TODAY'S VERSE

"Then I heard the Lord asking, 'Whom shall I send as a messenger to My people? Who will go?' And I said, 'Lord, I'll go! Send me.'" Isaiah 6:8, The Living Bible

DEATH TO SELF

"The reason our death [to self] increases the joy level around us is that it also increases the love level all around. Only when we die to self can we fully love one another." Judson Edwards, Men's Devotional Bible

THE NEED FOR REST

"Our Lord Jesus Christ reiterates the need for rest in the Gospels. In Mark 6, Jesus sends the Twelve to do the hard work of the kingdom of God:  exercising authority over unclean spirits, visiting the people, proclaiming repentance & healing the sick. When they return to Jesus--certainly overjoyed at the work given them, but also exhausted--He says to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a desolate place & rest a while.' (Mark 6:31) That is, after your hard labor be rested & refreshed. In Matt. 11 Jesus teaches that one finds spiritual rest & refreshment in Him:  'Come to Me, all who labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, & learn from Me, for I am gentle & lowly in heart, & you will find rest for your souls.'

"Christians properly use leisure for both physical and spiritual rest. A Sunday afternoon nap gives a weary body rejuvenation after a week's hard work. A dinner party with good friends, together enjoying delicious food, camaraderie & conversation, gladdens the heart & provides respite & encouragement. Throwing a Frisbee; hitting the links; kayaking a local lake; painting; throwing pottery; making musics; hobbies & pastimes of all sorts, help us take a break from the stresses & anxieties of work in the world. They give us opportunity to enjoy all the created gifts of God." Rev. Michael Schuermann, The Lutheran Witness, May 2021