“By the seventh day God finished the work that he had been doing,
and he ceased on the seventh day all the work that he had been doing.”
(Genesis 2:2, NET)
“He said to them, ‘Come with me privately to an isolated place and rest a while’….”
(Mark 6:31, NET)
God stopped his work; He ceased his activity. The term used here, šābat, is the word from which we get sabbath, our day of rest.
Jesus took the disciples away to become physically refreshed after ceasing their busy activity or work.
Both are examples of what we should also do and do regularly! How often do we really stop our activity and rest? (Note to self: read what I’m writing!)
We were given a huge blessing several weeks ago: a four-night stay for the July 4th holiday at Colter Bay RV Park in Grand Teton National Park. We had visited this RV park with Katie’s sister and brother-in-law last summer while in Idaho. At the time we thought how wonderful it would be to stay here. However, the cost is prohibitive for us and getting reservations in a national park almost impossible!
But with God, all things are possible!
After the last 18 months of non-stop activity and travel to meet with supporters, churches, friends, family, and work with SOWER, we needed to rest, to have a šābat, to cease from our activities. Just as Jesus took His disciples away to a quiet place, we got away to a beautiful, quiet, restful place!
There are several easy hikes around this part of Jackson Lake. In the mornings we hiked some of these trails and marveled at His creation. To think He created all this for His glory and our enjoyment is amazing. Since there were few people on these trails, it was our private place.
In the afternoons, we sat outside our home with our coffee and read, took short walks to let our furry travel companion, Lucky, do his thing, and to enjoy more of the area. Internet connectivity was almost zero. It was enough to get a few messages in and out, but lack of connectivity increased the sense of isolation and forced us to rest.
We finished our šābat at Gros Ventre campground in Jackson Hole, WY. We’d stayed at Gros Ventre last September at the beginning of our trip east to VA and wanted to return someday. What a special blessing these five days were to us! 🤠 🤗
This week’s Blessings, Prayer Requests, and Current Schedule are here.
Check out more pictures here.
