Come Away With Me

Hello Bride of Christ, 

The phrase "Pause is Power" coined by, American gymnast, Simone Biles has been ringing in my ears for the past couple weeks. It is an intriguing concept because life often finds a way to become overwhelmingly busy. You find yourself running from one activity to the next or from one meeting to the next. Can you relate with the back to back calls during the work day that do not even allow you to pause to use the bathroom? Or the pressing deadlines that seem to leave you with very little time to pull together a descent thought? Yes, you have set boundaries. Yes, you are saying no to activities. Yes, you are bowing out of activities. However, the empty timeslots quickly get filled with items outside of your control. Pause. This concept is not a new one, for God did establish the Sabbath because He knew we would need rest. God Himself, after creating all creation, gave Himself a pause, for He rested on the seventh day. Even while Jesus fulfilled His ministry on earth He paused. So how did Jesus pause? How does He call us to pause?

In the gospel of Mark chapter 6 verses 30-52, John Mark writes an account of when Jesus demonstrated this pause with his apostles. Starting in verse 30 of Chapter 6 the apostles gather to Jesus and they begin to share with Jesus about all things, both the work and teaching they were performing in Jesus' name. After hearing these accounts, Jesus responds to them and says, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." (Mark 6:31) John Mark goes on to write they did indeed get in a boat to depart alone with Jesus, but the multitude found out where Jesus was going, so they followed. As Jesus saw the multitude He was moved with compassion for the people, and began to teach. The teaching went on for hours for John Mark tells us that the disciples came to Jesus and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages, and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat." (Mark 6:35-36) Now mind you, this was not a small crowd, for the account says there were about 5,000 people! Imagine! Put yourself into the apostles' shoes, Jesus had told you to come with Him to a deserted place and rest a while...Jesus begins to teach for hours on end...they had to be thinking, ok, now at meal time when everyone goes to get their meal we will be able to rest, pause, do nothing. But Jesus. How does Jesus respond?

Jesus says to his disciples, "You give them something to eat." (Mark 6:37). Can you see the jaw drops and eye rolls? Can you hear the sighs? The disciples manage to respond, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?" "But He said to them, 'How many loaves do you have? Go and see.'" (Mark 6:37-38) Jesus then instructs the disciples to sit the people down in groups. "And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all." (Mark 6:41) And the full multitude were filled, so filled there were leftovers taken up in 12 baskets! 

Then immediately, Jesus made His disciples get into a boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. (Mark 6:45) Fulfilling what He had told them to do earlier that day..."Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." After everyone is gone. Jesus pauses. John Mark writes, "And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray." (Mark 6:45) Jesus paused. Jesus prayed and connected with God during His pause. After being filled up by God, Jesus notices His disciples in the middle of the sea straining (not resting) against the wind, and so He goes to them by walking on the water. The disciples mistake Jesus for a ghost and scream, but Jesus responds, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." (Mark 6:50) "Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened." (Mark 6:51-52)

Bride of Christ, many of us would define pause as a stop in activity, like when you hit pause on a video. When you hit pause in a video everything freezes. Unfortunately, life does go on when we stop. Other people do continue to have needs and responsibilities which you impact even when you pause. As the disciples noticed... the multitude needed to eat and Jesus expected them to meet that need. Other times we might define pause as a moment in time where you can rest and renew your energy, or others might define it as a full 24 hours of no work but all play. But Jesus, demonstrated that a pause is simply coming away with God. Jesus departed to the mountain to pray. Jesus' rest for the disciples was simply them enjoying being in His presence. In His presence while He fed 5,000 people from what seemed to be very little. In His presence, while He made the winds cease. But much like the disciples we do not understand all the marvelous things Jesus is doing for us to rest because we have it made up in our minds how we will pause. Jesus told the Pharisees that He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Therefore, if He is the Lord of the Sabbath (day of rest) then He defines how it is fulfilled. Listen, Jesus is calling to you today to come away with Him and rest a while. Will you go with no expectation, but to see and be with Him? Good news, if you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior and Lord, through the power of the Holy Spirit He dwells in you. Selah!