Rest in a Desert Place — Week 1
By Sharon McCray, Pastor’s Wife at Parkway Community Church, Phoenix, Arizona

“Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place and rest awhile”(Mark 6:31).

Why would Jesus invite His disciples to go to a desert place to rest?  He wanted to take them by boat to the desert of Bethsaida because that was where He chose to be alone with them.  They had been in a constant hurry with no time to regroup or get organized.  There had been too much coming and going of the people, and they didn’t even have time to eat.  Does that sound like the world we live in today?

If someone told me they needed to go to the desert for rest, I might suggest the Hyatt Regency Hotel in a resort area.  Jesus’ ministry and earthly journey, however, were not in a resort area; rather, they were in the desert.  He knew the disciples’ fatigue because He dwelled among them.  Instead of leading them on a tiring journey by foot, He elected to take them on a coastal voyage to make their trip easier.  And as the scriptures reveal, their only time of respite was while they were alone with Him in the boat.  He gave them leave there to pour out their hearts to Him—to divulge the successes and disappointments of their lives.  He already knew the crowds would be waiting on them again when they reached the desert place, and the boat provided a small window of opportunity for them to catch their breath right there with Him. 

Like the disciples, our bodies become weary and our minds fatigued.  When our car is almost out of fuel, it is time to stop and fill it again, but we don’t always treat ourselves with the same respect.  We often recognize that we are running on empty, yet we still don’t take advantage of intimate time with God.  Just as Jesus set a time of rest apart for the disciples, God wants to lighten our load of daily ministry cares by giving us rest.  Our Savior longs to take us aside from the hurried day by boarding His vessel because He knows what awaits us just around the corner.  Our Lord is so amazing that He would make plans to ease our journey, just as He did for the disciples, by showing us a way to have special time with Him.  If that requires taking us off the beaten path, He will do it!  There, in that peaceful resting place, we can take the time to hear the sweet rhythm of the waves and the comfort of the water, even in the hot and arid places of our lives.

As a young pastor’s wife attending my first retreat for women in ministry, I heard the speaker start by reading the scripture found in Matthew 11:28-30 which says, “Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (NKJV).  While the scripture was being read, I could feel the tears streaming down my face because I knew how much I needed His rest and His easy yoke.  It was apparent to me how much I needed the burden I had taken on to be lightened by His precious hand of love.  I needed a moment to take a breath of life from the Gentle Shepherd.  He wanted to show me a way to live a life of renewed strength and energy by helping me to understand what it is like to have a more effective journey with Him.  Isn’t it wonderful that the Lord of our life knows the needs of our heart? 

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