It's the summer, children have finished school and many of us are taking well-earned holidays. We need time to wind down, to be at peace and to step off the treadmill. Lazyness is no good for anyone; we all need to feel that we're of some use in the world. But a change in the rhythm of our lives is good for us. We can, at times, relax and indulge ourselves a little without feeling guilty about it.

This sense of a rhythm of life is found in the Bible. We don't get the feeling the saints of old were ruled by the clock or by targets they had to meet. Rest was important as well as work.

Here are seven Bible verses about rest.

1. Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him (Psalm 62:5).

2. Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1).

3. Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you (Psalm 116:7).

4. The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble (Proverbs 19:23).

5. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

6. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mark 6:31).

7. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence (1 John 3:19).