Strength Found in the Stillness

"He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul." – Psalm 23:2-3

Even Jesus, the Son of God, took time to rest. He withdrew to quiet places to pray and refocus. Yet, many of us resist rest, thinking it’s unproductive. But rest isn’t laziness—it’s wisdom. Without it, we lose our strength and eventually break under the pressure.

The Apostle John understood this. Church history tells of a day when John was resting by a pond, and a hunter approached him. The hunter, seeing John idle, asked why he wasn’t actively serving the Lord. John pointed to the hunter’s bow, which wasn’t strung, and said, “Why is your bow unstrung?” The hunter replied, “If I leave the string on between hunts, it will lose its elasticity and eventually break.” John smiled and said, “And that’s why I’m resting.”

We’re like that bow. If we never step away to rest, we lose the strength we need for the work God has called us to do.

Reflection Question: Are you resisting the rest God has built into your life? How can you embrace rest as part of His plan for you?

Lord, help me to embrace the rest You have called me to. Teach me to step away from the busyness and allow You to refresh my soul. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Adapted from the sermon: "God's Answer for Stress": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/series/vn9m7tk/taming-toxic-emotions