How to Find Rest in Jesus When Life Gets Busy: Lessons from Ruth
The holidays are coming, and if your calendar looks anything like mine, it's already filling up. There are meals to plan, gifts to buy, parties to attend, family coming to visit, and a to-do list that seems to grow every time we look at it. Most of us are tired before the season even starts.
We tell ourselves we'll rest once the holidays are over. January will be quieter, so we’ll catch our breath then.
However, rest was never meant to wait until our schedule clears. The rest that Jesus offers isn't found in an empty calendar or a life without responsibilities. It's found in Him. In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus makes this promise:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
So how do we actually rest in Jesus, especially when life is running at full speed? One of my favorite pictures of what it means to rest in someone else's care comes from a young widow named Ruth and a very clever mother-in-law.
Before we begin, I've put together a free Bible study called "The Greatest Love of All" to help you spend some quiet time with Jesus this season. You'll find it at the end of this post, or you can grab it here.
Naomi Has a Plan
By the time we reach Ruth chapter three, Ruth has lost her husband, left her homeland, and followed Naomi back to Bethlehem with nothing. She's been working hard, gleaning in the fields of a man named Boaz, who happens to be a close relative of the family.
Naomi has been watching all of this, and she wants something better for Ruth. In Ruth 3:1 she says: “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you?"
Here's something I love. The word the New King James translates as "security" is the same word the King James Version translates as "rest." Naomi wants to find Ruth a place of rest and security.
The Hebrew word used here is manoach, which carries the idea of a resting place, a place of security and settled peace. Naomi wasn't simply looking for Ruth to have a break from working in the fields. She wanted Ruth to have a secure future, a home, and someone who would care for her.
And isn't this what we all long for, a place where we can finally stop worrying about what tomorrow might bring? A place where we don't have to carry every burden or figure everything out on our own?
That is the kind of rest Jesus offers us. Not necessarily a life without difficulties, but the security of knowing that we belong to Him and can trust Him with whatever tomorrow holds.
Naomi lays out her plan in Ruth 3:3-4:
"Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do."
When I read these verses, I see a clever woman's advice and God's providence coming together…
Today, Naomi’s plan would look like this: First, Ruth must dress to impress. She needs to relax in a bubble bath, do her hair and make-up, put on a really nice dress, and go down to the threshing floor. Then, after Boaz eats dinner and settles down to sleep, Ruth has to slip up quietly, uncover his toes, and lie at his feet until he wakes up. Perhaps the cool night air on his uncovered feet would wake him, and he'd discover Ruth lying there.
Now that's one way to get a man's attention!
Naomi's instructions were specifically for Ruth, but as I read them, I can't help noticing how each one reminds me of something Scripture teaches us about our relationship with Jesus. In fact, these four instructions give us a beautiful picture of how we can prepare our hearts to rest in Him, even when life is anything but restful.
Finding Rest in Jesus
1. Cleansed by Christ
Naomi's first instruction to Ruth was simple: wash yourself.
When it comes to our relationship with Jesus, we don't wash ourselves before coming to Him. We come to Him just as we are, and He is the One who cleanses us. Revelation 1:5 describes Him as the One "who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood." That cleansing is accomplished through His sacrifice, and nothing we do can add to it.
But there's another kind of cleansing that takes place as we walk with Him. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:26 that Christ cleanses His church "with the washing of water by the word." God's Word continues to shape our thinking, correct our attitudes, and remind us of what is true.
During a busy season, our minds can become cluttered with lists, worries, expectations, and the stress of everything we have to accomplish. Spending time in Scripture helps us clear away those distractions and refocus our hearts on Jesus. The more we fill our hearts and minds with His truth, the less room there is for the worries of this world to take over.
2. Strengthened by His Spirit
Next, Naomi told Ruth to anoint herself with oil. In Ruth's day, fragrant oil was used as part of preparing oneself for a special occasion. For us, that oil brings to mind the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to every believer.
We don't have to face life's demands in our own strength. The Holy Spirit already dwells within us, teaching us, guiding us, and helping us walk in obedience to Christ. Ephesians 5:18 tells us to "be filled with the Spirit," and 1 John 2:27 reminds us that "the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you."
Being filled with the Spirit means living under His influence rather than allowing our circumstances, emotions, or endless responsibilities to control us. We can ask Him for wisdom when we're overwhelmed, patience when we're frustrated, and strength when we're exhausted.
