Recently I’ve been in a place that I’ve allowed the busy-ness of life to overwhelm me.

Little by little, moment by moment, yes by yes … the enemy tried a tactic he has used so many times in my life…to overwhelm me.

The ultimate goal is to get me to the point that I self-Sabatoge. You see my busy-ness can created a lack of intimacy with others which will block me from being vulnerable about my feelings. And pride will stop me from saying “I need help”.

I picture this conversation with the Lord and the Devil. “Overwhelm her”, he said … the Lord said “you can try” –

We read in the book of Job that God gave the enemy permission to do anything to Job but he couldn’t kill him. Wow! We also read in the New Testament, Jesus say “Simon oh Simon, Satan has come to sift you like wheat.”

But the very next verse says  “But I have prayed for you,Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

I scratch out the name Simon and put my name. Jesus is telling me, “But I have prayed for you Rachel, that your faith may not fail!”

Now I am in a place of repentance, I have turned back, and it is time for me to strengthen the brethren. So here I am, being vulnerable, hoping that the vulnerability will be a vessel the Lord uses to breakthrough in your situation as well.

I’m not the only one who faces these feelings. We’re all human and those of us who are Christians and truly fighting the fight of faith, we are one body! So we all feel the same things.

If I stub my toe, my whole body knows what just happened. So we all feel the weight and pressure of the times we are living in.

But I prayed your strength would not fail!!

Through these moments, I have been meditating on The Sabbath, his rest!

The Lord has given us the time, resources and energy to do what we need to do in 6 days.

Do we give him the “rest”?

Sometimes I can be so uncomfortable building relationships that I stay busy, stay isolated, stay “serving” … but am I avoiding intimacy?

I believe our life lived in the natural is a picture of where we are spiritually. Am I uncomfortable with truly being vulnerable with the Lord that I hide, by being busy, isolating and/or serving God. Because I am scared of the next level of intimacy or consecration with the Lord?

These are just questions I now ask myself when I say, “how did I get here?”

So the times I allow myself to be a Martha, even though I am truly serving the Lord like she was, am I truly serving the Lord or avoiding intimacy?

I want him to breakthrough and give me the rest that HE says I deserve.

The peace, the vulnerability to “be me”, the joy that only he gives, the patience to endure.

Through the sabbath, through resting with him, it’s the only way I will attain a truly intimate relationship with the Father and the body of Christ.

I want that!

“Understand that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he will give you two days’ worth of bread. Each of you stay where you are; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day.” So the people rested on the seventh day.” Exodus 16:29-30 CSB

“Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32 CSB