Maybe it’s time you rested – in Me.

Resting in the Lord? Easier said than done!

Rest – what is that, anyway? The world we live in knows nothing about rest. It’s all about the hustle – making money, running up and down in search of the next deal, and burying oneself deep into church and ministry. After all – we live by the mantras ‘you only live once’ and ‘you will rest in the grave!’

The doctor’s report comes in. You have been to the doctor twice in the last two months with infections and permanent fatigue. “Do you ever take a break?” the doctor asks for the second time. “Yes I do,” you answer. “I rest on weekends…” The doctor is not convinced, because he can see that though you look relaxed, your mind is moving at the speed of light. He then shows you the recommendations on the report – “rest and avoid stress.” Seeing these words on the piece of paper jolts you back to reality. You need to rest.

Rest… rest…rest. This week I realized that I needed to rest – really rest, and below is a little of what played out in my mind.

I tried my best to rest, but my mind wouldn’t let me,

It kept reminding me that there was a job to complete, and a debt to pay.

It kept prodding me to solve that problem, even in my sleep.

Oh, how I tried to rest! I really did…

Then I heard a small voice say to me,

“Maybe it’s time you rested – in Me.”

 

“Rest in You, Lord, what do you mean?”

I asked this question in earnest because I had no idea what He meant.

As I did so, my mind kept switching channels,

Between God’s words and my own.

One channel screamed, “Stop wasting time and fix the problem.”

As the other channel whispered these quiet words in the background…

 

Matthew 11:28-30 “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”’ (NLT)

 

And it hit me! I was tired because of the weight I carried on my shoulders.

A weight that was way too heavy for me to carry.

The Lord invited me to trade weights with Him,

I would get the light one, and He would take the heavy one,

And I would get some rest.

He would help me rest, and He would give me rest.

“Maybe it’s time you rested – in Me.”

 

We traded weights, and I was happy to carry the lighter weight.

I walked on towards my destination, whistling a tune of praise.

Then – I got tired again.

It wasn’t the burden that fatigued me.

The fatigue came from inside me.

I had begun to worry.

 

“There are other things besides this burden that I have to deal with,

Unspoken issues, deep issues, private issues.

How will I ever conquer these issues that plague me day after day?”

The worry was back, and I felt tired.

But once again the Lord whispered,

“Maybe it’s time you rested – in Me.”

Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (NLT)

 

1 Peter 5:7 “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (NLT)

 

Aha! I now understood.

Though I had traded the heavy burden for a lighter one,

I was not at rest – because of worry.

The Lord invited me to give Him what I was worried about,

To let Him handle what was bothering me.

He invited me to trade my worries and cares for His rest.

And just like He had done before, He whispered,

“Maybe it’s time you rested – in Me.”

 

Now that the worry was gone, and the burden was light, what next?

I needed to learn to rest in the Lord.

I had to learn to let Him calm my fears,

Take away my sorrows, and lighten my tired, heavy heart.

I needed to acknowledge His might, and His ability to save.

I needed to let Him be God.

 

Zephaniah 3:17 “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (NLT)

 

The Lord took my hand and led me to a plush, green meadow.

My head hit the grass, and I felt relaxed. Relieved. Rested.

 

Psalm 23:2 “He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.” (NLT)

 

I was finally where He wanted me to be,

At rest in His presence.

I know understood the wisdom behind the tiny whisper that said,

“Maybe it’s time you rested – in Me.”

Finally, I was at rest – in the Lord.

Psalm 116:7 “Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me.” (NLT)

 

Hi, everyone! Thank you again for stopping by and reading this week’s article. I hope that you are now encouraged to learn to rest in the Lord, as that is the only place where you can have peace. Please share this article with someone who you think would need the encouragement. Have a great week ahead, and don’t forget to vote for my blog in the upcoming BAKE awards! God bless!

 

Friends and family! Thanks to you, my blog got through the nomination stage, and is now up for a BAKE award! The deadline of June 7th is fast approaching, so kindly take a minute to cast your vote for this inspirational blog. I’ll truly appreciate it. The details are:

Voting link: https://vote.bakeawards.co.ke/vote
Category 18: Religious or Spirituality
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