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This Week’s Devotional Topic
RELAX AND ENJOY
I remember a special card that my wife gave me when I retired. The message inside included a ‘honey do list’ of sorts for my retirement. Her loving instructions called for me to do two things….to Relax and to Enjoy! After knowing me for fifty years, she understands that God made me as a detail-oriented, recovering perfectionist, thinker planner, a “list person”. I think she understood better than I how that adjusting from a full-time working career to retirement would require me to make a dramatic shift from that to a very different lifestyle and it would be valuable and important that I relax and enjoy along the way. The Bible describes these two values.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 we read that there is a time for every activity under heaven. This list includes a time to heal, a time to laugh, a time to dance, a time to be quiet and a time for peace. These five seasons describe time for us to RELAX and time to ENJOY.
As we look at “Joy”, listen – we don’t have joy by focusing on our problems…sickness, pain, disappointments and trials. God gives joy while we deal with these issues as we turn our focus on Him, His love, provision and purpose for our lives. AND our future-eternity in heaven with him.
I Timothy 6:17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.
Please think about that concept. We can trust in God’s faithfulness to “richly” provide us with all that we need. As the Apostle Paul told the church at Philippi..
Philippians 4:19 “…my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Psalms 30:5 “…weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
No matter what is going on in our lives, we can and should take joy in the fact that Jesus Christ came! Emmanuel with us!
Luke 2:8-10 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
Jesus told us that our joy would overflow because of His love…
John 15:10,11 When you obey My commandments, you remain in My love, just as I obey My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
We have joy because He is risen…Jesus told the disciples about this before the crucifixion…
John 16:19,20 Jesus realized they wanted to ask Him about it, so He said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see Me, but a little while after that you will see Me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to Me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.
AND all Christians can have joy when we think of the coming of Christ and our eternal home…as Paul said to the church at Thessalonica…
I Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
God gives us “rest”. Right now, wherever you are what ever you are doing, please take a few moments to ‘rest’, to think about what it means to ‘rest’. When you do, you will enjoy the concept of ‘peace’….God’s peace. It is vital that we ‘rest’.
Consider this….
Genesis 2:2,3 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
Exodus 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
As we work hard, that should be followed by time to sit down, rest and enjoy the fruit of hands…
Psalms 128:1,2 How joyful are those who fear the LORD—all who follow His ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be!
You may or may not be retired but based upon God’s word and my personal experience, when you make it a practice to RELAX and ENJOY, you will be healthier spiritually and physically. May God help us all to make these a priority in our lives.
This week’s Scripture:
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; I Timothy 6:17; Philippians 4:19; Psalms 30:5; Luke 2:8-10; John 15:10,11; 16:19,20; I Thessalonians 2:19; Genesis 2:2,3; Exodus 20:11 and Psalms 128:1,2
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