Day 53: The Unforced Rhythms of Grace (SoS 1:7a)

“Tell me, O you whom I love, Where you feed your flock, Where you make it rest at noon. For why should I be as one who veils herself by the flocks of your companions?

Song of Songs 1:7

After the Bride's experience of being overworked, she didn't seek her Beloved in His chambers, nor did she seek Him in a place of leisure. Rather, she sought Him at His workplace.

When we find ourselves in a spiritual crisis, especially when we're overworked or burnt out by activities, we must realize that oftentimes, the problem is not how much or what we're doing but how we are doing it.

There is only so much the human flesh and mind can handle when it comes to physical work talk less spiritual. Paul did express in 1 Corinthians 15:58 in the Amplified version that we are to labor in our work for the Lord to the point of exhaustion. I believe it's why Paul in praying for the Ephesian church prayed for them to be strengthened with might by God's Spirit in their inner man.

Think about it, Jesus was as much human as we are, yet, the Bible often recorded multitudes thronging after Jesus, He was ministering to the sick, preaching from place to place, teaching and training His disciples privately, receiving private guests like Nicodemus, and yet had enough time to go away by Himself to pray. Mark 6:31 tells us that at one time Jesus and His disciples were so busy with many people coming and going, they had no time to eat.  But no matter how busy Jesus got, He never became slack in doing His work, nor did He ever lose fellowship with the Father.

Jesus said in John 15:15 about His disciples:

"I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.]" (AMPC)

To walk in intimacy with Jesus and be His friend, His Bride, is to know what He's doing but not just that. We must know how He does it. Jesus did not only reveal His plans to the twelve disciples, He taught them the things He had learned from the Father. A master never reveals His trade secret to his servants but Jesus has calls us friends. Jesus like He taught His disciples He wants to teach us how He does His work and how He does it without burning out or losing fellowship with the Father.

In Matthew 11:28-30 in the Message Translation, He said:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

We are not only required to work for Jesus but with Him. As stated in the above scripture, we are to walk and work with Him. It's a dynamic that must be interwoven into one. The way that happens is by constantly watching, learning from, and modeling Jesus. Jesus through His ministry modelled this. He said in John 5:19:

“...Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”

Our work for Jesus should be a partnership with Him by His Spirit. We are to learn from Him the unforced rhythms of grace that lets us labor without tiring. We must be like Him, who despite being busy had time to away by Himself to fellowship and learn from the Father. It's the only way we can always keep going without ever burning out or neglecting our vineyards. Don't just work for Jesus, work with Him and walk with Him.

PRAY WITH ME:

Dear Lord Jesus, I love you. Because I love you I commit to laboring with you tirelessly. Teach me the unforced rhythms of grace, how to walk and work with you from a place of rest. Amen.

REFLECT AND ACT:

• Are you working for or working with Jesus? And are you walking with Him as you do it?
• Write how can you constantly learn the unforced rhythms of grace from Jesus?
• One of the simple ways to do that is when you read through the gospels, do not only see the miracles Jesus did but note how He labored without burning out.