Do you ever catch your breath, friend?

Do you know people who talk so fast and so much that you have to ask yourself, "Do they ever get a chance to catch their breath?"

friend, I'm sure there have been times in your life, too, where you thought to yourself, "There's so much going on—I just have to rest for a minute and breathe!"

God Himself also took time to catch His breath after His work of creation: "'...For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He stopped working and was refreshed.'" (Exodus 31:17, NLT)  Some translations say, "He rested and drew breath."

I love that the word "draw" is used in this context because though it's a word that is rarely used anymore, its meaning is very precious. It means "to receive strength from something for someone." Wow. Strength from a breath. Perhaps this is why the expression "draw breath" is so rarely used: in our day and age, we so rarely stop to do so.

 friend, the amazing news is that you're allowed to breathe out this week's stress and burdens to breathe in strength for the week ahead! Are you doing that consciously?

You may think you don't really have time to breathe right now. But that's one of the biggest mistakes I believe people make these days—saying there isn't any time. God could've given us a four-day week, but He deliberately gave us a seven-day week. He even showed us through His own example how to handle the week: "'You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the LORD…'" (Exodus 31:15, NLT). 

friend, this day of rest is something that has become very important to me. And yes, I'm the first to admit how hard it can be to keep! After all, there's always something going on, you want to get tasks done quickly, it's "now or never"…

But if we always think and act this way, we run the risk of not being able to breathe. God loves us so much and wants us to go through life healthy and strong! That's why He insists that we come to a place of rest and draw breath…in other words, receive strength. :-)

I'd encourage you, friend, to treasure the day of rest…not to achieve salvation but to receive God's great blessing!

You are a miracle!