It’s time to get away

 

Running flat out. Deadlines looming. Jumping from one task to the other. Hastily doing chores at breakneck speed. No stopping to catch your breath. Falling exhausted into bed each night. Dragging yourself out of bed at first light. Rinse repeat. Spin. Hang. Take down. And do all over again.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Over the past few weeks, I have felt myself becoming increasingly weary. In body, soul and spirit.

I have felt God calling me to rest but the siren song of my to do list screams so loudly, his still, small voice is overpowered by the din of the noise in my head.

I look for small windows of time to sit in his presence, longing to hear his voice, to meditate on his word and just be quiet, resting in him. And yet, it alludes me.

But the crash inevitably comes.

Why do we consistently prioritize the urgent over the important? Why is it that so often we resist rest? Are we often like the people we read of in the book of Isaiah? Are we refusing to hear God calling us to rest in him?

Isaiah 28:12 KJV - To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

Do we need to return to the ancient paths?

Jeremiah 6:16 KJV - Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

At the end of last year, as I prayed about the word God had for me in 2026, I felt him calling me to rest. Part of me wanted to laugh out loud, knowing the life I lead and the little rest I get.

I used to think that rest meant stopping. Doing less. But then I would unplug. Slow down. Take a holiday and yet still feel tired. Less busy but unsettled.

The ‘rest’ I was trying to achieve was not just physical. My soul cried out for rest. Not just a physical rest (which I knew was unachievable) but a more deep and personal, resting in him. I felt God calling me to lean more heavily on him. I needed soul rest.

In Hebrew, the word for rest is Nuach. It holds so much meaning. More than we think when we casually use the word ‘rest’.

It has the idea of being settled. To come to stable ground. Comforted. At peace. A ceasing from struggling. Letting fall. Letting go. Being quiet. Remaining. Withdrawing. Waiting quietly.

Interestingly, this word is the same word as used in the account of the flood in Noah’s day. (Genesis 8:4). The ark came to rest. It found stable ground. A firm footing.

I realized that in 2026, although I knew the year would hold many surprises for me and there would be unexpected detours along my path, I needed to learn to rest. It wasn’t that I needed to escape (although that would be nice), no, what I needed was stability in the middle of pressure. A firm footing while the flood waters still surrounded me.

And so, rest is not inactivity. Rest is standing on firm ground.

As one author puts it, “Rest isn’t just laying down and clearing your mind. It’s retraining your mind to turn over the problems to the only one who is able to work them all out.”

Where are your feet planted? You have to choose your ground before the storm chooses it for you.

You have to choose to stand firm on the Word of God. Hold to its promises.

For me practically, this meant learning to wait on the Lord. Learning to be more intentional with times of rest. Learning not to step into it if God hadn’t called me to it. And most of all, learning to let go, relinquish control and with open hands and heart, give it all over to God. The only one who was able to carry it.

As I write this, we are already into the month of May, the year has flown by so quickly. So, am I learning to rest? Honestly, I think I’m doing better, but I have a long way to go.

In general, we all define rest in different ways. Because we are all unique beings, we all rest differently. In the physical sense, it may be that a walk by the ocean calms you. Or maybe a walk through the bush listening to the sounds of the leaves blowing in the breeze or the birds singing. Maybe it’s lying on the grass looking up at the stars or a hot cup of coffee while reading a good book.

These things are all good and needful things to help give us a physical reset, but what I find I need more than anything is a spiritual reset.

I need time to sit in God’s presence. Intentionally. With purpose. With an open heart. With listening ears.

This is the place I find myself in today. My days have been so full it’s been hard to make time for the rest I need. And it’s beginning to show. There are signs. Maybe you’re familiar with some of them?

·       Extreme fatigue

·       Difficulty sleeping

·       Decreased concentration

·       Negativity, irritability

·       Changes in appetite, weight loss or gain

·       Social withdrawal

·       General feeling of malaise

·       Weariness and a feeling of going through the motions with no passion

Need I go on?

Although carving out time to rest physically is often challenging, I think that it’s a lot harder to bring about a spiritual reset. It takes more effort. And yes, I often do this while being out in nature, standing in awe as I look up at the colours God paints in the sky. But there is something so refreshing about being in his Word. Meditating on scripture. Talking to him in prayer. Putting pen to paper and writing the promises of God.

There is something that brings so much more peace and settled comfort to your soul and that is sitting in God’s presence with the Word of God open before you, letting him teach you, lead you, guide you.

We are all familiar with the verse in Matthew 11:28 that calls us to rest. Here, the Lord Jesus was quoting from the Old Testament in the book of Exodus.

