From My Husband

Don was scheduled to write a devotion for his Emmaus meeting last night.  He's never done this before, and I was excited to see what the Lord put on his heart.

He was led to tackle a topic that is extremely difficult for him.  I was so delighted to see him turn to this scripture as his work schedule has become more and more demanding, and as his responsibilities outside of work have increased.

"Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you."  Psalm 116:7
 

We are not as unstoppable as we like to think.  We are not capable of finishing our creations in a day, a week, or - as with remodeling my master bathroom - even within a year.  We eventually have to succumb to closing our eyes for at least a little while.

We have to acknowledge our limitations and rest before springing up again for our work.  Our progress comes in halting steps, our work never quite finished.

God created the world in six days...and then rested.  But we will need the next seven precious days to rest before the real work begins.

But there is much to do!  I have to make-up for time away from work, time away from home, time away from family, time away from our other commitments.  Our very human nature cries out for us to double-down now, to burn the candle at both ends, to spend the next seven days completely expending our energy before the more-important task of being His vehicle to change lives.

Is working into a frenzy now really trusting God with our lives?  Or is that placing our faith in our own prowess and planning, our ability to endure hardship alone?  Is that offering our very best to the Holy Spirit...or just the left-overs?

God gave us whatever stamina and capacities we have, but let me offer you this charge:

Trust in the Lord.  No, REALLY trust in the Lord.  Use these next seven days to pour your time into relationships, not the "honey-do" list.  Build-up those whom you love and be strengthened by their love in return.  Believe that He "gives to His beloved even in his sleep" (Psalm 127:2).

So what happens when we get so busy that we don't rest?  The command to "be at rest" is not just for our benefit.  Rest is not a guilty pleasure we have to sneak or hide.  Our energy level will wind down until we are forced to acknowledge that we cannot engineer our loves as much as we would like to think.  Sometimes, I find that to be a hard pill to swallow.

Acknowledging that weakness allows God to make us a promise in Matthew 11:28:  "Come to me...and I will give you rest."  You just may find that your burden is a bit lighter.  That comes in Matthew 11:29...

I intend to do just that and, once my battery is charged, give it all back to Him next weekend.  I invite you to do the same and - together - I think we will be amazed at the results.

De Colores.


I needed this reminder.  I fall into the trap of resting not really being restful.  But it is so important to take the time to actually find rest in the Lord.  Remember to spend some time with Him today.

Peace to you all, and have a marvelous weekend my friends :)