“Then Jesus said, “Let’s get away from the crowds for a while and rest.””

Mark 6:31

It’s day six of “Mark, one chapter ad day for Easter.” here at Refocused Bible Study. If you missed the details of the study, you can find them here. We’d love for you to join us!

Today we are reading chapter six, and I was mostly drawn to verses 30-32, where the apostles have just returned from their ministry tour and Jesus tells them to come with him to get away and rest for a while.

30 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.  32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.

I’ll be sharing again today following the pattern for quiet time for this study. It’s based on the acronym for M.A.R.K. seen in the picture below. Try it out in your own personal time with God and see if it helps you hear God through his word more clearly.
My verse: There were amazing miracles in this chapter, like Jesus feeding five thousand from five loaves and two fish, and when he walked on water! What a powerful Savior we have! Even with those amazing moments in today’s reading, I was compelled to write the verse when he asked the apostles to come away with him and rest all over my forearm to help me remember and do this!

As women in 2018,we are pulled in so many different directions, and we can relate to Jesus and his apostles’ problem of needing rest. As the crowds kept pressing in on Jesus and his apostles, the scripture says they were so busy serving and meeting needs that they didn’t even have time to eat. Does that sound familiar to any of your lives, busy mamas? I think it is important that we see how Jesus felt it imperative to have the apostles get away with him to rest just as necessary as meeting all the immediate needs of the crowd.

Application: Intentionally get away with Jesus to rest. This thought is so counter culture in a world where “the hustle” has become a catch phrase. But if we neglect time to refuel and replenish with our Savior, our living water, then our cup is going to run dry and we are not going to be the women we are hustling around striving to be. Create a rhythm of rest into your day. Ideas are short walks or runs, a ten minute rest where you close your eyes, stretching, etc. When you are taking these “rests” from serving others and working hard, invite Jesus. Practice an awareness of his steadfast presence. Acknowledge that he is the trustworthy One in control, making it possible for you to truly rest in him, knowing he’s got everything under control.

Review: In the thick of a season of ministry and spreading the gospel, the apostles returned to share their experiences with Jesus. He responded by telling them to come away and rest with him for a while.

Kneel in prayer: Sweet Jesus, thank you for knowing that we need time to rest in you. Please help us to abide in you, working hard at whatever good work you have for us to do, but to also listen to your voice calling us away to rest and refuel with you. You do the miracles, Jesus, and we trust that you are always working, even when we are resting. Amen.

I love how Jesus speaks personally to each of us through his word, giving us what we need to abide in him. I’d love to hear what he spoke to you through this chapter!

What’s next at Refocused Bible Study for the month of April?!

Spring has sprung, and not only are there bunnies hopping around in the green grass, there are dust bunnies on my furniture. The animals are popping their heads back up from their underground burrows and living life again, but the piles of stuff under the beds in my house haven’t seen the light of day since long before winter started. My heart sinks when I think about all that needs to get done in my house. It’s time for a

~~Spring Cleaning!~~

But why spend so many hours mindlessly going through our houses when we can pray scripture that will bring a powerful cleansing of our Spirit and our family’s spirits as we bag up, scrub, and shine our way to a clean house and clean hearts!

Here at Refocused Bible Study, starting April 9th, I will be blogging through this journey to a clean heart and home!  I wrote a 4 week bible study available HERE, titled, “Spring Cleaning for your heart and home: Praying your way to a clean house.” Get it here and let’s get ready for a heart & home cleansing!