Moses asked God to help him to know the Father better and in response God replied, “And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” Exodus 33:14

God was telling Moses that if he faithfully followed the Lord’s commands, he promised rest. And it is the same for us today. When we take the time to know God, through reading his Word, through prayer and obedience, he brings the rest we need and we are ‘settled’. Comforted and refreshed.

We are often ‘heavy laden’ with the cares of this life, and God calls us to rest. Not a change of location, but a change of lifestyle.

It is crucial that we change our mindset. We have to change our thinking so that we don’t see rest as a reward but as a necessary part of our walk with Christ. We need rest for him to bring renewal and refreshing.

Our times of rest are not a one-off thing. We need to continually take times of rest. Don’t wait until you’re burnt out to finally stop. Don’t wait until you find yourself at breaking point.

If you work from a place of pressure and stress, you’ll burn out. But if you work from a place of trust and rest, you’ll settle. You’ll find your soul refreshed.

We have to prioritize these 3 things.

1.       Spiritual health

2.       Physical health

3.       Mental health

I like to have practical tips to help with my understanding, so if you do too, here are some that might help.

For your spiritual health:

1.       Seek out a resting place. Find somewhere easily accessible that you can meet with God. Preferably as uninterrupted as possible. (in saying this, I have been interrupted no less than 4 times by unexpected visits while trying to write, but God knows my heart’s desire). Find a time that works for you in your season of life. You may find early mornings are better, or evenings might suit. There is no perfect time. But you have to make time for it. (Psalm 132:14)

 

2.       Sit in his presence. Once you find your resting place, sit and listen. It may take time for the noises in your head to settle but listen with your heart and mind. You may find that like me, you need a pen and paper nearby to write down any distracting thoughts that you can go back over at a later time. Just focus on sitting quietly in God’s presence. (Psalm 16:11)

 

3.       Set your mind on things above. We are told to focus on heavenly things (Colossians 3:1-2). It’s easy to get caught up with everything we have to do but God wants us to take time to get an eternal perspective about what matters most. Ask him to help you slow down and notice what he wants you to notice. Maybe it’s a passage of scripture. Maybe it’s a character trait he wants you to work on. Maybe it’s a word that needs a little more digging into to understand it’s true meaning. Maybe it’s a person that he puts on your heart to pray for.

Your spiritual health is the most important part of your life, and it has to be prioritized and put at the top of the list.

Next, think about your physical health. I’m not going to go into depth here as you should know your body well enough to know what it needs. If you don’t, then seek help, do some research and learn how to be a good steward of your body. It is the temple of God, and we are to look after it as best we can. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Lastly, your mental health. It is crucial that you think about what you’re thinking about. It’s the difference between thriving or surviving. Do a daily debrief and ask yourself some questions.

What untrue thoughts were loudest in my mind today?
What truths from God counter those thoughts?
What are my most dominant emotions today?
What are the roots of those emotions?
What can I let go of before I sleep?
What promise from God can I rest in tonight?

What you tell yourself plays a very important role in how you feel and how you feel affects how you act and how you act affects your future. Be careful about what voices you listen to.

All of these things will enable you to rest more fully. In body, soul and spirit.

For some reason, we have this idea that we must constantly be doing, doing, doing. But God modelled rest for us numerous times in the Bible, and he called his people to rest. And he calls you to rest today.

We have to find the balance of rest and work.

Don’t get to the point where God has to force rest upon you. Why do you think in Psalm 23 we are told that he ‘makes us lie down in green pastures’? It’s because we often have to be forced to sit still. We often have to be forced to rest.

I am working on resting more this year and the benefits are many. I wish I could rest more physically and have more days at home or more times to be out in nature, watching the clouds roll by, but for now, God has seen fit to fill my days with busyness. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t make time to sit in his presence. He will always give us windows of opportunity if we prioritize our relationship with him above all else.

Ask him to help you make the time. Ask him to help you work out your schedule to be a better steward of your time. We waste many opportunities by mindlessly scrolling on our phones when we could be in his Word. I know for me this is often the case.

If you are too busy to spend time with the Lord, then you are too busy. It doesn’t matter if that busyness is family or even church ministry. If you are not making time to develop a closer relationship with the Lord, if other things are taking priority, then you need to take inventory and make adjustments.

God needs to come first. His Word comes first. His commands come first.

And he commands us to rest.

Take time to rest.

It’s a lot harder to hear God’s whispers to your heart

if you’re running too fast to hear him speak.