We can't run a holiday season on willpower alone, and we were never meant to. The Spirit who lives within us is our Helper, even in the middle of the busiest days.
3. Clothed in Christ
Then Naomi told Ruth to put on her best garment.
For us, this brings to mind something far more beautiful than anything hanging in our closets. Romans 13:14 tells us, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
When we belong to Christ, we receive a new identity. We don't have to earn it or work to create it. It is ours because of what Jesus has done for us. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
Putting on Christ means learning to live according to who we already are in Him. We no longer have to measure our worth by the world's expectations or by how well we manage everything around us.
Let’s face it, the holidays can bring plenty of those expectations. The perfect table, the perfect gifts, the perfect family photo, the perfect everything. But our acceptance before God doesn't depend on any of those things. It rests entirely on Jesus Christ and what He has already accomplished for us. Nothing can change who we are in Christ.
4. Resting at His Feet
Finally, Naomi instructed Ruth to lie down at Boaz's feet.
For us, resting at the feet of Jesus begins with humility and recognizing that we need Him. We cannot do everything in our own strength. James 4:10 says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."
Ruth followed Naomi's instructions, and when Boaz awakened and found her at his feet, she made a bold request in Ruth 3:9: "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative."
Ruth was asking Boaz to marry her and act as her family redeemer. But there's a beautiful connection here. In Ruth 2:12, Boaz had spoken of Ruth finding refuge under the wings of God. Now Ruth was asking Boaz to extend that same protection and security to her through marriage.
Boaz responded with kindness, promising in Ruth 3:11, "I will do for you all that you request."
What a beautiful reminder that we, too, can come to Jesus seeking refuge. We can bring Him our burdens and uncertainties, trusting that He will receive us and care for us. In John 6:37, Jesus promises, "the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
Personal Application: Resting in Jesus This Season
So, what does all of this look like when November and December are packed with responsibilities?
Cleansed by Christ:
Before you open your phone or your to-do list in the morning, spend a little time in God's Word, even if it's only a few verses. Let His truth shape your thinking before the demands of the day begin.
Strengthened by His Spirit:
When you feel the pressure building, stop and pray. Ask the Holy Spirit for patience in the checkout line, peace at the family table, and strength when you're running on empty.
Clothed in Christ:
When you're tempted to measure yourself by how well the holidays turn out, remember who you are in Jesus. Your identity in Him doesn't change no matter what’s going on around you.
Resting at His Feet:
Make time to simply be with Jesus. Remember Martha and Mary in Luke 10. Martha "was distracted with much serving," while Mary "sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word." Jesus said Mary had "chosen that good part." There will always be something that needs doing, but spending time with Him is never wasted.
Sit Still
Ruth chapter three ends with one more instruction from Naomi. After Ruth returned home and told her everything that had happened, Naomi said in Ruth 3:18: "Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day."
Ruth's circumstances hadn't changed. Her future was still uncertain, but Boaz had promised to handle the matter. Ruth had done what she could. Now she had to trust him to do what she couldn't.
Doesn’t this sound familiar? We want the answers and solutions before we allow ourselves to rest. However, there's something important we need to understand: resting in Jesus doesn't mean all our problems have been resolved. It means trusting Him even when they haven't.
Boaz took responsibility for a matter Ruth couldn't settle herself. Jesus accomplished something far greater. Through His death on the cross, He secured the redemption we could never accomplish on our own.
So, this holiday season, when life feels anything but peaceful, remember Naomi's words: "Sit still." Fulfill your responsibilities, bring your burdens to Jesus, and trust Him with what is beyond your control.
Rest isn't something we earn when the work is finished. It's something we receive from the One who invites us to come to Him.
The holidays may be busy, but our hearts don't have to be.
FREE Bible Study: The Greatest Love of All
Ruth found her rest at the feet of a redeemer who loved her enough to settle her matter.
We have a Redeemer who loved us even more. If you'd like to spend some quiet time this season looking at just how deep that love goes, I've put together a free 3-page Bible study called The Greatest Love of All.
It's a beautiful way to slow down and sit at His feet before the holidays get busy.
Enter your email below and I'll send The Greatest Love of All Bible Study straight to your inbox.
May you have a restful and joyful holiday season!
Blessings,
Amy
P.S. If you'd like a little more help keeping Jesus at the center of a full season, my devotional "First Things First: Putting Jesus First When Everything Competes" walks through five short chapters on making room for Him when life pulls us in every direction.
It's an instant download you can read on any device or print at home.
