. . . And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat (Mark 6:31).

Many times we just work and work and don’t know when to give our bodies the necessary rest. It’s good to be hardworking and very diligent at work but at the same time it’s equally important to realize that the human body has a limit of exertion it can endure. Stretching it beyond that limit makes the body subject to unnecessary wear and tear.

It’s therefore important you take very good care of your body, not only in the things you eat and do to your body, but also in making sure your body is well treated. The Bible tells us how that God blessed and sanctified the seventh day: “because that in it He had rested from all His work…” (Genesis 2:3).

The Lord Jesus, as our opening scripture indicates, took time off with His disciples to rest. The in Mark 4:38, we learn that He rested His body in sleep when He got tired:

“And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?”

On another occasion, He rested at the well of Samaria as revealed in John 4:6:

“Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.”

The Lord rested because He was tired. So it’s possible to get tired, and when you get tired, you need to rest your body so it can recover. Many don’t do this and the implication is that they stand the risk of wearing out their bodies. Giving your body adequate rest is a way to maintain good health, so take it seriously.

Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for your Word that has enlightened me on the necessity and importance of taking good care of my body. Through your help, I’m able to give my body the necessary rest it requires to remain healthy, strong and fit for the tasks ahead. I thank you, Lord, for your Word, indeed, is gaining the mastery over my body, even as it renews the strength of my inner man daily, in the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

Further Study
Genesis 2:2-3
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

 -pastor chris