It’s Okay to Rest

[It’s Okay to Rest]( Current Teaching Series [Building a Better Future]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [It’s Okay to Rest]( By Rick Warren — 11/27/2022 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd like to share a Daily Devotional from Pastor Rick with you&body= “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Exodus 20:8 (NLT) Many people don’t see the value in getting enough rest. But God knows that, without proper rest, you’ll struggle to be who he wants you to be. Rest is so important to God that he even put it in the Ten Commandments: “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God” (Exodus 20:8-10 NLT). When you’re anxiously working from early morning to late night, you’ll burn out—and that’s not what God wants for you. He wants you to get enough rest. In 1 Kings, the prophet Elijah needed some serious rest after a confrontation with 450 pagan prophets of the false god Baal. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel were leading the nation of Israel to follow these gods. In a dramatic moment before all of Israel, Elijah asked God to send down fire to consume a sacrifice and, thus, prove he was the one true God. God sent the fire—but the experience left Elijah emotionally and physically drained. Then he heard that the queen planned to assassinate him, so he ran away and hid in a cave. Elijah became so discouraged and depressed that he asked God to kill him. What was God’s solution to Elijah’s depression? God gave him food and then let him go to sleep. Then God woke him up, fed him some more, and sent him back to sleep. Elijah ate and slept, ate and slept. Maybe that would be a good model for you to follow right now. When I went through a season of depression after starting Saddleback Church, I would drive myself to the beach every Saturday afternoon and watch the waves for a couple hours. It calmed me and helped me fight my fatigue, frustration, and fear. I noticed that the tide goes out, but it always comes back in. When the tide is out, the beach reveals all kinds of junk and driftwood. The shore doesn’t look very good when the tide is out. But the tide always comes back in. Today, if you are so tired—so fatigued that you are barely holding on—don’t give up. The tide will come back in. Take time to rest and remember: “The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out. He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak” (Isaiah 40:28-29 BSB). [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - Think about a time when the simple acts of eating and sleeping greatly helped you in a season of fatigue or depression. What noticeable difference did they make? - Do you have a place you go to rest and pray? If not, where could you go that is peaceful and calming? - What does it mean to claim God’s promises like Isaiah 40:28-29? How can you do that this week? You can find rest in Jesus today Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest” (GNT). The single greatest source of stress is trying to live your life disconnected from Jesus Christ. If you’re disconnected from God, it’s like being unplugged—there’s no power in your life. So how can you get connected to God? Jesus says to come to him and give him your life. If you’re ready for that, you can pray this right now: “Jesus, there is a lot of stress in my life today. I want to give it all to you. I want you to be in charge of every area of my life. I want to surrender all my worries and plans—my whole life—to you and make you Lord of my life. I know this is the only way to really find rest and live out the purpose you have for me. “God, I know you love me and have made it possible for me to spend eternity with you. I confess I have sinned against you and lived according to my own selfish desires, and I ask for your forgiveness. Thank you for sending Jesus to pay for my sins by dying in my place and making me acceptable to you. Thank you for offering me a fresh start and a relationship with you. I pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.” If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus. The post [It’s Okay to Rest]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd like to share a Daily Devotional from Pastor Rick with you&body= [Get The Power of Gratitude Bible Study when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( If you’ve ever noticed that the more grateful someone is, the happier they are, it’s not a coincidence. Experts have discovered that gratitude reduces stress and leads to greater life satisfaction and overall happiness. It makes you healthier than any other emotion! The Bible agrees—and God has a lot to say about developing an attitude of gratitude in your life. That’s why Pastor Rick developed a brand-new Bible study called The Power of Gratitude. Through this innovative new study, you’ll discover how to defeat discouragement, conquer complaining, stay in God’s will, and experience his blessings—as you develop a lifelong habit of expressing your gratitude to God. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 6 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Building a Better Future. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Making a Plan to Improve Your Life Message 2: Enlisting Support for Your Dream Message 3: Getting People to Work Together Message 4: How to Handle Insults and Ridicule Message 5: When You Feel Like Giving Up Message 6: How to Earn the Respect of Others [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2022 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States