This past weekend I went to Women of Joy in Pigeon Forge. We heard from speakers on a variety of topics. But the overarching theme was SACRED REST. Lysa TerKeurst, Angela Thomas Pharr, Saundra Dalton-Smith, and Candace Cameron Bure all shared nuggets for me to ponder and tuck away for contemplation. At least three times I’ve started this blog only to scratch through the page and begin again. I finally landed on this statement………WE REST TO THE EXTENT THAT WE TRUST. Wow! There’s a lot to unpack. And even though I know I’ll only scratch the surface, let’s give this a try.
Isaiah 30:15 and 40:28-31 paints a vivid picture. In those verses we find one of the basic messages to Israel that repeats itself in Isaiah. God has warned them to wait and trust Him for deliverance. He repeatedly tells them to cease being rebellious. Stop closing their ears to what God has to say. Quit planning and looking for strategies; don’t partner with Egypt, etc. But they refused. And verse 15 ends with, “….in returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength. But you were unwilling…..”
We’ve established that we’re stressed and anxious and worried and generally in knots. But did you read those words above? It says, “…..but you were unwilling”. That’s a strong statement. That clearly puts the ball back in our court.
We’re not called to exhaust ourselves with “all the things”. We’re
overstimulated with notifications from our devices. We can’t remember the three simple things we walked into Kroger for. We hold our emotions in for a more appropriate time and place. Our social circles are constantly needing something from us. We rarely if ever allow ourselves time to just sit and appreciate the majesty of a starry night or the calming sound of the creek running over the rocks. And we certainly don’t sit just listening to God or enjoying His presence. So how in the world do we expect to find rest? How do we stop the anxiety and the worry and get the knots untangled? According to Isaiah we wait and we trust.
Do we really think for one minute that all of the things that consume our days will please God? Our busyness and desire to try to “control” things is an obvious sign of lack of trust.
So what do we change to fix this? This first thing that comes to mind was mentioned in my blog titled “Who (or what) Is Your First Love?” Prioritize that time with God above all other things. Period. No room for negotiation or compromise.
Second, meditate on the Word. (That means open your Bible.) We can’t possibly know Him or His character without this.
Third, make sure that you’re surrounding yourself with people who fill your heart and feed your soul. We all have those who suck the life out of us. Sometimes we don’t have a choice. But make sure the fillers outnumber the suckers. (I was going to change that sentence, but it made me chuckle. So I’m leaving it.)
Fourth, turn off all notifications on your phones except for calls or texts. Don’t argue with me. Just do it. You can thank Saundra and I later.
Finally, go sit outside or go for a walk without your phone. The picture captured in your memory will be far better anyway. Take in the sounds. Breathe in the very breath of God. And then stay there. Enjoy it. Feel it.
Rest requires surrender. Rest will restore you. Don’t be unwilling in the same way Israel was. Trust and wait for God. Like Lysa says, “God is good. God is good to me. God is good at being God”. That should be all I need.