Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30 ESV
We’re looking at another aspect of rest today. You may recall from last week’s Thursday Thoughts that rest can also be a place to stay or a support, like the spoon rest by my stove. One way to rest in the Lord is to stay where God has put me (in work, or ministry, or relationships) until He tells me to move on. This resting is also “waiting on the Lord” and may be the most difficult for us to put into practice. It involves resting and watching at the same time. I know that at times I am easily distracted when I am waiting for something that seems to be taking longer than I think it should.
The musical rest is a good illustration for me. I haven’t done it for a while, but I enjoy singing in choirs. I don’t like the spotlight too much on me, but it is exciting to me to blend in with other voices to make beautiful (I hope) music. In music, the rests, or pauses, play a very important part. They can give the audience time to think about what they’ve been hearing, build anticipation for the next thing, signal a change is going to happen, or catch people’s attention. For the choir, rests are a good time to catch your breath but not a time to let down or lose focus. Rests come in all different lengths of time, and you have to be ready when it’s done. You have to count the time to yourself and watch the choir director so that when she signals, you’re ready. Coming in early means an unintended solo and the choir member suddenly stands out. Coming in late can throw off the blend of voices and make the music sound wrong, which is letting down your fellow choir members. Both are mistakes. To avoid these, I need to stay focused. My responsibility is to watch and to be ready.
I think this illustration works with spiritual matters just as well. This involves trust, patience, and commitment to wait when we greatly desire to move. But God promises good things if we are obedient in this (Psalm 37:4-7).
Even though I know the importance and blessings of waiting on the Lord, I still need reminders. Sometimes, I get on autopilot. Things are going along pretty much as expected and I forget to stay focused on God rather than on my plans. Resting in the Lord, waiting on Him, has to be a daily, moment-by-moment practice. I need to rest in the Lord and wait on Him stay at all times. Then I will have the spiritual and emotional strength to keep going.
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. - Isaiah 40:31 ESV
Think About: What hinders you from waiting on the Lord?
Comments