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There’s just something about the mountains.
When we’re thinking “vacation,” sandy white beaches and theme parks never enter our minds.
It’s almost as if we hear God whisper, “Come and get away from your daily routines and just rest.”
“Rest in Me.”
“And receive.”
“Allow yourself to be inspired.”
“Let Me love you unconditionally.”
“Be still.”
“And know.”
“That I am God.”
“You are Mine forever.”
“And I am yours forever.”
“So why don’t we just enjoy each other’s company?”
“No agenda. No to-do list.”
“Just enjoy Me while I enjoy you.”
“After all, isn’t that what true intimacy is?”
If any of the above appeals to you, God might just be calling you to “come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while” (Mark 6:31).
I had made up my mind that I was going to unplug (go offline) while during our vacation.
It really wasn’t as hard as I thought it might be.
There were a couple of times I was tempted to check my e-mail and Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds, but the desire didn’t last long.
My desire to be attentive to the Lord and experience sweet intimacy with Him was much greater.
I’m so thankful that His desire for me to spend time relaxing in His presence is the well from which my heart’s desires spring (Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10).
His heart’s desire is where it all starts!
One way that helps me get into a state of relaxed receptivity is to read the New Testament (especially Paul’s epistles) and New Covenant, grace-saturated books such as the following:
Lifetime Guarantee
The Confident Woman
What God Wishes Christians Knew About Christianity
Relaxing with God
God without Religion
The Naked Gospel
The Art of Spiritual War
The Hurt & the Healer
Heaven Is Now
God’s Astounding Opinion of You
Life According to Perfect
God’s Best-Kept Secret
The Cross Worked
Unveiling Jesus
The Christian Identity, Volume 1: Discovering What Jesus Has Truly Done to Us
Letters from Jesus: Finding Good News in Christ’s Letters to the Churches
Twisted Scriptures: Untangling 45 Lies Christians Have Been Told
Every one of these books highlights the finished work of Christ and the believer’s spotless identity in Him.
Jesus really did do all the work on the cross! (John 19:30)
When we literally believed into Him, we became a blameless child of God and the pure bride of Christ (John 3:16; Phil. 2:14-16; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:27; Rev. 19:7).
All that’s left for us to do is believe the Gospel of grace in Christ Jesus and walk in harmony with His Spirit who lives in us 24/7/365 (John 6:28-29; Gal. 5:16, 22-23).
If you view yourself as a dirty, rotten sinner with whom God is always disappointed or angry, then you will not allow yourself to enjoy the intimacy with Him that is available for the receiving.
Receiving, not earning.
That’s amazing grace.
The kind of grace that you will not be fully able to wrap your mind around in this time-bound world (Eph. 2:8-9).
So why don’t you do yourself a huge favor and unplug, get away with Jesus, and rest in His unconditional love for a while?
The greatest benefit of my mountain vacation was God’s reminder to get back into “restful, receiving mode,” no matter what I’m doing.
It’s an attitude of the soul where I am continually drawing on His resources within (John 7:38).
And realizing that I don’t have anything to offer unless I’m enjoying authentic intimacy with the Lover of my soul on a regular basis (Song 2:10, Matt. 11:28-29).
As I wrote in His Banner over Me Is Pursuing Love:
“No one wants to read a book on how to bake the perfect cherry pie unless he or she knows the author makes delicious cherry pies! Likewise, no one wants to read a book or listen to a message about how to enjoy Jesus unless the author or speaker consistently shows forth the fruit of delighting in Him.”
You cannot go wrong when you invest precious time resting in Christ’s finished work and enjoying His sweet presence!
Dear reader, what, if anything, is keeping you from resting in Christ’s finished work and enjoying His sweet presence?
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If you enjoyed this post, I invite you to check out all of my books and my video series based on my first devotional.
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