency of rest can compromise the quality and meaning of work and negatively impact our health, family and personal lives.”

“Difficulty entering into rest might indicate that we’ve made an idol (something that takes all our devotion and time) of our work.”

Our work can often be driven by a desire to be admired, a desire to find meaning and purpose from it,  a desire for security or we just work excessively so that we can avoid dealing with other areas of our life.

“Fullfillment doesn’t come from frenzied work.  It comes from rest and repentance.  And strength comes from quietness and trust, trust that who we are in Christ is enough.”

All these quotations come from a new reading plan that I started on my Youversion app (a free bible app that has changed the way I read my Bible.  It has helped sooo much).

The plan is called Finding Work Life Balance (Once the app is downloaded- go to plans, then click browse plans, click topical, then click work and then click Finding Work Life Balance)

I know people often wonder if Jesus really communicates with his followers.  Can we really hear from God?  One of my favorite verses is James 4:8a, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

So there are thousands and thousands of verses in the Bible.  This reading plan for today had 2 verses and one of the verses is one that I just taught on 2 days ago at Story Church (click here to hear me teaching on how to be still and rest in the presence of God).  So this is not a coincidence but I believe as I seek God and listen- He speaks.  This is not a rare thing but it happens ALL the time when the most perfect verse is given to me in my moments of reading His word.

The verse was Isaiah 30:15, “This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says :  “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”

It is only in resting in God will you find peace.  It is in the quiet moments of our life that we find strength.  For me I firmly believe that it is through the spiritual discipline of silence and solitude (Your soul needs a mini retreat, Longing for Peace ) that peace can be found.  But like the verse says, “but you would have none of it”, that was me for so long.

I was too busy to just sit and receive the rest and strength He was offering.  I am learning to receive God’s invitation to be still.  I pray you say yes as well.

Amazing books if you want to grow in this: Invitation to Solitude and Silence, Seven Sacred Pauses, and Sacred Rhythms