He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.”
Mark 6:31a
When Jesus sent His disciples off on a specific ministry assignment in Mark 6:7-11, He didn’t shield them from the fact that their journey would not be easy. They’d be empowered to preach, heal and spread the news of the kingdom, but they’d also be exhausted on every front — physically, emotionally and spiritually. And even after finally coming back home from their tiring journey, people would still be “coming and going,” enough that the disciples “did not even have time to eat” (v. 31b).
Mark 6:31a wasn’t a request. It wasn’t a friendly suggestion. It was Jesus’ command. Here’s what you’re going to do, guys. You’ve been through a lot. And much more remains to be done. But for now … rest … come and rest. At least for a little while.
We live in a noisy world—much more so than in Jesus’ time here. Technology keeps us constantly connected, so even when we’re “alone” we’re not truly alone. Even when we can carve out some quiet time with the Lord, it’s often interrupted by text messages, Facebook notifications, and news cycles.
To truly rest, we need to disconnect from anything and everyone except Jesus.
Do you ever feel guilty for taking time away to regroup and recharge? Are you saddled with a sense of wasted opportunity if every space on your calendar is not filled? Are you afraid your world will stop turning if you disengage for even a few moments?
Then hear the voice of your Savior welcoming you into a place where grace flows, where the Spirit refuels, and where mercy fixes what’s been strained and stressed by life’s accumulating pressures. This is where priorities and relationships that have been pushed out of alignment and perhaps are in need of repair get patched up and recalibrated.
Most especially, this is where we hear the still small voice of our Lord, guiding, comforting, engaging.
We can easily become so focused on the ministry of Jesus, we disconnect from the Person. Hosea 6:6 is a wonderful reminder of the heart of our Father. “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”
Knowledge is not easily attained in a noisy world. Trivial matters, yes. True knowledge of our Master often comes in those times of complete rest. God is more interested in our hearts than our works.
Quiet time is not an excuse for the lazy but a wise investment for the diligent. It’s for those who are committed to being active servants and followers of Jesus Christ instead of slaves of urgent busyness and activity. By prioritizing rest for ourselves and those we love, we might just rediscover the joy we thought had been lost forever.
Prayer: Lord, help me to embrace Your grace. Guide my steps as I seek to come to You … and allow me to rediscover the rest You commanded to be part of my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
