Genesis 2:2 , New Living Translation

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work."

In the same way as rest stops for road trips, rest stops for the spiritual journey can come in various ways. Each type of stop can place us in the midst of Jesus who calls us to “come all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Sometimes we can talk ourselves out of rest stops because we don’t have any time in an already full schedule. However, if we consider this a little more carefully and realize the importance of taking a rest stop, we can see there are opportunities to stop without adding a lot more things to our plate. 

Spiritual rest is for every single one of us.

For those who find themselves covered in the road dust whipped up by life’s sandstorms.

For those who are currently running low on gas.

For those who feel stuck in a rut and are not quite sure how to get out.

For those who have stayed on the course but still see no end in sight.

This can be a hard thing to do and something I sometimes struggle with, but we have to give ourselves permission to pull off at the next rest stop. And then when we do, we need to take the time to consult our road map while we are there. (the Lord and His Word). It's there at the "rest stops" that we will find a way to refuel.

I know I need to remind myself of this and I want to remind you, that life is not about the destination, but rather the journey. We have to stop in our hurried life and let the Lord refuel our spirits.

But most importantly, we need to trust in the fact that as the Master Travel Guide, God can refresh your soul– as well as guard and guide you each and every step of the way along life’s long and winding highway.

What are you weary from? What overflow are you living out of? This world is hard, and it is only through Jesus where we find rest and the love that we all so desperately crave.

If the Jesus you are showing the world is not the Jesus you believe in, pray and ask God to show you the areas that you are still trying to take control of. Don’t be afraid to surrender everything. It is at the most broken that God can turn around to be the most beautiful.

I couldn’t help but think that is how I feel at times. I have lived enough life that I have had some bumps and bruises along the way. At times I feel like I have a slight limp. There’s no doubt life can be hard.

The last two years of living through a pandemic have taken a toll on all of us. We are weary from this horrible virus.

My guess is that some of you reading this right now are weary. None of us are exempt from pain in this life.

But here is what I know. We might get weary, but there is hope; Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Today, let me encourage you to hold on and know that you don’t walk this journey alone.

I recently heard this song, Weary Traveler, and it describes perfectly how I feel at times, but it also reminds me that I’m not alone and heaven is my real home.

Think about your typical day. Where might you find ways to incorporate rest stops with God into your day? What are some rest stops that might work for you? Stop. Seek the Lord and let Him refuel your spirit!