“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15
I’ve been thinking a lot about this idea of REST a lot this week. When I read my bible, “Rest” and “Peace” are words I always underline as they are the cries of my heart. I know PEACE & REST are gifts and promises from God - not dependent on our circumstances.
We were talking with our older two boys about a well known motivational figure these days, the world’s toughest man - and they were expressing admiration. From where Tim & I stand, we can see this man has no peace. He’s outrunning demons. And, yet - there’s something attractive about the way he presents that I think really does appeal to young guys. My prayer for my sons - and for you - is that they would know the voice of PEACE. And, that peace doesn’t mean lazy. It means trust. It means being aware of our limitations. Pushing hard, but from a place of wholeness, not torment.
In a meeting I had with a woman earlier this week, the verse I gave her to sit with was Matthew 11:28-30:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
My devotion this morning was all about RESTING in the Lord and it felt like confirmation of all the voices, conversations I’ve been having.
“Rest, then – real rest – is maybe not so much ceasing activity, as it is adopting a posture of trust, one where we increasingly depend on our own own strength but on gods. It’s yielding our plans – our timetables, our skill sets, our ideas about how things have to go down – to the Lord, and actively choosing to abide.” - Jodie Berndt
If you are feeling burdened and heavy laden, there IS REST for you. You don’t have to do it alone.
Xo
Stacy Barrett
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