The teacher of a large women’s Bible study in a major metropolitan city decided to take the summer off: no quiet time, no Bible reading, and no prayer life for the entire summer. When September rolled around, she found herself more miserable than she had ever been in her life.

Summer can be a great time for restoring strength and energy. But what is the best way to do that? When the psalmists were burdened and busy, they found rejuvenation by spending time in the presence of God, not by avoiding His presence: “My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (Psalm 84:2). “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [elsewhere]” (Psalm 84:10). If you have lost your joy and the pleasures of the Christian life, consider David’s words: “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Consider this summer as an opportunity to accept Jesus’ invitation: “Come to Me...and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Anxious care is out of place in a heavenly Father’s presence.
Kenneth Wuest