Let Me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls. MATTHEW 11:28 TLB 

I’m starting to love cloudy beach days. I remember my first adventure to the beach during the summer. I packed my bag like I normally do with all the things I normally need. If you’ve ever been to a beach in a subtropical region in the middle of July, you know you need to take some things you might not “normally” take. I go alone, so I’ve never been in the habit of bringing a canopy or umbrella with me. I quickly discovered on that blistering July day that I was going to need a break from the heat. To my dismay it was a cloudless day. It ended up being the shortest beach day I’ve ever had. And I gained a new appreciation for clouds and canopies. 

It’s good to be a lifelong learner. There are things all along the way that teach us how to be better friends, parents, siblings, coworkers, and most importantly, people who love God and the people He made. And that includes everybody. Jesus is the best teacher of the things that matters most. Through His life on earth He left us a clear example of how to live. Still, we need to let Him teach us. We need to keep studying the words He spoke and the life He lived. It’s our path to finding rest. Real rest for our souls. He’s gentle and humble, so He won’t force the lessons on us or make us accept the guidance He offers. 

Like clouds on a sunny day give us a cool break and a little relief, learning how Jesus handled life gives us a break from the burden of trying to figure it out on our own. We’re human, so we’re not always going to remember how to get it right. His life is the textbook on love, and love is what we’re here to do. It’s a simple command, but we won’t master it in a lifetime. All we can do is learn how to get better at it, but only by letting our Master teach us. 

Father, teach me to listen and follow, to love and rest, to daily surrender to a lifetime of learning Your ways. 

This is an excerpt from The Beach is Calling: 90 Devotions for Rest & Relaxationa devotional now available on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.