The Valley of Rest

“So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.”  I Samuel 30:9

David had gone with the Philistine army to fight against Israel, but the Lord had intervened, and King Achish sent him back home. What a tragic scene met their eyes. The city of Ziklag had been burned with fire, and their families had been taken captive. The people blamed David and were threatening to stone him. David was distressed, but his faith in God prevailed. “David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”

He called for the priest and enquired of the Lord as to how to proceed. The answer he received was to pursue them, and a promise was given that he would recover all. He and his men set out. Some of them were very tired, so David left them in the Valley of Besor to rest and recover.

Rest is important to all of us. The Lord modeled this when He created the earth. He set apart the seventh day as a day of rest. Often, we can become so busy with our daily duties that we forget to take time to just relax. When Jesus was here on earth, He often withdrew from the crowds to spend some time alone. Even though He was God, He dwelt in a human body and grew tired at times.

He instructed His disciples in Mark 6:31 –“Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.”

Jesus not only stressed the need for our natural bodies to find rest, but He also spoke of rest for our souls.

Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Isaiah 40:29-31  -“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

I trust that you have enjoyed the studies this week about the different valleys mentioned in the Bible and how we can learn lessons from them. There are many others, but time would not permit me to write of them all.

Promise For Today: There is rest for the weary in Jesus.

Devotion by: Anne Johnston