Return and Rest: Strength in Stillness
- Kristin Smith
- Apr 12
- 2 min read
Scripture Focus
“For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’ But you were unwilling.”
— Isaiah 30:15 (ESV)
Devotional Reflection
This verse is both invitation and warning. God offers His people salvation, rest, quietness, and strength—but they refuse. The tragedy lies not in His absence but in their unwillingness to receive what He freely gives.
We often resist rest. We fill our calendars, numb our fatigue, and live in a swirl of spiritual and emotional noise. Yet God still whispers the same promise: return to Me. Rest in Me. Quiet your soul. Trust My way.
Quietness and trust are not signs of weakness—they are the foundations of strength. This kind of strength isn’t loud or showy; it’s rooted, unshaken, and nourished by the presence of God. Sacred simplicity is a returning—a turning back toward what we were made for: communion with the Holy One of Israel.
Inhale Truth, Exhale Trust
Breath Prayer:
Inhale: In returning and rest…
Exhale: I find strength in You.
How to Practice a Breath Prayer:
Step away from whatever is making you feel hurried or strained.
Sit or walk slowly, repeating today’s breath prayer.
Allow each word to draw you back to the center—Christ in you.
Practice this throughout the day as an act of holy resistance to busyness.
Practical Application
Carve out 10 minutes today for silence and stillness. No music, no words—just you and the Lord. Imagine yourself returning to Him again and again. Let His presence restore you.
Journal Prompt
Why do you think we resist rest and quietness, even when we know we need them? What keeps you from returning to God for strength?
Closing Prayer
Holy One of Israel, I hear Your invitation. Forgive me for the times I’ve rushed past Your rest. Teach me to return. To stop running. To sit still and let You be my strength. In quietness and trust, anchor my heart. Amen.
Invitation to Live with Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
Truth calls us to return and rest. Goodness is found not in striving but in trusting. Beauty lives in the stillness where God meets us. Today, accept the invitation to come back to the One who is your true strength.
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