Find rest in the presence of the Lord

Hello Brave Hearted Steppers, 

"REST - Allow God to restore, replenish, and refocus your heart and mind." Author unknown

Have you ever felt worried, stressed, or anxious? If so, you may have experienced side effects affecting mood (sadness or depression, feeling overwhelmed, lack of motivation or focus), body (upset stomach, muscle tension, sleeping problems), and behavior (overeating or undereating)?

It's in these moments is where we all need to make time to rest. If we don't rest, from time to time, we will wear out, and with wearing out comes the physical impact on the mind, body, and spirit, BUT resting rejuvenates us!

Resting in the presence of the Lord is our "me time" with God. If you don't have "me time," you must make time. We have 24 hours in a day. Start your "me time" with God first, and then schedule your day after that (as mentioned in the "7 ways to put God first" blog post).

Today, I will share eight items that may be seen in a spa-like environment or your home. My prayer is as you continue to read this post, you will be pampered by a restful presence of the Lord that is so needed to bring calm, peace, and tranquility as you rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit.

Candle:

Candles are a great way to begin the rejuvenation process with the Lord. Candles can have a calming effect on a person. The effect of candlelight can be a simple way to unwind and relax. Jesus is our "candlelight" and His effect on our life is even greater than a candle can do. He can give those who are tired, weary, and carrying heavy loads rest as you give everything for Him to handle. Wow, what a way to start the pampering process! Matthew 11:28-30

Soap:

Rest in knowing that God can forgive your sins. To know that Jesus took us out of the mud and mire, our sinful lives, and through His sacrifice on the cross, we can accept Him as our Lord and Savior and be forgiven, saved, and have a place waiting for us in heaven. Nothing can compare to that kind of pampering, am I right? Psalm 51:7

Bath Beads/Salts:

Resting in the presence of the Lord can make us forget our worries. Jesus has a way of de-stressing our mood, body, and behavior, which can affect our mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. All we have to do is leave our worries and care to Him, for He cares for us. Once we leave it in His hands, we have to trust Him and not give it a second thought or doubt His control over the worry or care. Let go and let God. I know people have heard this phrase before, but if people would really use it, really let go and let God handle it, they would find rest in Him. Matthew 6:25-34

Sponge:

Sometimes when there is a need to rest and relax, there are not only worries but also hurts to give to the Lord. It may be just a lot of unkind words you encountered throughout the week or little things that have just tugged at you until it left you feeling wounded inside. But, there is rest in that Jesus can heal ALL those wounds for you. He can make you feel better. Jesus can lift your spirits when you feel overwhelmed if only you left Him. Psalm 61:2

Pumice:

There are certain items when pampering; that is not so pleasant and this is one of them. When you use a pumice stone on your feet to remove calluses, it does not feel good at all, but it smoothes the feet and gets rid of the dead skin, so the new skin can grow. Sometimes the not-pleasant things we
go through in life may not feel good at all but rest in the fact that Jesus
smoothes them out for good. He has a way of removing the dead “skin” and making
us grow so that we can glorify Him in our lives. Romans 8:28

Bath Pillow:

When we need to slow down and relax, we can lean our heads back and rest in Jesus. We can pray to Him at any time and talk with Him. Again, I remind you to let go of your worries and cares and let God handle them and rest in Him.

Have you ever imagined your relationship with Jesus, the intimate connection with Jesus where you can come to Him at any time in prayer and say, Jesus, I have tried to do it on my own, with my own strength. You know what? It’s not working…the Bible tells me I can come to you and cast all my worries upon you because you care for me…The Bible also tells me that the load you carry is light. Lord, I’m surrendering not just a couple of my worries, not some of my worries, but all my worries onto you, and trust that you will handle them … in the name of Jesus! Jesus needs a real, genuine, not rehearsed, not template, heart and soul prayer that comes from deep within. That’s the kind of prayer, not just a prayer you read from a book or heard someone else say, but a prayer that comes from the depths of your soul! He wants to truly hear from you, and don’t be afraid to be real to Him. He created you to be who you are … lay on your spiritual bath pillow, rest in His presence, talk with Him, and lay everything down for Him to handle. 1 Peter 5:7

Music CD: 

One way of resting in the Lord is to slow down enough to praise Him. When you are taking the time to praise, you are pausing to reflect on who He is in your life, reflecting on His mercy and grace that renews every morning for your life, reflecting and thanking Him for the blessings that He brings to you and your family … how not your heart sing a new song of praise.

Praising the Lord also changes the atmosphere. You may feel an overwhelming moment; praise the Lord. You may feel an anxious moment; praise the Lord. You may feel your emotions are acting wacky; praise the Lord. You may not be feeling well at the moment; praise the Lord. Whatever the situation, take the "me time" to praise the Lord! Psalm 34:1

Slippers:

Have you ever put on a pair of slippers that were so comfortable when you put them on, and just having them on your feet relaxed you? Same with scriptures, there are some scriptures when we need rest, we can slip those scriptures on and relax in them. We’ve all got scriptures that have meaning to us. There are those we cling to when we are sick, when we need to keep pressing forward, when we need a reminder of God’s promises for our lives, etc.

Here are a couple scriptures that are comfy scriptures that you can slip on when you need a moment of rest and relaxation:

Psalm 37:7
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

Isaiah 26:3
God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you.

In conclusion, this blog post is an important reminder that we need to rest in the presence of the Lord as individuals and as a family. Meditate on these items …meditate on what they represent … maybe you can relate to one or more than one… but always know that He is right by your side, waiting for you to lay down your worries and cares, waiting on what is holding you back, waiting on what is not letting you rest and relax in His presence, waiting on you to let go and let Him take control of things to you can rest in Him.

Exodus 33:14

The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”

“Invest in REST.” ~ Unknown

The definition of invest is to devote one’s time, effort, and energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result.

Invest time in being still and resting in the presence of the Lord! Ask God in your secret place where you can be still and have a real heart-to-heart with Him and give Him your worries and cares and trust Him to take control and handle it, so you can really be still and rest in His presence!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for providing me rest while in your presence. It was not easy to be still at times; however, the more I sought your presence, the more I received your rest. I pray for all the Brave Hearted Steppers reading this post who are looking for rest that they may ask, seek, and knock for your presence where you can provide the rest needed to continue the journey God has set before you. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The next blog post is scheduled for Friday, February 24, 2023, on how to use your words wisely.

Many Blessings,
Maria Guzman