Rest: A September Series — Week 2 Last week, we began this series by considering an important truth: God created our bodies with a need for rest. Physical rest is not laziness, weakness, or something we must earn. It is part of God’s loving design for us. Giving ourselves permission to rest is a wonderful beginning. Actually making room for it can be a little more challenging. We may intend to rest when life settles down, the house is in order, the work is finished, and every

September Series: Rest On Labor Day, we celebrate our labor by taking the day off. I like that arrangement, but perhaps we should call it No-Labor Day—a day to set aside our work and receive the gift of rest, guilt-free. This month, I am beginning a new series simply called Rest. We will explore physical Sabbath, rest for our souls, and how we can rest in God’s presence even while facing difficult or unresolved circumstances. But first, we need to give ourselves permission to

I have always loved the picture of the Lord preparing a table for us in the presence of our enemies. He does not always remove us from the battle before He feeds us. Sometimes the enemies are still present. The circumstances are still difficult. The accusations are still being hurled. The uncertainty has not yet cleared. Yet right there, in the middle of it all, the Lord prepares a place for us to sit. He spreads the table with everything we need—His presence, His peace, His