Recently, I opened my Bible to Psalm 23 and read King David’s classic words as he praises God in utmost assurance for provisions of comfort and security, love and protection that he knew God had promised His children.
Sharing in his gratitude, I praise God for being the same God today, yesterday and tomorrow. And, then I think, wait . . . God must have meant verse 2 for someone else. Green pastures and quiet waters? I don’t have time to lie down. I don’t have time to rest. I have work to do. There is much to be done and I’d better get to it. Where’s the Proverbs 31 woman when I need her? I’ve got fields to buy and plant. I’ve got trading and feeding to do and coverings for my bed to make. She fit a lot into the day and still laughed at days to come. I get heart palpitations just thinking about living up to this glowing, industrious description of the perfect godly woman.
But, as I read “Becoming a Woman of Simplicity” by Cynthia Heald, I am reminded over and over that our primary responsibility is to praise the Lord, to glorify Him and honor Him forever and ever. First and foremost, God wants us to seek Him out, to open His word, to read and to reflect. We can’t do that if we aren’t taking time to rest in Him, if we aren’t spending quiet time praising the Lord and seeking His answer in all things and rejoicing as David so passionately rejoiced before us, leaving us with his incredible love letters to God.
If we aren’t taking time to rest in the Lord, what does the rest of it all mean? Why are we here? God promised Moses in Exodus 33:14 that "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." It’s not that Moses shirked the duties God gave him but he knew that he could only handle what God called him to do because there would be rest coming and God meant for him to take it.
What is God calling you to do? Are you taking Him up on the rest He brings when it comes? If you don’t, how are you going to be worth anything during the next period of time in which He needs you working for His glory? For some that period of time is longer than others. But, we should be resting in the Lord daily between, before, after the constant activities of our lives. Personally, I’d rather be active than stopping to think too hard about it and more than once, that’s got me in more trouble than I care to mention.
Recognize rest for what it is: a time to renew, to refresh and get excited about all God has in store. Make sure you take the time for yourself (either that 5 minutes before everyone wakes up or even a weekend getaway), not shirking the duties God gave you, but resting in Him and reflecting on God’s great goodness in all His plans for our lives. God gave us skills to use. He gave us people to deal with. That’s not going to go away but we have a choice about how we deal with both. Take time to rest. The Lord promises His peace to those who rest him. Even the Proverbs 31 woman must have known to rest in the Lord when she needed it or I can tell you she couldn’t have laughed at days to come or spoken with the wisdom that comes from time with the Lord.
God is with you, dear sister or brother in Christ. Rest in Him and you will find peace in all things.
Application:
How are you building "rest" into your day, week, month, year? How are you using this time to spend with the Lord?
Do you have your resting tool kit ready: journal, Bible, pen, maybe a pillow and a cup of tea?
Memory Verse:
Psalm 23: 2-3 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
