In doing research for chapter seventeen, Courage to Rest in my most recent book, my heart came alive. A fallow period (or rest period) has so many benefits for the land.
A “fallow period” was used by farmers to maintain the natural productivity of their land. Leaving their land dormant for an extended period of time would rebalance soil nutrients, eliminate soil pests and disease cycles, and even allow the land to be a haven for natural wildlife.
The command from God for the land to rest wasn’t just for the land's benefit. I believe that God wanted to instill something deep in the hearts of His people, too. To teach them lessons they would not soon forget. And God wants to do the same for our lives by inviting us to have the courage to rest right where we are.
He wants us to create weekly rhythms of rest, just like He did in the Garden of Eden in the very beginning of creation. And sometimes, just sometimes, God asks us to have faith enough to break out of our ordinary lives and completely trust Him during a season of rest. Rhythms of rest and seasons of rest can be vastly different. A season often defies our norms and beckons us toward a deeper relationship with Him.
The benefits that come from having the courage to rest in these seasons far outweigh anything it could ever cost us. It could be a job shift. It could be a season of saying “no” to things you once said “yes” to.
Above all, it is a season to simply and honestly trust and obey God in ways you never have before.
So take heart, my friend. Just as a season of fallow ground does not last forever, neither does a season of rest. It is just that: a season. You won’t be sitting on the sidelines of life forever.
This especially hits home as we have all walked through COVID these past few years together. You will go back to producing a harvest in your life beyond your wildest dreams. The fallow season actually assists you in becoming more fruitful in the seasons of produce that lie ahead.
"Opportunity will again open its doors, but now is the season for something deeper to happen within you."
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Photo Credit: Tiago Cardoso, pexels.com | Design: Milan Klusacek, milanklusacek.com
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