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Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
Memory Verse
By the seventh day God had finished his work, and so he rested. God blessed the seventh day and made it special, because on that day he rested from his work. (CEV)
Did you know the Australian koala sleeps 20 to 22 hours a day? When you were a newborn, you probably slept between 14 and 17 hours a day. That means you spent about 70% of your day resting. As a kid, you might not enjoy sleeping as much as a koala or a newborn does, but your body still needs rest.
Rest renews your energy, boosts your mood, improves your memory, ignites your creativity, and helps you heal when you get sick. Rest is a superpower!
Even God rested. Yes, the Creator of the universe rested. Genesis 2:1-2 says God looked at everything he made, saw it was very good, and took a break. Why?
God paused in his creation work to notice each part of it—the water, the land, the creatures, the plants, the people—and to say, “Wow! This world I made? It’s incredible!”
You don’t have to fall asleep to rest. You can simply slow down. In a busy world, slowing down might not seem that important or fun. But God designed your body for rest. He set aside a whole day for it, called Sabbath. In the Christian church, the Sabbath falls on Sunday.
Not every family can do nothing on Sunday (for example, farmers can’t!), but you can take small steps each day to make rest part of your routine.
You can snuggle under a blanket on a chilly morning to read a book by yourself or with someone special.
You can lie on your back and peer at the sky on a warm afternoon to notice the clouds sailing above.
You can share a simple snack or meal with family or friends around a table.
Rest can take many forms. As long as we slow down, pay attention, and enjoy God’s blessings, we receive the benefits of rest. One of God’s great gifts to his creatures is the ability to do nothing. Try it!
Prayer
Dear Lord, Life moves fast. Sometimes, we don’t want to slow down. But our bodies and minds need rest. Rest renews our strength. It helps us pause, notice, and name your good gifts. You knew this when you created the world. You knew this when you made us. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of rest. Amen.Related Resources
Sara Korber-DeWeerd
Sara Korber-DeWeerd is a freelance writer, teacher, and Down syndrome advocate. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband Mark and their three children, plus one dog and seven chickens. When not teaching or writing, Sara enjoys exploring the mountains, lakes, and rocky coastlines of New England with her active family (though they usually leave the chickens at home). You can find Sara's writing about faith, family, and the beauty of our differences at sarakorberdeweerd.com