Rest

Rest

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

Lately, rest has been on my mind quite a bit. I have been thinking of it in many different contexts—physical, psychological, and spiritual.

I confess I am not a good physical rest-er. I’m not exactly sure of the root cause. I know for a fact that don’t like to be idle. It may be because I like to work. Not every job mind you, but even in the most distasteful ones there is a satisfaction or sense of accomplishment that comes when it is finished. And a good vacation for me is not lounging around. It’s about exploring and experiencing things beyond the ordinary.

Psychologically, maybe there is guilt associated with resting and the feeling of restlessness. Am I wasting precious time or could I do more.

But the most unsettling is spiritual unrest. Sometimes, our spirit senses what our eyes are not seeing. We may feel uneasy about a situation or a person, even when outward signs seem normal.

There is a quote by St. Augustine which is the wallpaper on my phone—“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Although it’s not a scripture, it is a good reminder to be still and let Him be God.

Gratitude and Worship

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness (1 Chron. 16:29).

The pattern that Jesus provided in the Lord’s Prayer serves as a guide for approaching God in prayer. He begins with worship– revering the Father and honoring Him for who He is. I intentionally try to begin my prayers this way rather than going directly to petitions–my need and want list, which in Jesus’s prayer is near the bottom of the list. But instead of worshipping, I usually find myself thanking God. I thank Him for my family, for answered prayers, and for situations that demonstrate that His response exceeds anything I could imagine.

Now gratitude is not a bad thing, in fact Scripture tells us to have grateful hearts, but it is different than worship. They are interconnected, but not at all the same. Gratitude centers on recognizing God’s blessings and being appreciative of them, recognizing God’s goodness in my life.

But in worship, the focus shifts from what God has done to who God is—His character, traits, and sovereignty, all motivated by His loving nature.

Gratitude is about me, but worship is about Him. It lifts the conversation to a higher level and deepens our relationship with Him.

In John 4:23, Jesus tells us that true worshipers worship the Father in Spirit and Truth (note the Trinity). True worship connects with the Holy Spirit, flowing from the depths of our heart, and honors God, our Father, for who He is.

Kadesh Barnea

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you (Deut 31:6-8).

Kadesh Barnea was the encampment place of the Israelites bordering Canaan, the Promised Land. It was the site from which Joshua, Caleb and the other 10 spies were sent to investigate Canaan, gathering information about its inhabitants, cities, and resources.

Their report had many positive aspects and undeniable challenges.  The land was abundant and fertile, “flowing with milk and honey.”  It was fruitful. They brought back grapes, figs, and pomegranates as evidence. And it was civilized as evidenced by houses and walls. But they also reported that the inhabitants were powerful giants, and the cities were well-fortified.

The negative reports caused many of the Israelites to complain, grumble and doubt the very reason for their journey, the land promised to them from God in His covenant with Abraham. The same God who had opened the Red Sea. The same God who had miraculously fed them as He led them each day. Yet their doubt and fear were bigger than the God they “believed in.”

I can read these accounts and criticize the Israelites for their lack of faith, yet how many times in my life have I seen God answer prayers in or respond in miraculous ways. And how many times have I grumbled, complained, and doubted Him. I may say that I am not doubting Him, but myself. But just like the Israelites, God planned on going with them into Canaan for the victory and He would be with me too.

The Promised Land was a spiritual promise, just as I’m promised that God will never leave, nor abandon me. I don’t need to lie to myself and be stuck in my hand-built Kadesh Barnea. His promise is accompanied by comfort and hope.

Father

So, you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as his own children. Now we call Him, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)

Bob Carlisle, Christian singer and songwriter is best known for his song “Butterfly Kisses,” which he wrote for his daughter’s 16th birthday. The song tells the story of the love between a father and daughter as she grew from her birth to her wedding day. Bob said that he had always thought of the song from the perspective of a dad, but I hadn’t thought of its impact upon daughters. In his book he mentioned that he gets a lot of mail from girls who want him to marry their mom, not for romance for mom, but so that they could have a father like him.

I was very blessed in my life to have a father who protected, guided, helped, and provided for his family, even through adulthood. He was by no means perfect, but throughout my life, I never for one moment doubted his love. There are many, many girls and women who are not so fortunate.

But Scripture reminds us that God is the father of the fatherless. He perfectly fills in the imperfections or voids left in our lives by our imperfect earthly fathers. He desires to spend intimate time with us, guiding, providing, helping, and loving us with His 24-7 availability and presence.

The translation of “Abba” in the above scripture is an endearing term, the same one that Jesus used. He wants us to call Him “Daddy.”  He reminds us that He is there for us to provide, listen, guide, and help. He desires to spend quality time with us.

And best of all, He values us as fearfully and wonderfully made, chosen, and redeemed.

Resolutions

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world…(Phil 2:14-15).

I quit making new year’s resolutions quite a few years ago. They were always about food and lasted about one week max. However, I have recently been studying Philippians and I found a resolution that had my name on it. In Philippians 2:14, Paul advises us to do everything without complaining or arguing. When I complain about my circumstances it is really questioning the providence of God.

There are two areas where I am an especially notorious grumbler. The first is when things aren’t happening when I think they should. Even if the idea comes from God, my timing is usually do-it-now. I have learned, often the hard way, that His timing is perfect. My hope in this area is not to complain about waiting and not try to manipulate circumstances to fit my schedule.

My second area of complaint is one that may seem silly to some of you—it’s clutter. It doesn’t bother me a bit in someone else’s home, office, or area. Just mine. If I complain in this area, am I unappreciative of God’s provision? Or maybe I just own more than I need or can use. Or maybe I feel out of control when things are in disarray. This is an area that I really need to pray about and get under submission to the Father. In the meantime, even if I don’t understand why, I can still resolve not to complain.

What is my part and what is God’s part. My first step is to pray. Pray for an awareness of this unpleasant (and sinful) habit.

Then replace—replace complaining with gratitude. In each situation there is a reason for gratitude. Once again, Paul taught us that he was able to be content in each circumstance, and he had some very distasteful situations.

Then pray some more. I can tell God how I am feeling, and this is where His part comes in. Even if He doesn’t change the circumstance, He will change me, reminding me that He is perfect, powerful, good, and loves me.