Those moments of rest with God give me peace and contentment.
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields with fire.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
-Psalm 46:7-11
Psalm 46 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. I love how the writer shows the bigness of God and that He is almighty! The sermon on this past weekend challenged us to have moments of rest; not just rest from the busyness of life but moments of rest to be with God.
I am someone that has to have moments of peace each day. It might be going outside in the evening or early morning to look at stars. It sometimes comes from me mowing my lawn, pulling weeds from a flower bed or detailing a car. At any of those times, I can communicate with God in prayer, whether I’m enjoying the calmness of night or vacuuming the floor board of my truck. Those moments of rest with God give me peace and contentment. It restores me.
What happens when I allow life to get too busy to rest? Selfishness, being critical, unforgiving, not being content. God knows that we are not made to be deprived of rest. As I read the gospels, I see that in the most stressful times in Jesus’ life, He got away to pray. Because Jesus was willing to get away and be with God, He was able to show compassion, forgive, heal and love the unlovable. If Jesus needed moments of rest, I shouldn’t be surprised that I don’t function well when I go without rest!
