Psalm 37: 7 a
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
Pick a word in the verse that you don’t like. Go ahead; there are plenty of opportunities there. Let’s see, how about rest, wait and patiently? How can such a short verse have so many challenges in it?
I am learning that this is a powerful idea even if it is very difficult to do. For all of you Type A personalities who model action and doing this verse probably poses a few trials for you as it does for me. How then are we to attain such an ideal state? I really think there is great power in this verse but to reach this restful state we are going to have to slow down ourselves for a bit. Here is where mediation can be a strong ally. How do you slow yourself down so that you can quietly and patiently wait for the Lord? Sometimes exercise can help you burn off the stress and excess energy so that you can be still and rest in God. Music may work for you, perhaps art. For me it is often about just getting outside. There is serenity in simply admiring God’s great creation. Each of us must find our own strategies for slowing ourselves down so that we can enter a quiet state. When we can be still then we can hear what God is speaking to us and that inevitably leads to rest.
There is also an element of trust imbedded in this verse. In order to rest in God and wait patiently for Him you must trust that He will answer you. Otherwise you will want to work in the might of your hand. As we learn these principles we find that God can do more while we meditate than we can accomplish through hours of striving. A heart that honestly believes in God will be a heart that is at rest. The moment we begin to feel stress then we know that we have moved out of that divine peace which is the hallmark of a life lived in and through Christ. However, if we truly trust our God to meet our need, then our hearts will remain peaceful.
There is more in this idea of resting in and trusting God than I think most of us have comprehended. How can we do all that we need to do and remain in a restful state? There is a revelation on partnership with the God of creation that we have just not grasped yet. Perhaps you are the one who can teach this to the rest of us. This is the essence of faith; trusting rather than striving. I welcome you, all of you, to go to the blog site where we post this daily devotional and enter your comments. Perhaps we can begin a dialogue and share our experiences. Those of you who are more successful at resting in God can help the rest of us. The blog site is www.iveyministries.blogspot.com.
Be at peace. Rest, knowing that He is God.