SCRIPTURE: For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling, and you said, “No! We will flee upon horses”; therefore you shall flee away; and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”; therefore your pursuers shall be swift. Is 30:15-16 ESV
THOUGHT: Whoever heard of someone unwilling to rest?
Honestly, I know a lot of people that fit that description, and you may too. There is a restlessness to the human spirit; a striving after wind as King Solomon put it, and God has been watching humans do this thing for a long time – climb on their fast horses and try to outrun whatever is pursuing them. That’s why his book says things like, “Be still and know that I am God.” That’s why ancient Christians included rest as spiritual discipline. We need rest and quietness to nurture our trust of God to act, and to combat our own knee-jerk penchant to think the world needs us to save it, or that we must be busy all the time in order to redeem ourselves.
Paul said it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance (think turning), and if that is so, why not turn our horses around today? Or better yet, dismount and learn a new rhythm: rest + repentance = salvation; quietness + trust = strength. That’s the equation for experiencing the kindness of God and why would we be unwilling for that?
SONG: Restless https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXP_iB2QUNk
PRAYER: Oh God, I turn and welcome rest and quietness; your salvation and strength.
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Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
Check out Walking When You’d Rather Fly, and learn more about the book and Amy’s other ministries. You will also find her devotional work at Words of Hope.
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