Great Is Your FaithfulnessSample

Faithful to Provide Rest

As a mom of two girls who are almost fully launched, I am gratefully out of the toddler-wrestling stages of motherhood. But I have not forgotten those grueling days. They have frequently been summarized as "the days are long, but the years are short", and appropriately so. It wasn't as though daily naptimes were a foreign practice in our home or that bedtime routines were not implemented from the moment they drew their first breaths (what can I say, I'm Type A in temperament). Seeking rest each day was crucial for survival in a house with little ones. But inevitably a day would pop up now and again when fatigue took over and it was as though, despite how exhausted that little one was, she simply could not relax and rest.

And that was where the wrestle and the rub collided. My will against hers. The fruit of the Spirit firmly rooted in my heart versus the wiles of the devil manifesting in her behavior.

Perhaps I am being facetious and extreme, or perhaps you, too, have wrestled an overcharged two-year-old at 2 in the afternoon.

Naturally, our girls now look back and muse, "Why did I ever fight naps? I'd love to take one now!" In their immaturity as little ones they failed to understand that taking a nap didn't mean you were missing out on something greater. Napping was actually taking advantage of something you truly needed in order to enjoy something better later.

As I clearly identify as more of a Martha than a Mary any day of the week, I have often been guilty of taking on the markers of a nap-resistant two-year-old when it comes to the rest my Heavenly Father is seeking to provide to me. From the very beginning, God the Father has been instructing on and modeling the benefits of rest. Did God truly need a break by the close of those first six days, exhausted from His voice-activated creating? Unlikely. But as He formed us from the dust of the earth, reconciling the wrestle He was setting Himself up for with stubborn humanity, God recognized: these people are gonna need some rest now and again if we are ever going to pull something of value from their lives.

It's likely you've read Psalm 23, or at least heard it quoted at a funeral service you've attended at some point. With a history of shepherding himself, the psalmist David painted a high-definition portrait of his Shepherd, recognizing the tender, intentional care of God in looking after him--a restless, needy sheep much like those David had tended to in his earthly father's pastures. In verse two, David writes, "He makes me lie down in green pastures." (ESV) Here we see the idea of God allowing us to rest, letting us feast on the ready-made indulgence of nutrients about us.

Shepherds often have to literally make their sheep lay down as they are prone to be restless, easily alarmed, and prone to ignorantly fall into danger. But when the herd listens to the voice of their shepherd and just follows his leading, they discover: "Hey, I can rest and then wake up to the feast he's provided, and I didn't have to work so hard or forge for it."

In the same way, God is faithful to provide rest for you and me if we will, like David, recognize that it's okay to rest now and again. Not just rest physically like a sweaty toddler in her crib, but rest in His presence. Receive from the bounty of His Word. Allow His Spirit to pour down fresh rain as we seek His face.

Dig a Little Deeper

Today seems like a great day to pull away from the restlessness about you and spend time at the feet of Jesus. Listen for His voice as I know He will give you insight on how to roll a routine of rest into your life, equipping and refreshing you for the opportunities that lie just ahead.