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Once or twice a year, my husband’s uncle drove from his Indiana home to a northwestern desert.

He said he needed to get away from everything . . . to spend some time just sitting on a rock. He usually combined his trips with mission work and meeting various needs in the area. First, however, he withdrew to his rock to clear his mind and calm his spirit from the stresses of everyday life.

Whether he intentionally followed Jesus’ example or simply recognized his personal need for solitude, my husband’s uncle never said. Either way, his actions demonstrated Jesus’s pattern during His time on earth.

Jesus’ life was indeed full. He ministered to hurting crowds through healing, feeding, and teaching. He offered unconditional love and touched the untouchables, as He demonstrated to the man with leprosy. He ate with the outcasts, which challenged the status quo. Yet with all that interaction, Jesus regularly withdrew from everyone and everything for time alone with His Father.

We need that same renewal—that same release from day-to-day stress. If we go non-stop, we deplete our energy and become no good to ourselves or anyone else. Personal time with God, our Rock, restores our energy and prepares us for another day of loving obedience to our Father.

Are you burdened by life’s demands and wonder how you can continue? Find your place of rest. Go there often for one-on-one time with God. Your never-failing Father in heaven remains ready to meet with you in solitude and give you the strength you need for whatever lies ahead.

What steps can you take to incorporate rest into your schedule?

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)