Whenever I get out-of-town, even for a day, I begin to notice what a pace I keep! At home, in what I loosely refer to as a routine, and optimistically think of as a rhythm. I try to include sabbath rest. The problem is that I lose track of what is realistic. Honestly, have I ever known what is realistic?
In September a friend invited me for a day trip to Yankee Stadium to watch the Red Sox beat the Yankees. My hopes of victory proved true that day=}. And as much as I enjoyed being driven in a coach bus, and sitting in decent seats to watch my team beat their arch rivals, on a beautiful day in “enemy” territory, I was completely EXHAUSTED even before we arrived.
You see, I had given my self permission to leave the driving to someone else and to relax. When I am home, or in my area of work responsibility, I am often consciously or unconsciously always on some form of alert. What is that about? I seem to rarely give myself permission to truly relax. And when I do give myself the permission to rest at home, my environment silently screams at me because of all the unfinished projects I see around me. So even my sabbath rest is constantly attacked… from with in.
I would love to assign blame for my inability to rest then find ways to escape, but I know from experience the problem is not really the environment. It is in me, in my head and in my heart. Who or what am I trying to please? Who’s expectations am I attempting to live up to and I trying to fulfill? My physical body sends me messages every day that I have my wires crossed.
The good news is that I am aware of that is going on in my head, well, sometimes. Intellectually I understand that somewhere in my thinking I am not trusting God to take care of me. At the same time how do I handle the real tension between rest and the real deadlines in life. There are bills to pay, relationships and events that require our attendance and participation.
How do I rest in the midst of life’s demands? The first two steps, I believe, are to know that my creator is good, that He loves me perfectly, just the way I am! I do not have to prove anything to earn the love of God. How do I know that a friend or family member loves me? They want to spend time with me and communicate. They learn what makes me ‘tick’ and they do and say things that touch the real me. A favorite quote of mine from unknown origins is: “A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”
God does that to us when we allow Him. The Bible is the most common way He speaks and sings. Zephaniah 3 was written to Israel. As children of God, I believe we can apply these promises to our personal lives. [Bold and italics and underlines mine]
15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
17 The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
When I allow myself to focus and meditate on these promises, the genuine rest begins to trickle into me. I imagine the Creator Dancing around me and singing with delight over me. My soul and spirit are quieted. Then consider Psalm 34:4-10
4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
he saved me from all my troubles.
7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
he surrounds and defends all who fear him.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
for those who fear him will have all they need.
10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.
You know? It is true. I have “tasted” the Lord, I have experienced the truth of “those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” That experience of the goodness of the creator grows over time. Choosing to believe the promises, like the ones cited here, over time, builds a history with the Creator, just like we build history with people who become friends.
The experience of God is the other essential ingredient in finding rest. Sometimes we are blessed with ecstatic experiences, but the vast majority of time the experiences that bring the most lasting growth and rest, come by reading and tasting the word of God and choosing to trust His promises in the every day events of life. I find a steady diet of these tastes=} brings real rest. I pray that inner transformation has its full effect in you.
In what ways have you tasted the Lord and seen that He is good? What promises bring you to a place of peace and rest?
