Rest~ An instance or period of relaxing or ceasing to engage in strenuous or stressful activity. Peace of mind or spirit. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
REST. A word oft spoken to me lately. Silently. Almost a whisper....so easy to ignore....to forget....to say, "Yes...but!!" As a busy homeschool mama to 4 precious blessings, a wife to the greatest guy on earth, (sorry ladies), a blogger, a dreamer, and an Executive/Teaching Team member of a precious group of amazing women over at Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Studies with Melissa Taylor, my days can get hectic sometimes. The day isn't so hectic as much as it isn't well planned. As in I don't take nearly enough time to listen for or listen to that still, small voice. Until.....the bottom falls out. For those of you who have read my blog...yep...it fell out again.
This time it started with a rush to get my brood ready and out the door for a last minute doctors appointment for my daughter. She sounded croupy again this morning, and it was only 2 months and 2 days past this scary event, so it was imperative that I get her there before he left the office at noon and wouldn't be back in until Monday. In my clumsiness and hurry, I tripped on a pair of shoes and twisted my knee and leg. So, here I sit, AGAIN, confined to rest......and wearing a 30 day heart monitor for MANY of the symptoms Tracie describes in Stressed-Less Living. Go figure.
A huge wave of peace swept over me as I read not only this verse, but many of those that surround it. First, look at this verse:
- His PRESENCE will go WITH me and HE WILL give me rest. (personalizing it, of course). I need not fear...He is with me and it is He who gives me rest. I particularly like the second definition I listed above--peace of mind and spirit. We have had a rocky four years around here and I am in desperate need of peace....mind and spirit.
As I perused verses 12-13, I began to notice more. The Lord knew Moses by name--he belonged to Him. Then, the amazing humility of Moses, "If you are pleased with me, TEACH me your ways so I may KNOW you and continue to find favor with you. REMEMBER that this nation is your people." (caps mine).
Right then and there I stopped to pray. I didn't want to be disobedient to the Lord, like we see the Israelites doing in the previous verses. I want Him to teach me HIS ways. Not mine. To TEACH me how to rest. To TEACH me how to speak to His people.......I blog often and am on the OBS Teaching Team. I don't want it to be my words, but His. They are HIS people.
The Life Application Bible has something interesting to say about another verse that captured my attention.
- Exodus 33:17~ And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." (NIV 84)
- The Life App says this (puts other verses in with this one)~ Moses wanted assurance of God's presence and desired to know that presence experientially.
If I look again at verse 14, and it says that His presence will go with me and give me rest...then I put it in context with humbly asking the Lord to teach me His ways...well, we see His reply to Moses. According to a commentary I was reading, it said: In contrast with the strained relationship between Israel and the LORD, Moses experienced intimacy with Him. Regardless of anyone else's relationship with Him, we can experience the 'friendship' with Him that Moses had.
Rest comes when we experience His presence. When we experience a true, intimate, loving relationship with our Father...our God....our LORD....we will find rest. In fact, He will give us that rest. It isn't about doing more or being more....rather, it's about Him. It's all about Him. It will always be about Him. It SHOULD always be about Him.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:29, to learn from Him and we will find REST for our souls.
Psalm 62:1-2 tells us where our rest comes from.
Praying for us as we journey towards rest.....may He bless each of you with His presence and His rest. I leave you with a song from Psalm 62.
Jennifer Newsom
OBS Executive/Teaching Team
Linked up with:
Pays to pay more attention to that small still voice my beautiful daughter! Rest!
ReplyDeleteYes mama. I love you.
Delete"It's all about Him. It will always be about Him. It SHOULD always be about Him." Powerful words, Jennifer! Keeping you covered in prayer. <3 Lori K (OBS Group Leader)
ReplyDeleteThank you sweet friend!! <3
ReplyDeleteJennifer, you are such an inspiration to me. I love your story... Your words are beautiful, and so true! I am struggling with finding 'rest' as well... LOVE this! Thank you for this...
ReplyDeleteKandace (OBS Prayer Team)
Thank you Kandace. I am trying to ask Him to 'teach me' how to rest. I honestly don't know how-I have went at a break neck pace for many years now and old habits don't die easy. Wishing much rest and blessing on you sweet friend!
DeleteI told someone once I wanted to be a friend of God and they replied "I don't think we could ever be God's friend". I was shocked! Friend is defined as "A person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection" God knows us, and I, like many other women in this study are striving toward knowing God. We know God loves us and albeit we cannot come close to His kind of love, the more I get to know Him, the more I love Him = Mutual affection, (God's the winner again here though). He knows my name, and yours and Lori's and Sherri's and.....
ReplyDeleteWe can rest knowing that our friend has our back. Not that your situation for the last 4 years has been anything but restful, you've had that support from your family that allows you to breathe once in a while. God, your friend has your back! Rest in the knowledge that He knows the outcome. Regardless of what happens, He is there for you.
IF I'm not mistaken, you have a blogger community that is supporting you in prayer as well. Feel God's peace knowing you have friends around you, praying for you. But your greatest friend is the ONE who will never leave you or forsake you. He has your back.
Blessings on you and your family
Mindy H
The Howell Blessings
I love that opening paragragh about wanting to be a friend of God. Isn't that the truth. How sad for someone to think it not possible altho, I must admit, at one time I didn't think it was possible.
DeleteThank you so much for sharing this Mindy. And your kind words and prayers. Being a friend of God would be the highest honor for me. At the end of this life to hear Him say He knew me and to come into eternal rest. I am asking Him how to teach me to rest while I am on this earth.
DeleteIsn't it amazing how sometimes it takes God literally knocking us off our feet in order to get us to stop and think more about him? Much like you, I need to learn to REST. I need God to help me find, not only the time, but the Biblical focus that I need in order to use my rest time to connect with him.
ReplyDeleteMe too Stella! Praying for us both.
DeleteContinuing to lift you in prayer my friend. Love your blog and the picture and song are perfect to go with it, but you lady always do perfect. Never take that for granted. Hugs. Debbie W.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much sweet Debbie! Love you!
DeleteOh, that elusive rest. We think we can never find it, but I think we just aren't looking for it in the right places. Thank you so much for linking this beautiful post up last week at Walking Redeemed!
ReplyDeleteOh, how true! Thank you so much!
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