This will be the last week I write about rest - I think! I keep noticing things in the Word on the subject, so if I see anything else this week, I will pass it on to you. If you have missed any of the past Memos on rest - and there have been five including this one, you can go to the site where they are posted and catch up. And now, for this week's finale.
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I have been basing my daily online devotional this year on the book of Psalms. There are five books in the entire collection of Psalms and the first book has a large collection of psalms written by David. Many of those psalms and poems depict David in trouble, calling out to the Lord for help. In Psalm 3, David wrote these words that caught my attention about rest: "But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side" (Psalm 3:4-6).
What caught my attention when I read those verses this past week was the fact that David had rest even though he was in a tough, pressure-filled point in his life. You get the sense that, while perhaps not 10,000 were against David (he was a poet and often used hyperbole to make his points), David had many enemies who were coming against him. Yet David was able to rest in spite of them all, and in the midst of them all!
This tells me, and it should indicate to you, that rest is not based on circumstances. You can rest in the midst of your enemies, and you can not rest if you take a vacation. The key is not the activity or lack thereof, it is trust in the Lord.
Why could David sleep so soundly? He saw that God was his shield. David prayed and God answered him (he persevered in prayer until he got an answer). And finally, David had made a decision not to fear even if there was an onslaught against him.
That last point raises another interesting aspect of rest. Rest is a decision on your part. Activity is not going to rob you of rest, but it seems in this context that fear will. I am facing a lot to do in the month of July and every time I look at the list, I get fearful. Will I be able to do it all? Will I do it well? What about more unexpected things to come? Will I be able to handle that? What about the finances? When all those questions flood my mind, I stop and choose to rest. I answer them all with the mantra, "I trust you, Lord. You always help me. There is no reason you won't help me now."
For me, my "enemies" are not external, but internal. Yes, finances are an issue, but it's my fear of the lack of finances that will drive me to work and not rest. And then even if I cease from activities, my mind can worry and fret and I don't rest even thought I have stopped working.
My point in all this, and in the series since the beginning, is to get you to stop and consider that rest isn't based on what you are or are not doing. Rest is based in faith and as stated earlier, it's a decision. If you aren't rested, then you have some questions to ask to determine why. Yes, you may be very busy, but is your busy-ness connected to purpose or pursuit of money? You may take a vacation, but is worry or stress preventing you from resting? Are you sleeping eight hours, but waking up drained, dreading the day ahead?
I urge you to examine your expectations and sources of rest and make lifestyle adjustments not based on finding more leisure, but more purpose time. While you are at it, you can make a decision to trust the Lord as well. He has not failed you up to now, and He is not about to start. Have a blessed week.
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ONLINE VIDEO: I posted two new Your PurposeQuest shows (number 5 and 6) to my online channel this week. They are both interesting interviews with two men who made a career transition based on purpose. They are worth the investment of time to watch.
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