Devotions for a vacation that’s refreshing in every way.
Vacations often give us an opportunity to rest and reflect. However, when our normal routines and habits are suspended, it can be hard to spend time with God.
These 30 devotions have been specifically designed to help you to rest in the Lord’s goodness and glory during your time away so that you can return home feeling refreshed spiritually as well as physically.
Author John Hindley, who also wrote Serving without Sinking, says this:
“I want to help you find rest, peace, joy, hope, and renewed zeal. We go away to be refreshed. Christ is the one who sets his Spirit in our hearts to cause streams of living water to well up within us and flow from us. Sometimes we rest away from Jesus, but how much better to rest with and in him? He is where our true refreshment is found.”
You can pick and choose which devotions to read depending on the type of vacation you are on (for example, city break or beach) and there are optional family activities and questions linked to each devotion giving other family members an opportunity to reflect alongside you.
Introduction
ARRIVING
1. Hopes and Fears
2. A Bright Shadow
REST
3. Weary and Heavy Laden
4. Stopping
FRIENDS AND FAMILY
5. Visiting
6. Tensions
SKIES
7. Stars
8. Sun
9. Rain
BEACH
10. The Calm Sea
11. The Wild Sea
12. Sand
13. Sandcastles
POOL
14. Cool Waters
HILLS AND MOUNTAINS
15. Heaven Meets Earth
16. False Worship
17. Snowy Peaks
FORESTS
18. Trees of Life
19. Consider the Birds
FARMLAND
20. Farmers and Farmhands
21. Sowing and Reaping
22. Shepherding
CITIES
23. Great Babylon
24. Temples
25. Statues and Monuments
WILD COUNTRY
26. God Sees
27. God Provides
28. God Brings Us Home
LEAVING
29. Ending with Praise
30. Another Bright Shadow
| Contributors | John Hindley |
|---|---|
| ISBN | 9781784987756 |
| Format | eBook |
| First published | May 2022 |
| Case quantity | 50 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | The Good Book Company |
A brilliant book. The past two years have been exhausting for me personally, and I know I’m not alone. So I love the idea of a book helping others find refreshment and renewal in the midst of this weary world. Pastor John points us to the rest beneath all other forms of rest: the spiritual refreshment we find in the grace of Jesus. I highly recommend it for everyone, especially for the weary—and double-especially for the weary who are about to go on vacation!
In these short devotions, John Hindley reminds us that rest and vacations are good, that God gave us this world to enjoy, and that there is value in thinking deeply about the world that God has made. It doesn’t matter whether you find rest in exploring the city or relaxing on the beach—there is something for everyone in this book.
Too often our holidays are times of spiritual atrophy. We rest our bodies but not our souls. In these little devotionals, John Hindley points us to the glory of God in the creation around us to lift our gaze to Jesus, who gives the deepest and sweetest rest. Read and be properly refreshed!
I bought this book for our upcoming family vacation to the beach, with the idea in mind to also use it while we go camping and adventuring elsewhere. There's a little tendency in me to be skeptical of "themed" books: Will they take Scripture out of context to make it feel applicable to their theme? Will it be wimpy, or cheesy?? But this book blew me away! I genuinely loved reading it by myself, meditating on the Scripture passage while watching sea waves. It was also lovely to do as a family. Everyone contributed to the discussion questions, no matter his age. My soul truly felt re-centered, refreshed, and filled with new wonder at our awesome God. I can't wait to take it on future expeditions!
Have you ever felt spiritually dry even while on vacation? In Refreshed, John Hindley gives devotions for your time away. Made up of 30 devotional Bible studies, this book will help you steward your vacation.
Different Devotions for Different Destinations
I was called to slow down, notice those who are around me, and take my concerns and cares to Jesus. Parents will appreciate the questions and activities to keep your family worship while away from home.
What interested most were the different devotions offered for different vacations. Sections include visiting with friends and family, beaches and pools, hills and mountains, forest and farmlands.
Find Your Rest in Jesus
Even if you don’t have time to take a vacation, this book will put you in a peaceful mindset and help you remember to find your rest in Jesus. I enjoyed reading about the themes of God’s goodness and glory in creation.
Don’t waste your vacation. Looking at the mighty seas and major cityscsapes will only get us so far. We need our eyes to be lifted up towards God. Spend time in his Word during your vacation. He will give you rest.
I received a media copy of Refreshed and this is my honest review.
This is a uniquely fun devotional. Hindley designed the book to provide short, refreshing devotions for anyone on any type of vacation. Often we can feel even more overwhelmed during our vacations as we attempt to fill it up with as much stuff and experiences as possible and then end up returning weary and tired. I think this devotional does a good job of reminding us the purpose of a vacation and encouraging us continually focus on God throughout every experience we have planned.
The book is structured with twelve themes and thirty devotions. Themes range from Friends & Family to Beach to Hills & Mountains to Farmland and everything in-between. Each daily devotional is formatted similarly with the following sections:
- For Today
- For The Family
- Chat
- Scripture Reading
I enjoyed this devotional and felt it was one I could return to multiple times for whatever vacation or resting period our family may have planned. Although the devotions and section questions are geared towards families, it can be adapted to be completed solo and be just as refreshing.
I received a copy of this book from The Good Book Company in exchange for an honest review.
