The Master’s Invitation

“Then, because so many people were coming

and going that they did not even have a chance

to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves

to a quiet place and get some rest.’” Mark 6: 31 (NIV)

            People flocked to the Master. They came to hear Him preach, to hear His stories, and to receive healing. The impact of the crowds, continually seeking to spend time in Jesus’ audience wore down the disciples.

            The Teacher knew the strain that the disciples felt. He invited them to withdraw from the hub-bub of the daily events and rest.

            In our 21^st Century world, we have events bombard us as we go though life. Emergencies happen—that’s a fact of life. They take a toll on our lives. Personal crises can cause our plans to go awry. Just the normal tasks can daunt us if we are run down.

            But, God has a remedy for these mishaps. He invites us to turn off the television or the computer, sit down, open our Bibles, and read. We might fix a cup of tea and maybe have some cookies, or cake or pie as we sit and take in His Spirit.

            I have learned from different authors that we when we learn to live in God’s presence we have a better stance against the enemy.

            God asks us, His children, to come into His presence because He loves us, wants what’s best for us and knows we need to have these times of rest and refreshment in order to fortify us for what may lie around the bend in the road or even what lies right in front of us.

              When we take Jesus's advice and get with Him and listen to what He has to tell us,we return to our daily world and know that we have been refreshed because we rested in Him.