Come Apart And Rest
The Oft Forgotten Commandment
Come Apart and Rest, August 15
And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. Mark 6:31.
He [Jesus] did not urge upon His disciples the necessity of ceaseless toil.… “Come ye yourselves apart, … and rest a while,” He says to those who are worn and weary. It is not wise to be always under the strain of work and excitement, … for in this way personal piety is neglected, and the powers of mind and soul and body are overtaxed.
Care needs to be exercised in regard to the regulation of hours for sleeping and laboring. We must take periods of rest, periods of recreation, periods for contemplation.
There are modes of recreation which are highly beneficial to both mind and body.… Recreation in the open air, the contemplation of the works of God in nature, will be of the highest benefit.
It is for our health and happiness to go out of our houses, and spend as much of our time as possible in the open air.… We should invite our minds to be interested in all the glorious things God has provided for us with a liberal hand. And in reflecting upon these rich tokens of His love and care, we may forget infirmities, be cheerful, and make melody in our hearts unto the Lord.
Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power—these are the true remedies.… Nature, untrammeled, does her work wisely and well. Those who persevere in obedience to her laws will reap the reward in health of body and health of mind.
He [Jesus] found recreation amidst the scenes of nature.… His hours of greatest happiness were found when He could turn aside from His labors to go into the fields, to meditate in the quiet valleys, to hold communion with God on the mountainside or amid the trees of the forest.
We may … make our seasons of recreation what the name implies—seasons of true upbuilding for body and mind and soul.
Wait Upon the Lord for Strength, September 6
And … [Jesus] said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. Mark 6:31.
Those who are connected with the work … are to live so near the Lord that light will shine forth from them as from a lamp that burneth. When there is shown a deep, earnest determination to press together, the very oneness of the workers will proclaim the truth with power, making a deep impression on those not of our faith.…
Workers for God will meet with turmoil, discomfort, and weariness. At times, uncertain and distracted, the heart is almost in despair. When this restless nervousness comes, the worker should stop and rest. Christ invites him, “Come … apart, … and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.… They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29–31).…
A worker cannot gain success while he hurries through his prayers to God, and rushes away to look after something that he fears may be neglected or forgotten. He takes time to give only a few hurried thoughts to God, that is all. He does not give himself time to think, to pray, to wait upon the Lord for a renewal of spiritual and physical strength. He soon becomes jaded. He does not feel the uplifting, inspiring influence of God’s Spirit. He is not quickened by fresh life. His jaded frame and tired brain are not soothed by personal contact with Christ.
“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” (Psalm 27:14). “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord” (Lam. 3:26). There are those who work all day and far into the night to do what it seems to them needs to be done. The Lord looks pitifully upon these weary, heavy-laden burden-bearers, and says to them, “Come unto me, … and I will give you rest.… For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30) (letter 83).
Our life is to be hid with Christ in God; and if it is thus hidden, in His hands it will be converted into a lamp which will shed upon the world a bright and steady light.… But though time is short, and there is a great work to be done, the Lord is not pleased to have us so prolong our seasons of activity that there will not be time for periods of rest, for the study of the Bible, and for communion with God. All this is essential to fortify the soul, to place us in a position where we shall receive wisdom from God to employ our talents in the Master’s service to the highest account (Youth’s Instructor, Feb. 3, 1898).