I
love to rest in the Lord, because it is such a peaceful place to abide. Regardless
of the storm raging all around us, we know that our salvation, protection and
provision come only from God. In Him, we are never shaken or alone (Psalm 62:1-2).
I
picture myself crawling up in Jesus' lap and taking a nap; a peaceful nap, like
He took on the boat with His apostles (Matthew 8:23-27). Though they were
freaking out in the raging storm that appeared unexpectedly, Jesus slept on
until the frightened men woke Him up to save them. Then, and He calmed the
storm.
Resting
in the Lord is an important part of our walk with Him. Abiding in a restful
state of mind allows our body, soul and spirit to rejuvenate, to regain our
stamina, and to maintain our focus on the Lord and His promises. God's peace,
joy and strength infuse us with His spiritual energy to accomplish His will for
us (Psalm 37:7; John 16:33).
When
we are weary from the trials of life, and burdened by the responsibilities and
demands on our life, He gives us His rest as we focus on Him through it all. We
yoke up with Him, and He helps us to carry the weight of our load (Matthew
11:28-30; Revelation 6:11; Isaiah 14:3).
God
gives us wings to rise above as well as to rest in the turmoil of life (Psalm
55:6). He invites us to come away with Him to a quiet place and to rest with
Him (Mark 6:31-32). He enables us to lay down and to sleep in peace, because
even in the midst of the storm, we dwell in safety (Philippians 4:6-7).
I
received a card a few years ago that took me one step further than waiting for
the storm to pass. It said ...
"When the storm clouds gather, learn to dance in the rain."
Not only do we enter His rest, but then we have fun in the midst of the trial
by singing and dancing in the rain.
Prayer:
Father
God, teach us to rest in You, to trust in You, and to have faith in Your
faithfulness. Then, we can go one step further and sing and dance in the rain
without any inhibitions or fear of the future. We rest in each moment as You
grant it to us, and we serve You and rely on Your goodness and provision for
everything that we need to accomplish Your will for our life.
Each
day, You give us provision for our spiritual, mental, emotional, financial, and
physical well-being. Forgive us of our transgressions that grieve Your Spirit
and that interrupt our fellowship with You. Help us to forgive those who wound
our soul and body. We rest in Your presence within us, and You keep us in
perfect peace as we focus our thoughts on You and trust only in You (Exodus
33:14; Isaiah 26:3).
Thought
for the Day:
God
gives us rest for our weary soul, and teaches us to "sing and dance in the
rain;" however, eventually the righteous are removed from this earth to be
spared the evil prevalent in this land, and we find eternal rest as we enter
God's peace forever.
-
Isaiah 57:1-2; Hebrews 4:9-10
