The sea calls to you, and the mountains beckon, yet remember that it is not the place but the presence that gives rest. True rest to the mind of the child of God is rest on the wing, rest in motion, rest in service, not rest with the yoke off, but with the yoke on. You speak of being tired, and I know that service can weary the body, but in this service he does rest, like birds that sleep upon the wing. It is rest to labor for the Lord Jesus. You long for travel and a change of scene; this is not sinful, for even the Psalmist panted for fresh springs. Yet take heed: the soul that is truly alive to God will never be at ease entirely here, for their citizenship is in heaven, and they cannot rest. They desire a better country. So your very longing proves your spirit is not stagnant.
But what is this inner rest you mention almost as an afterthought? It is the first thing, the rest given freely when we come to Jesus, perfect and present, not delayed until death or a holiday. The world seeks rest in dry places and finds none, but we who have trusted have entered that rest. And what of travel? If it is granted, receive it as a mercy; if it is withheld, know that the Lord Himself is your abiding place. Ambition spoils rest; the constant greed for a change of circumstance can put quietness of spirit out of reach. Rather, learn contentment. Rest in the Lord, not merely in something about Him, but in His very self. A sight of Him with His face to the opposition, going through all with boundless courage, makes us feel we must go forward too, even till we enter into His rest.
You have not been to the seaside for seven years; two years without a holiday. I do not dismiss the weight of that weariness. The body needs respite, and it is not unspiritual to ask for it. Still, I would say to you: let your deepest longing be for Him. Oh that I knew where I might find Him! That is the cry of a soul that has tasted better joys. The stronger that longing becomes, the stronger the life from which it springs. Do you pant for God as the hart for the water brooks? Then He will satisfy you, whether by the sea or in the desert. Never rest until you find rest in Him, lest you make a blunder, a fatal blunder, and mistake a change of air for the repose of the soul. We who are often weary know that heaven’s rest will be seasonable indeed, where there are no Monday mornings, but eternal rest.
Nevertheless, take heart. If you belong to Christ, you cannot finally settle into the world’s ease, for grace has changed your nature. Retreat is impossible, not because we are strong, but because we are bound to Him by a myriad ties. Burn the boats; we will not be beaten. Press on, and in pressing on you shall find rest, a deep rest, a growing rest, an abiding rest, not only which you have found, but which you shall go on to find. Trust and you shall rest. This is my prayer: that God, who knows your frame and remembers you are dust, may grant you seasons of refreshment in green pastures, but that above all, you may know Him as your eternal rest, for this is His rest forever, and here He will dwell, for He has desired it.