That's what I find myself asking these days. I think that I'm beginning to learn that this is a question that I'll probably be asking myself for the rest of my life. My circumstances may change, but I think this question will be one I'll never quit asking. But I wish that wasn't always true.
I am feeling the need to find rest in this season. There is so much happening, so many changes, so many decisions to be made. So much. Of everything. Well , as I was thinking about this desire I have for rest, I thought - why do I feel like I've been here before?
Turns out, this must really be something that God wants me to learn, because He's tried teaching me once (or twice or a million) times before. But, as awesome of a provider as my Father is, He ordained this week, the week I really needed it, to be the week that the topic at Nav Night was (drumroll, please...) "How to Find Rest and Restoration in God's Word." Well, I'd say in just that title God was already pointing me to where He wants me to be in this season. But that was only the beginning... obviously.
Our speaker, Laura Karlin, is a really awesome woman who loves the Lord wholeheartedly, and is one of those people that after being around her for about 2 minutes you've already decided that you could be best friends. So needless to say with this topic, and this speaker, I knew that it was going to hit home with some solid, much needed, truth.
We first looked at Psalm 19:7-11, which lays out some of the things that God's word is, and what that means for us. She focuses in on the beginning of verse 7, "The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul." As any wise person would do, she broke out the amplified version (you can never go wrong with that move), which instead of reviving says, "restoring the [whole] person."
Restoring - what does that mean - shoot, this could be a whole different blog post in itself I'm sure. But I just want to give you the definition I looked up (on dictionary.com, let's be real): to bring back into existence, to reestablish, to bring back to a state of health. Yeah.... I want that.
Laura talked about the two main things that God's word helps us find rest from: Our work and Anxiety/Fear.
Work, she defined as anything including homework, hours at work, or even the activities we fill our time with. This work is good. God ordained for us to work... He gave us a mission in the garden - to rule over the earth and subdue it. We need to do something to keep our hands busy - to give us a purpose in our day to day lives. Work is good. God gave it to us, but He also gave us rest (He even told us to rest in the harvest time - the busy seasons..) I feel like my life right now is in one of those busy seasons, which means I need rest all the more - that explains this yearning I have for rest right now.
Then she broke out this truth I wrote down (I think) verbatim in my notes, "The more you work, the harder it is to see that it's not you doing the work, but God's hand in my life that leads to prospering." WOAH. Let's hear that again... "My efforts are not the key to my success. God alone decides if what I do will prosper." Shoot. I know I need to remember my inability and focus on His complete ability, as He warned us to do.
So, in summary, I think I'm really only beginning to learn how to find rest. I know the where, He's taught me a few times. But I am in the harvest season, the busy season of my year, and I need to make the conscious decision to stop and be with my God to truly find rest and restoration.
Will you do that with me? Stop. Be with Him. Get in His word. Find rest.
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