The definition of rest is…cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.
When we walked into our mission center this month we found a book left by past World Race teams that said this would be a month of rest. Of course at that moment my mind went straight to thoughts of sleep. If you know me at all you know that I love to rest. I love to sit on my couch, watch TV, and take a nap. However, this month “rest” means in the Lord. To be honest I am still trying to figure out what that means, but I do feel that God is helping me through it all.
So, why do I need to rest in the Lord?
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
After reading this verse I looked at the explanation from my study bible and it read… “A person may carry heavy burdens of weariness in the search of God.” and ”The rest that Jesus promises is love, healing, and peace with God, not the end of all labor. A relationship with God changes meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.”
When I signed up for the World Race I knew I was all in, ready for God to wreck my world, and he started right away. I had become weary in my search of God and myself, but the good news is that I have now been given a month to soak it all in, have time to process, and truly understand what God is doing.
So how have I rested?
I have prayed, listened, read, talked, and studied. Through this time I have started doing something I have longed to do for a long time: my own daily devotion. Each morning I am taking time to read a daily devotion from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, which then leads me to bible verses that are helping me fall more in love with His word. I am truly loving this time! God is at work, and I am learning a lot about Him and myself. He has woken me up in the night to just listen to Him, He has had my team speak words of encouragement, He has spoken to me through His written word, and He has made sure that I have conversations that speak truth.
So what have I learned/heard from the Lord?
– Resting in the Lord is a form of worship.
– God’s love will never leave me! ~ Ephesians 3:16-19
– I’m no longer going to be afraid of what God has for me!
– I must depend on God for everything, big and small. ~ Psalm 37:3-6
– I can’t keep seeing myself through other’s eyes, because their views are subject to their spiritual, emotional, and physical conditions.
– God promises great blessings! ~ Psalm 34
“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:5-8
