Summer is here. I love it. And I need it. Or, more accurately, I need time for rest and restoration. How about you? Are you exhausted too? Thankfully, the month of July can be a month for renewal. God is ready to bless us the way we need to be blessed. And those blessings may surprise us in a very good way.

May those who delight in my vindication
    shout for joy and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
    who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
(Psalm 35:27; NIV)

So we need to make room for God’s plans and blessings in our lives. God is ready to give but if our hands – and hearts – are too full of junk to receive God’s gifts, we will miss them. Hence it is time to take some time off to seek God and his will for our lives. And that’s what I hope for you this summer.

How are you going to slow down this summer? I plan to dwell more in God’s Word and spend more time in prayer. But I also plan to take time off the daily routines (which means this blog will be on hiatus for the month of July and possibly a bit longer if our family’s move to Ethiopia happens at the beginning of August).

God is ready to bless us

Our need for vacation, sabbath, and rest declares loudly that we are not gods, we are humans and we need rest and tender loving care in order to thrive once again. Blessedly, God is ready to bless us the way we need to be blessed. Not the way we want to be blessed but the way we need to be blessed. The very best way, that is.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.
(Ps. 34:8-9, NIV)

This way we are allowed to be children and our Heavenly Father will take care of us. I am so looking forward to God’s tender loving restoration this summer. Because I sure need it. But also because I can’t wait to see what God is doing in my and your life. So let’s give God freedom to do whatever He wants in each of our lives. How exciting to know God is ready to bless us according to His plans for our lives. All this while we rest in Him. We are blessed indeed!

Dear God,
We come to you exhausted, we need rest and restoration.
So help us, Lord.
We surrender to you and ask you to bless us the way you know we need.
Help us to make more room for you in our lives.
Show us how we can slow down and be restored by your Spirit.
Thank you for wanting us to take time off and rest.
We are open to your guidance and restoration.
May your will be done in and through our lives.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

P.S.

Dear friend, rejoice in the Lord! He wants the best for you. And now that you’re exhausted, it’s time to rest in Him. Let the angels minister to you and spend some quiet quality time with Jesus. Seek him and he will take care of the rest. Let God’s grace fill every inch of your being and let God’s Word rejuvenate you. Do not worry about the future, it’s in God’s more than capable hands. All that is left for you to do is rest. I think I can do that. How about you? Be abundantly blessed, my dear friend. See you in August!