My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. Exodus 33:14

Devotion

I want to begin this devotional by wishing a happy Mother’s Day to any moms who might be reading this! Springtime, for a lot of people, can be one of the busiest times of the year. It’s finally warm outside, spring sports are in full swing, end-of-the-school-year events are happening, and summer is just around the corner! I am exhausted just thinking about it. My prayer for this devotional is that anyone who reads it, not just moms, may find encouragement and rest. 

The word “rest” is fascinating to me, because it means something different to each of us. Some associate it with the amount of sleep, or their energy level, or space in the calendar. All are true and are pieces of rest. However, when I was reading Moses’ prayer in Exodus 33:12-23, I began to have a new understanding of what rest might be. Moses is boldly praying to the Lord that he might grow in not just knowledge of God and his ways, but that he would know God’s presence. Exodus 33:14 says, “The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” The rest of Moses’ prayer is bold and beautiful, and I recommend reading it all. However, for these few moments, I want us to settle in God’s first response to Moses. He first promises that his presence will go with them. This was true for the Israelites and it is true for us. We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, and God’s presence now dwells within us. The second part of God’s response is “and I will give you rest.” I have always thought of rest as something I did for myself, and it wasn’t until I read God’s response that I began to realize that rest is given to us by God. 

The beginning of Hebrews 4 tells us that the promise of his rest is still available to us. This rest is more than just our sleep schedule, energy level, or an empty schedule. This rest is a peace that is found in a life surrendered to God. We can practice entering that rest in several different ways, but ultimately it begins with trusting the Lord. Recently, I have started forming a “Life Giving List.” This is a list of activities that are life-giving for me. Things that I believe are gifts from God that allow me to enter into his rest and bring me joy. Activities that are as simple as watching the sunset or hearing my friends laugh, all the way to playing pickleball with my friends. It is not necessarily these activities themselves that bring me life, but it is my awareness of God working in them that brings me peace, joy, and rest. Rest is found in a life lived in the presence of God.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, I praise and thank you for giving me the chance to enter into your rest. I am so grateful for Oklahoma sunsets, slow mornings with a coffee in my hand, and the sound of my friend’s laughter. Lord, I have a propensity to speed up, and to look to myself to find rest. When I feel hurried, anxious, and worn out, help me to slow down, and look for your presence in each moment. Remind me that true lasting rest cannot be found outside of you. In your Son’s name, I pray, Amen.

Ryan Jackson
Pastor, Kids 56, OKC

Resources

• Read Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer.
• Read Life Giving List by Steve Cuss & Capable Life.
• Read Isaiah 40.
• Listen to Peace by Bethel Music.

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